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Raising Awareness of Stress and Trauma
Raising Awareness of Stress and Trauma April is stress awareness month and with the next NCIM conference coming up in May about trauma I wanted to talk about stress, trauma and some practical ways we can manage these events in our lives. Whilst trauma or a traumatic...
Why Homeopathy is Still Relevant in Today’s Medicine
We’re celebrating World Homeopathy Awareness week because many of you may know that along with a range of Integrative approaches I trained in homeopathic medicine alongside my cancer training in palliative medicine. I still find homeopathy such a useful tool in the integrative medicine toolbox and we teach it along with 18 other approaches in our masters level 7 programme in Integrative Healthcare.
Thrive 55: Building age-friendly workplaces
Within our Community pillar, we have been fortunate to secure some funding from St Monica’s Charitable Trust, with the aim of helping organisations understand and break down barriers faced by their employees aged 55+. Over 55’s make up nearly 1/3 of the UK workforce so supporting and encouraging our over 55’s to not only survive but to thrive in the workplace is essential for a forward thinking dynamic organisation.
Let’s Dig Deeper! Functional Medicine and why it’s so important for personalised care
Let’s Dig Deeper! Functional Medicine and why it’s so important for personalised care Last night we had our free monthly webinar with Dr Hazel Walkin, a GP in Somerset and new functional medicine doctor for NCIM. She talked us through what functional medicine is, why...
Changing the Prejudice Around Lifestyle Medicine
I was fascinated to read about new research which came out last month, suggesting that the environment an individual lives in, is about 10 times more influential than genetics in determining why some people face a higher risk of early death.
What is Integrative Medicine?
Sometimes I think the biggest barrier to making integrative medicine more accessible is a lack of understanding by traditional doctors or the general public of what integrative actually means.
The Planetary Parade
It’s been exciting in the month of February to be able to witness the planetary parade. Because of the lack of moon and the way the planet have aligned with the sun, very few of us were able to see all 7 planets, but even to be able to orientate oneself to the west as the sunsets and then to see the evening star Venus come into the night sky, followed by Jupiter and Mars was exciting.
Integrative Approaches to Gut Health Summary
Last week we had our online Spring conference on Gut Health, and it was a fantastic event. Nearly 100 of you booked in live to hear from our speakers and today I would like to summarise a little of what we learnt at the conference. It’s a subject I never tire of hearing about and I think the number of attendees testifies as to how big a subject gut health has become not just for health practitioners but for the general public also.
Trauma-Informed Care: Healing with Compassion and Understanding
Trauma-Informed Care is an approach that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and prioritises creating a safe and supportive environment for those individuals who may have experienced trauma. It is not to necessarily treat trauma-related difficulties, but to help with the barriers that people affected by trauma can experience within healthcare.
Love and Connection
Love, connectedness, and a sense of community are fundamental to human well-being and something we tend to take for granted. In terms of health, I have often spoke about the deep influence that social connection can have on both mental and physical health. Studies consistently show that strong relationships not only reduce short term stress, but can even increase lifespan – one study showing an increase of 50% increased risk of premature death from all causes!
World Cancer Day
Today marks World Cancer Day where we honour those impacted by cancer. I’ve been an integrative cancer doctor for over 25 years and have heard hundreds of stories of people’s journey through cancer and helped many people living with and beyond a diagnosis.
Nourishing Your Mind and Body After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
When you are facing a breast cancer diagnosis, so much energy and focus is poured into treatments, appointments and coping with the immediate challenges of cancer. But there are certain pillars which can be overlooked to help with the foundations of our health. Nutrition fuels the body to heal. Sleep is a bodies repair mechanism and movement is there for strength and vitality. Emotional wellbeing supports our resilience and ability to face each day. By strengthening these pillars we give ourselves the best chance of not just surviving, but thriving and building a stronger and healthier foundation for the future.