Andrea Hughes Medical Herbalist- Functional Medicine

30/10/2025

Well, that was a bad one! It takes a lot to put me in bed and I stayed there for 2 days.

This little group of herbal medicines pulled me through, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Copious cups of Cinnamon and Ginger tea, each with a spoon full of elderberry elixir and 10 drops of the 1860 cough drops as well as the beautiful decongestant chest rub made with essential oils.

I woke up this morning and took the dogs for an hour long walk in beautiful sunshine over the fields.

I'm still not 100% so won't be back to consultations until Monday, but so grateful to be out of bed!

I'm thinking everyone should have a little kit for winter, the elixir does need a few weeks to macerate so if anyone is interested I'd need to know in advance...so do get in touch if you would like a winter medicine kit

26/10/2025

I have the leurgy... and I feel awful... Sore throat, headache, painful sinuses, body aches, chills...

I'm at home but I have some items in my kitchen as well as my beautiful elderberry elixir, which as you can see, I have been dipping into.

Honestly, what do people do without herbs!!

So.. ingredients of my potion:

A k**b of ginger, sliced, in a pan with a cinnamon stick and cold water. Simmer for 10 minutes.
A spoon of elixir and a spoon of honey.

Drink hot... ad lib.. probably doing about 4 cups a day.

Epsom salt bath with diluted ravensara essential oil.

Hopefully I'll be good for clinic Tuesday but I'm cancelling tomorrow, sorry 😔 sniff.. groan... whimper

25/10/2025

Oh yes...

Oral Bacteria May Drive Multiple Sclerosis

Scientists have mapped the oral microbiome of people with multiple sclerosis, revealing a breakdown in the mouth’s bacterial ecosystem.

MS patients showed reduced levels of “good” bacteria that support oral health and higher levels of microbes linked to inflammation.

They also had lower concentrations of hypotaurine, a metabolite that protects nerve cells.

The results suggest the mouth’s microbiome could become a powerful diagnostic and therapeutic target for understanding and treating MS.

25/10/2025

It's a beautiful day, warmed up a tad, wind dropped and the sun came out.
Spanners on leads to keep them from swimming, not that Tara seems too keen today, but Mr Bean would swim no matter how cold or rough the sea!
Have a lovely evening all!

25/10/2025

Chicken of the woods... A little past her best but still beautiful!

20/10/2025

Exercise and glucose lowering effects.... phew. right then!!..that's doable.. isn't it?? :)

Both the WALK and SQUAT strategies led to a 21% reduction in blood sugar spikes compared to uninterrupted sitting. That's nearly double the glucose-lowering benefit of a single 30-minute walk.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/10-squats-for-metabolism?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mbg-daily%20revamp%202025-10-20&utm_id=mbg-daily%20revamp%202025-10-20%20(01K7SHVRZGRXBTPBZSYJHB0H0N)&mbg_mcid=01K7SHVRZGRXBTPBZSYJHB0H0N&mbg_hash={{%20email|md5_hash%20}}&bxid={{userId}}&_kx=7CtTOyMFVGA2f4HbLlyK6Qgf1J1zfSYAqwisJVM1A9nACvzd7jMvx7grMEY32gRQ.TKHRHv

And it couldn't be more simple.

19/10/2025

Amanita muscaria.

I do not advocate you make this medicine at home, it is potent and toxic when taken internally. This preparation is for external use only, particularly for sciatica and only dispensed after a one to one consultation.

I wanted to share it's beauty with you though.. so very special!

18/10/2025

Humulus lupulus - what a great name! Commonly known as Hops of course!

I gathered these last weekend ( thank you Pauline) just in time. They are now dried and ready to tincture as they are far too bitter for tea!

The bitter element of course promotes the flow of bile, any bitter herb stimulates the liver and therefore helpful for sluggish digestion and improves detoxification, although it wouldn't be a primary digestive herb that comes to mind, but as ever we match the herb to the person and try to get as many actions in one herb as possible.

As you may know, Hops are sedative but did you know that they they contain a potent phytoestrogen called 8-prenylnaringenin (\(8-PN\) which interacts with the oestrogen receptor and helps to reduce the effects of low oestrogen such as hot flushes.

It combines well with Passiflora for sleep and relaxation.

There are also anti inflammatory constituents in Hops which can help with pain relief in conditions such as osteoarthritis or menstrual pain.

Don't take Hops if you're on sedative medication or if suffering from depression, but they can really help with anxiety.

So maybe hops would be a good choice for a menopausal women who is being woken in the night with hot flushes and even more perfect if that woman tended to constipation and anxiety and was experiencing joint pain, but of course, not limited to this picture!

18/10/2025

All booked, very excited, nerdy, happy herbalist...

14/10/2025

The Elderberry Elixir....
It'll be ready in about 6 weeks...all winter bugs...beware!

14/10/2025

Medicine making!

10/10/2025