Come along to our Acupuncture Open Day on Sat 3rd March. Our fully qualified acupuncturist, Jess Calvert, will be offering advice and information about this ancient remedy that has been shown to be effective in a range of conditions and is widely used by physiotherapists and other health professionals in the NHS. Jess completed her training both in the UK and in China and is a registered member of British Acupuncture Council. 

Jess will also be providing free 20 minute taster sessions so you  can experience first hand how acupuncture works and feels. To book a session, please call the clinic on 01706 558904

If you try hard all year to eat well, go easy on the alcohol and get some exercise, do you really want to blow it over Christmas? Well no, but on the other hand you want to enjoy a bit of overindulgence, with everyone else. So what can you do?

The answer is to look after your digestive system and your liver. The Christmas dinner, followed by pud, cake and more chocolate than you normally eat in a month put a big strain on your digestion and subsequently on your waistline. The alcohol makes your liver work overtime, and if you drink too much too quickly the liver is overwhelmed, allowing toxins to affect the brain, as well as adding calories.

All is not lost:

•  Before you eat or drink, take bitter herbs. Historically many people have taken an aperitif before their meal. This would be a combination of bitter herbs, sometimes in alcohol, the purpose of which was to wake up the digestive system. Bitters act in the mouth to stimulate saliva secretion, which in turn stimulates the stomach, intestines, pancreas and liver, so all digestive organs are ready and waiting to process food. Digestion is then more efficient, nutrients are metabolised better and waste products eliminated effectively. A simple detox, which could reduce cholesterol, bloating and help prevent piling on extra pounds. There is a variety of bitter herbs available; the more popular are milk thistle, dandelion root and globe artichoke. If you take one of these in liquid form, just a few drops on your tongue is enough to stimulate bitter taste buds in the mouth.
  
• Chew every delicious mouthful as if it was your last. Chewing improves the effectiveness of your digestion, slowing down food transit from the mouth and allowing time for your brain to receive the message that you are full. So you are less likely to over eat.
• If there is a boozy night ahead, take more of the bitter herbs, up to 5ml. In larger quantities bitters stimulate your liver to process and eliminate the alcohol more effectively. Bitters can also have a protective role, helping your liver recover from over indulgence. The more obvious benefit in the short term is that you are less likely to feel rough the following morning. Symptoms such as head ache, nausea and upset stomach should be less.

Bitter herbs in liquid form are not always available to buy ‘over the counter’, however at Vitality Plus we have qualified Medical Herbalists who can advise and safely supply bitter herbs.

Enjoy the parties, the glitter and bright lights, the party nibbles and the big meals, the wine and the liqueur. Slowly savour every mouthful today and you can still indulge tomorrow.

Merry Christmas, Be Happy, Be Healthy and Be Safe, from Tim, Tracey, Ann, Renata and all our Family of Therapists at Vitality Plus

Tel: 01706 330080

www.theherbalpractice.co.uk

   we always have a qualified practitioner on the premises, so you are welcome to pop in for a chat; you will be under no obligation to buy.

Vitality + Natural Health Clinic and Modern Apothecary, 41 Bolton Street, Ramsbottom BL0 9HU. We are open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. Our clinic is open for appointments from 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm Saturday.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive disorder characterized by abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and irregular bowel habits, but has no identifiable, physical cause. New research suggesting that something as simple as a daily walk may relieve symptoms is welcome news for the UK’s many sufferers.

Walking away from symptoms

In a recent trial of 75 adults with IBS, participants were split into 2 groups; one group was asked to increase their daily physical activity; whilst the other group was advised to maintain their current levels of physical activity. Researchers collected information from all participants at the start and end of the study on the severity of IBS symptoms and issues that affect quality of life, such as energy levels and sleep quality.

Participants in the physical activity group received monthly telephone advice on physical activity from an exercise therapist and kept a training diary. The control group received supportive monthly phone calls, but no exercise advice. They were encouraged to maintain their normal lifestyle. After 12 weeks:

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Despite very heavy showers in Bolton today, 12 brave souls from the local FHT group came out with me today for a Herbal Walk around Jumbles Reservoir. Jumbles is a brilliant place to go to look at trees as it has a wide variety of medicinal and non-medicinal trees and each has its own rich history and tradition. So we discovered that the word 'Toxic' comes from the Greek for longbow, by way of the poisonous yew tree, and that in some parts of the country they used to cure chilblains by whipping them with holly leaves - ouch! Of course, we also found out some more useful remedies such as how to make a delicious and healthy rosehip syrup - though the hips need a little longer to ripen - maybe in time for our next herbal walk on 2nd Oct. Please look out for the booking form and come along. Maybe it won't rain  then! 

This September we are able to offer a special event in our walks calendar – a mushroom hunt led by mushroom guru Jesper Launder.  Jesper is a qualified medical herbalist with a reputation as a leading expert in the use of mushrooms medicinally. He started identifying and eating wild mushrooms over 25 years ago and now leads numerous Fungi Forays and Edible Mushroom Hunts throughout the autumn. He provides Vitality + herbalists with his own wild crafted tinctures and has agreed to show us what fungi lurk in Ramsbottom’s woods. This is your chance to come along! 

This mushroom hunt into Reddisher Woods is a great opportunity to see some of our fascinating native fungi and learn how to identify some of the very best edible species, as well as how to differentiate from the deadlier varieties! Expect to see a startling array of shapes and colours and find out about the remarkable medicinal properties of many of the most common species. At the end of the walk we will return to Vitality+ in Ramsbottom where we will all have a chance to cook and sample some of our best edible finds.

Date:  Fri 9th September  
Time:  6.00 p.m. – 8.30 p.m.
Start: Meet outside the Hare and Hounds pub, Holcombe (BL0 9RY)
Price: £6 including the cooked mushrooms & bread sampling!


Places limited - so book early!
For more information and to book your place go to our events booking page 

June is Stress Busting month here at Vitality + and we are holding a series of events and activities to help you get rid of those  unhealthy worries.

Our Chiropractor and Reiki Master, Sara,  is holding a special hour of meditation every Thursday evening during June. Open to everyone, this relaxed session gives you time for you! Sara will guide you through some easy to follow meditation exercises to help you relax and throw off the pressures of work or home. The sessions are just £3 each (inc. refreshments). You are welcome to turn up on the day, but places are limited, so we recommend you book first.

If you are interested in learning more about Reiki for yourself, Sara is also running a Reiki 1 course here at Vitality on Sunday 12th June. On this full day course you will learn how to heal yourself using the energy to heal and balance our mind, body, and spirit. The cost of the day is £85 (inc lunch and refreshments). For More information go to http://www.body-at-ease.com/Reiki_Courses.html 

At the end of the month we are holding a Special Stress and Insomnia Open day. On Saturday  25th June, all our relevant  therapists will be available to discuss the different ways to beat stress  or help you sleep. The herbalists, psychotherapist, counselor and chiropractor can provide advice on a range of treatments and will be offering some free massage tasters to help you de-stress. Why not pop along and talk to us?

Exercise and walking in particular, is a recognised way of dealing with anxiety and stress - so the next day, Sunday 26th June, our qualified botanist and herbalist Tim, will be leading an Aromatic Herbal Walk. Starting with a train ride to Irwell Vale, Tim will follow the river back to Ramsbottom, seeking out wild plants that have a distinctive aroma. Some of them might even help with stress! The walk is around 3 miles and will take about 1-2 hours. The cost is £5 and the train fare is £3.70. Please come along for a relaxing and informative afternoon.

Finally, if your idea of relaxing is being pampered with natural and luxuriant lotions and creams, then we can help there too. During the whole of June we are offering all our Neal's Yard beauty care products at 20% Off. This is to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of  Neal's Yard and help you treat yourself  to a bit of luxury. 

This June, why not take an hour for yourself and come meditate! No distractions, no stresses, just peace...

Join us for a meditation -  just for an hour every Thursday throughout June.Starting on Thursday 02 June · 18:00 - 19:00 and led by our qualified therapist and Reiki Master, Sara

Refreshments & biscuits available.
£3 per session

Easter Monday saw the latest  of our Herbal walks round Ramsbottom. The weather was good and we found many plants relating to Spring and the festival of Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of Spring. Sweet cicley, dandelion and nettle were amongst some of the ancient spring tonics we found and heard about. I was able to try many of them in the field, although several, such as the Ramsons are past their best, and eating raw nettle takes a certain amount of practice not to get stung!

Look out for our next walk on the 26th June when we will be searching for aromatic herbs in the wild.

Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival is just round the corner - 16th and 17th April and the whole town is gearing up for this annual event - and that includes Vitality + !

You might not think of herbal medicine when you think of chocolate, but the good news is that Cocoa is not only delicious, but good for you. As herbalists we can use the cocoa beans in creams, balms and medicines. To Find out more, why not come along to one of our in-store demos during the festival to see how to make your own natural remedies using cocoa products. You can even buy your own kit and have a go yourself at home!

11:00 a.m. Chocolate Lip Balm Demonstration - Find out how the Mayans used cocoa to heal wounds and see how to make your own chocolate and mint lip balm

1.00 p.m. Chocolate and Orange Skin Cream Demonstration - Learn about the healing properties of cocoa butter and watch as we use raw cocoa to make a healing skin cream

3.00 p.m. Chocolate and Herb Bedtime Drink Demonstration - Chocolate is perfect as a mood enhancer and feel good drink. Learn how we combine it with powerful herbs to make a delicious bedtime drink to help you sleep.

All demonstrations are free and will run on both days of the Chocolate Festival, but places are limited, so please arrive in good time. If any of the demonstrations inspire you to make your own remedies, we will be selling ready-to-go kits with all the ingredients (and instructions!) you need

Download the Festival Brochure here