Bespoke Botanicals

Happy World Menopause Day!

I could write a novel now but I won't.
Instead I focus on something very simple.

Please carry on talking about how you feel; physically, emotionally and mentally.

Please don't think you are the only person who is feeling strange.

Please remember, there is a lot of support available.

Please don't feel awkward to ask for help.

Please remember, menopause is a stage in our lives that can be exciting, liberating and positive.

Please don't believe you are selfish if you say No.

Please make sure to look into your diet, exercise regime and general lifestyle.

All of the above came up in a recent Menopause Workshop held by the fabulous Michaela Scott and myself. We will always be on a mission to make sure you will feel empowered and ready for your own unique menopause journey.

It is clear that a lot still needs to be done; more education, more menopause specialists, more willingness to openly talk about symptoms, making sure menopause is not a taboo topic and also making sure that people around you will listen and will support you.

Menopause is not a disease, it is a natural part of our lives. You may sail through it, you may not. For those of you who don't, please reach out and don't suffer in silence.

With love, Renni x

I’ve been a bit quiet on here of late (all will be explained soon when I finally finish a blog that has taken me a long time to create) but I’ve been busy today doing some extra reading for our next Meno Pause Workshop and I wanted to share a bit about it with you.
and I have run Menopause Workshops together before; it’s a collaboration that works well because we have a shared vision of providing a safe space for women to share their menopause experience whilst learning about ALL of the options which may help on their journey.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ wonder pill.

For some women that might be HRT (& I do think it’s important to point out that just because I’m a herbalist it doesn’t mean I’m anti-HRT, for some women it is a lifesaver) but also some women can’t or don’t want to take HRT or find it doesn’t solve their issues. So we also talk about the other options available such as Herbal Medicine, nutritional and lifestyle changes, self-care and other support available.
It’s really important to both of us that the information we pass on to you is accurate and up to date, so alongside our original training we both undertake regular CPD courses and have amassed a library of books on the subject.
Knowledge is power. If you fully understand all the options available then you can make the decisions that are right for you, on your menopause journey.

The next workshop is Thursday 17th October 6.30-8.30pm at my clinic in Acomb.
For more details email me at [email protected] or Renni at [email protected]

https://www.herbalreality.com/herbalism/home-herbalism/home-herbalism-when-to-see-herbalist/?utm_campaign=feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=later-linkinbio

Home herbalism and when to see a herbalist - Herbal Reality We share the potential and limitations of home herbalism to support your health. Also find out when to consult a herbalist.

Ooh, if you like the sound of an iced chicory, dandelion root and cardamom latte you are going to want to click this link!

Dandelion Monograph: History, Benefits, &Recipe Dandelion's historical use in cultures around the world highlights its value in herbalism and holistic wellness practices. Learn more about wild and abundant dandelion and how to use it for wellness.

https://www.herbalreality.com/herbalism/safety/supporting-doctors-how-herbs-can-help-reduce-antibiotic-overprescribing/

Supporting doctors: How herbs can help reduce antibiotic overprescribing - Herbal Reality The overuse of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance and higher risk of major health issues. We share how herbalism can help.

How do you relax? I'd really love to hear what works for you.

For reasons I'll explain another time l've had to take it a bit easy recently and I realised I'm not very good at keeping still! Don't get me wrong, I do have a number of things I do to 'relax' but my go-to's when I need a bit of me-time tend to be going to the gym, or swimming or gardening. I'm definitely an 'active relaxer'!

My other half in contrast is an expert at chilling out and can easily spend hours just sitting reading or doing a crossword.

How about you?

A post by another herbalist about the simple Daisy, prompted me to reshare this blog I wrote a few years ago.

If you are taking part in (or even if you aren't) you may be noticing clusters of daisies brightening up your lawn.
But did you know, like the much maligned dandelion, the humble daisy also has medicinal properties?

Some of my earliest childhood memories are potion making. Rose petal perfume; fairy mirrors made from a combination of twisted stems & cobwebs dipped in milk; nettle and liquorice root tea. When I was in the 4th Year of Juniors (now called Year 6) I wrote a detailed story about being shipwrecked on a desert island. I'm not quite sure what I did for food but I spent a lot of time gathering local plants and seaweeds to make my own shampoos and skincare!
I've never lost this fascination.

As a herbalist, I get quite frustrated when the more common herbs or weeds get overlooked for the next new Superfood or Wonder Tonic. But there is so much we can use that is all around us. I thought l'd share a few simple recipes that can be made with things we can easily find growing around us.

Daisies have a long history of use for bumps and bruises, as well as gout and rheumatic pain. They can be used in a similar way to Arnica. In this blog I explain how to make a simple Daisy bruise balm.

Daisy Bruise Balm - Bespoke Botanicals To make a daisy bruise balm you'll need:DaisiesOil (I use sweet almond oil, but you can use sunflower oil) A clear glass jam jar with a lidBeeswax (or soya

I’m really loving how versatile my new treatment room is! It is big enough to be able to create ‘zones’ for consultations, group work, or massage; whilst still being warm and cosy and full of light. I just need a few more plants….

https://menoclarity.com/perimenopause-is-second-puberty-and-is-temporary/

Perimenopause Is Second Puberty and Is Temporary - MenoClarity A look at what perimenopause actually is, and how it's a recalibration of hormonal and nervous systems that will end in time.

It's great that talking about perimenopause is no longer a taboo subject, but do you want to know more about the journey you might be facing? Let's have a no b *t discussion that acknowledges you might just sail through this natural transition or you might struggle with a myriad of difficult symptoms and there is no one size fits all solution! There is lots you can do though and now more than ever is the time to explore what YOU need.
This workshop will look at all the different options available, so that you can discover what is right for your individual menopause journey.
I'm really excited to be offering this workshop with the fabulous as we are both passionate about providing something different to the often very polarised advice on how menopause 'should' be managed. We certainly won't tell you what to do but we will talk about symptoms, support, HRT, herbal medicine, diet, lifestyle etc in detail. We will also provide signposting to other appropriate support groups, books, therapists and women's health experts.
We want you to feel empowered, knowing what is right for YOU in YOUR menopause journey.
Now, does that sound good?
Email me [email protected] or Renni [email protected] for more info or to book..

https://www.herbalreality.com/herbalism/home-herbalism/foraging/medicinal-plants-to-forage-in-march/

Medicinal plants to forage in March - Herbal Reality Coltsfoot, nettle, cleavers and guelder rose — Kathie Bishop’s choice of medicinal plants to forage in March.

https://themuttonclub.com/preventing-midlife-burnout/

Preventing Midlife Burnout - How To Heal The New Crisis A holistic guide to preventing midlife burnout, healing the crisis, and fostering a path instead towards resilience and wellbeing.

Really excited to be offering this workshop with the fabulous .

So often discussions around peri-menopause support can become a very polarised debate.

We are passionate about providing something different. This workshop will look at all the different options available so that you can discover what is right for your individual menopause journey.

Saturday 23rd March, 10.30-12.30 at my lovely new clinic space in Acomb

I’m delighted to share this from the incredible Renni Prelle who will be offering this in my new clinic space. Contact her direct for full details

Hello lovely people!

Here is my new baby which I am super excited about:

It is called: RELAX - REFRESH - RESET

2 hours of

- 🧡total relaxation
- 🧡me time
- 🧡some very yummy and easy to learn relaxation techniques
- 🧡a feeling of total calmness
- 🧡releasing endorphins
- 🧡de-stressing
- 🧡slowing down your heart rate

All of this in small groups, warm and cold non-alcoholic drinks will also be available.

Flexible dates at the moment as the location picked will depend on the group size.

If you and a few colleagues, friends, family members would like to book in for this, please contact me and we get a date in the diary.

And your feedback/thoughts on my newest baby is very welcome too!!!

I’m delighted to be featured in York Mumbler’s Health and Wellbeing Special.

Work with me. I know you want to feel well. I understand the frustration of not feeling like yourself. I realise that getting better can be a struggle and having proper support can make all the difference.

For many, loss of good health happens so gradually that you don't notice. But when you pause to think about it you know you didn't used to feel like this. For some, you know you are not doing the right things to maintain good health, but life threw you a few curveballs and now you just can't get back on track.
You ve learnt to live with it as best you can.
But you know life can feel better than this. You know you can feel better than this. You just don't know how to turn it around.

Making changes takes effort. And that is hard when you aren't feeling great in the first place. Often people put off tackling their health problems for years because they get used to accommodating them. They don't know where to start with getting back to the optimal health they dream of. The months pass. It's a lot of life and opportunity missed.

Let me support you along the way.
I offer free discovery calls so you can find out if you think my approach will work for you, just email [email protected] to book your call

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/jan/01/100-tiny-changes-to-transform-your-life-from-the-one-minute-rule-to-pyjama-yoga

100 tiny changes to transform your life: from the one-minute rule to pyjama yoga Want more health and happiness in the year ahead – without having to work too hard? Here are tried and tested tweaks that can lead to big improvements

Some maybes about menopause and the possibility of postmenopause:

Maybe your ‘menopause anger’ is because, by the time you get to menopause, you’ve been dealing with decades of misogyny and by menopause you’ve had enough?

Maybe your ‘menopausal anger’ is because you’re tired of being a targeted market for products that are jumping on the menopause bandwagon?

Maybe your ‘menopause anxiety’ is because menopause reminds us that we are ageing and will die and our culture despises ageing and is terrified of death?

Maybe the tough stuff in menopause is because menopause is a bio-psycho-socio-cultural transition and change is often hard, especially when your society hates change?

Maybe menopause is hard work because it’s a reversion to infertility in a brutally pronatal culture that teaches us we are worthless if we are not fertile?

Maybe you don’t have to ‘do’ menopause brilliantly. Maybe it would be ok to BE however you are and find out who you are becoming in postmenopause?

Words by Stella Duffy
Image from Pixabay by Artie_Navarre

Maybe she’s right? I’d love your thoughts on this

Sometimes photos can tell a story.
I love this photo of me and my kids as, if you take a minute to contemplate it, you realise that getting my degree was quite a journey, and I had two kids whilst completing it! I was also a little late starting my university studies as I had some challenging health issues in my teens and early 20's.
Why am I sharing this?
I love getting to know people's stories. In fact it's the crux of what I do as a medical herbalist. Understanding your unique story, what lead you to the place you are today, is a vital part of unpicking the root cause of your illhealth. It also helps reveal the best ways to help improve things for you.
I offer free discovery calls if you want to find out more about how I work or just want a chat before booking a full consultation. Email me with your contact detail at [email protected] if you'd like to set one up

Oof, I’d love your thoughts on this.
My immediate thoughts are the language used in reporting this is appalling! Absolutely it’s great to open up the conversation about what can happen during the peri-menopause, but bloody hell are we still slightly whispering in a bit of an ashamed way about ‘women’s problems’? Or treating someone as brave for mentioning something entirely normal? If the presenter had needed to step off camera whilst she had a coughing fit would this have even made the news?

TV host refuses to play victim to woman problem A guest host appearing on the ABC’s breakfast show has been praised after she stopped mid-sentence to confess that she was having a severe hot flush.

This looks like a great resource from Kate Codrington https://planetradio.co.uk/planet-rock/uk/news/what-men-should-know-about-perimenopause/

I’m still working my way through some of the recordings as I was working this morning, but I’m already blown away by the content and breadth of expertise. Check out that list of experts.
Here’s to a more positive menopause!

What an incredible day!! 😀

Our Menopause has been a great success and it has been fantastic to see everyone coming together - amazing speakers, fascinating topics and engaging attendees - almost 500 of you!!

A HUGE thank you to...

🌿 Professor Joyce Harper - ‘Why Menopause is not a ’

🌿 Alexandra Pope of Red School - 'The Liberating Power of Menopause'

🌿 Karen Newby (Karen Newby Nutritionist) - ‘Mastering the Menopause through Food and ’

🌿 Hananja Bryce-Ytsma FNIMH (Medical Herbalist Hananja Brice-Ytsma) - ‘ for Menopause: Debunking the Myths’

🌿 Dr Shashi Prasad (Dr Shashi Prasad) - 'Menopause and '

🌿 Chanchal Cabrera FNIMH (.cabrera) - ' , Herbal Medicine and Menopause'

🌿 Anita Ralph FNIMH and Consultant Gynaecologist Anne Henderson (The Amara Clinic) - ‘ Across The Divide’

And of course, our Vice President Melinda McDougall Medical Herbalist for all of her hard work and many hours spent in helping to make this event possible!

It has been wonderful to see so many aspects of covered as well as some of the latest research into , particularly during .

This isn't the end of the story as we will be sharing more posts highlighting how you can have a . Keep following us for more content, tips and menopause awareness campaigns...! 🤲

Request for help!
I’m doing a digital marketing course to try to help me improve the way I let people know how I can help them.
If you have ever used my services as a Medical Herbalist what sort of content would you like me to share on social media?

I’m really looking forward to attending this online event tomorrow. You don’t have to be a herbalist to attend. Check out the brilliant array of experts

🌿 Menopause Summit – TOMORROW!! 🌿

Our first ever starts tomorrow, and we can’t wait! 😊

Institute Fellow, Hananja Brice-Ytsma (-Ytsma) has practiced extensively in the UK since qualifying in 1990. In 1995, she helped pioneer Britain’s first BSc Degree in herbal medicine in partnership with Middlesex University, where she practiced at the University training clinic. She is also co-founder and Clinical Director of the Heartwood () Professional course in herbal medicine.

During her session ‘Herbal Medicine for Menopause: Debunking the Myths’, Hananja will disentangle the misinformation that surrounds herbal medicines that have an influence on the system, specifically looking at those that are used during the menopause transition. Find out the truth about popular such as red clover and black cohosh and how to use them effectively, as well as herbs for . You’ll also learn more about the herbalist's approach to menopause which goes far beyond ‘hormone replacement’ and seeks to establish a new equilibrium.

This amazing event is FREE for Institute Members and students and just £50 for all other health professionals and students. There’s still time to secure your place!! Simply visit our Events page (https://buff.ly/3KlcT4I) 🎫

I wish I’d seen this post before I made my latest batch of elderberry syrup….