The Holistic Herbal Treatment of Digestive Conditions


Cultivating good digestion is a bit like gardening.

If a plant is sick, gardeners first look to the soil, checking it is healthy and that the plant has enough water, nutrients, sun etc..

They don't just give the plant a pill and ignore these fundamentals.

Just as plants won't thrive if their basic needs aren't met, our digestion also needs to be tended with love and care. Our digestion is our soil, where we too absorb our nutrients.

​With regular weeding (e.g. removing 'bad' bacteria and foods) and feeding (with good foods and herbs to restore function) we too can thrive and bloom.

Practitioners of the major systems of herbal medicine around the world e.g. Western Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine, have always known that good digestive health is central to overall health. ​​

This traditional knowledge is now backed up by modern science.​​​​​
 "All disease begins in the gut"
​
​Hippocrates, 370 - 460 ​BC,
​the 'father of modern medicine' 
​
For example, it is now estimated that 70% of our immunity lies in our gut (thanks to our microbiome - the trillions of bacteria that inhabit our digestive tract) and that the gut has its own separate 'brain' called the enteric nervous system (which is why stress can affect our digestion so much).

​​So, when our digestion is not up to par, not only do we experience distressing symptoms but it can also impact our wider health e.g. contributing to anxiety and depression, poor immunity, skin conditions, arthritis and even autoimmune conditions. (Click here for a great article on the microbiome and its role in conditions like depression and Parkinson's disease.)

In reality, our digestion is more of a complex ecology than just an organ system and improving it requires more than just a pill.
This one day course will include: 
  • how to have a happy digestion
  • ​​the herbal treatment of indigestion, heartburn, pain, wind and bloating
  • gut healthy alternatives to acid blocking medications 
  • simple, effective and free ways to identify food intolerances
  • multi-tasking herbs for the digestion and how to use them safely
  • learn about herbal demulcents, carminatives, bitters and nervines
  • making your own digestive medicinal tincture to take home

No prior herbal knowledge needed.


When and where:
Venue: Abbey Row Community Centre, The Knowes, Kelso, TD5 7BJ
Date: TBC
Time: 10am to 4pm
Cost: £40 (£25 concession)

Additional Information
Tea and coffee will be provided but please bring your own lunch, or there are plenty of shops and cafe's close by.

The centre is fully accessible for those with mobility issues.