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Nikki Hawkes

Medical Herbalist MNIMH

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gut health and digestion

Chamomile Tea for Gut Health: How It Can Help with Digestion

April 2, 2023 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

chamomile tea for gut health

Are you looking for a simple, natural way to soothe your stomach and ease digestive upsets? Look no further than a cup of chamomile tea! People have used this delicate and floral brew for centuries as a digestive aid, and for good reason. What is chamomile tea? Chamomile can refer to German chamomile (Matricaria recutita […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: digestion, gut health, herbal medicine

How does stress affect the digestive system?

August 3, 2022 by nikki hawkes 2 Comments

how does stress affect the digestive system

Symptoms of stress don’t just affect our mental health but also our overall health, including our gut health. But exactly how does stress affect the digestive system? And what can you do about it? This article will explain why stress causes problems in our gut and how we can fix these problems using simple lifestyle […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: gut health

Heartburn or Indigestion? This guide explains all

December 24, 2021 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

do you have heartburn or indigestion

Do you know the difference between heartburn and indigestion? What about acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease? This article should help make things more transparent if you’re not sure. All these tummy troubles have something in common – a burning pain in the chest. Knowing the difference between these common problems can mean finding a […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

4 ways to relieve acid reflux naturally

December 16, 2021 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

herbal remedies to soothe heartburn

Acid reflux is a digestive disorder in which your oesophagus becomes inflamed due to stomach acid coming up into your throat. This causes heartburn, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, regurgitation and nausea. This article explains some quick ways to relieve acid reflux with natural remedies. Do you have acid reflux? The symptoms of acid reflux include […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: acid reflux

Why your gut health is more important than you think

May 6, 2021 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

Gut health is more important than most people realise. The good news is that you can improve gut health. Your gut contains hundreds of species of bacteria, many of which can be very beneficial for your health. Beneficial species are beneficial because they produce substances such as vitamins. However, another important role is that they […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

The Gut-Skin Connection: How The Gut Microbiome Affects Acne

April 25, 2021 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

acne can occur on the face, neck and back

Acne affects most people at some time in their lives, causing a lack of confidence and low self-esteem. With an almost desperate need to get clearer skin, it is common to use many skincare products and antibiotic treatments. But, looking at what is happening in your body that causes your acne can be a better […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

SIBO: it’s important to find the possible causes

September 3, 2020 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

herbal medicine can help reduce SIBO

I see a lot of information about SIBO on websites and social media, especially in relation to giving advice on how to cope with the symptoms. Symptoms Common symptoms of SIBO include: bloating nausea or vomiting diarrhoea fatigue weight loss joint pain skin problems depression malnutrition Yet many of these symptoms are the same as […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

Can a leaky gut make you ill?

December 10, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

diagram of a leaky gut

As a practitioner that uses functional medicine principles it is clear to me that to improve the health of someone with a complex, chronic condition, factors that contribute to the progression or the severity of that condition must be addressed. We might start by optimising lifestyle factors, such as diet, quality of sleep, type of […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: 4R, autoimmune disease, digestion, leaky gut

Some reasons a low FODMAP diet may not work for IBS

September 24, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

low FODMAP meal for IBS

Research shows that if you have irritable bowel syndrome, eating a diet low in FODMAPs is likely to reduce your symptoms. I discuss what FODMAPs are and how they help IBS here. Briefly a low FODMAP diet restricts foods that contain certain types of carbohydrates, specifically fermentable carbohydrates. However, though a low FODMAP diet is […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: diet, elimination diet, FODMAPs

Simple herbal remedies for heartburn

August 27, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

Man needs home remedies for heartburn

Heartburn is a symptom of GORD or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, also known as GERD. This burning sensation is due to liquid from the stomach rising up the gullet or oesophagus. Which can also leave a nasty taste in the mouth. This can be an occasional nuisance or it can be a severe and lifelong problem. […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: digestion

Food as medicine to prevent chronic disease

August 13, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

Olives a part of the Mediterranean diet

Given the regularity of food related news headlines, and especially those that seem to contradict ‘last week’s news’, it’s perhaps not surprising that many people are unsure about what they should believe. What should we eat to improve our health or even prevent chronic disease? Low fat or low carb? What about grains or gluten? […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: chronic disease, food as medicine

Reduce your IBS symptoms with a low FODMAPs diet

August 6, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

image of onions

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition of the gastrointestinal tract, and many people say that food either triggers or exacerbate their IBS symptoms. Yet, there is considerable evidence that making a change to a diet low in FODMAPs can help to reduce these symptoms. IBS is a functional condition, meaning that there are […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: diet, digestion, leaky gut, microbiome

How to soothe irritable bowel syndrome with a hot oil poultice

July 16, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

Caraway oil and caraway seeds

Learn how to soothe irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) pain quickly. If you suffer from IBS I know that you are always on the lookout for simple remedies you can use at home. In 2015 a German study tested the use of hot oil poultices on people with IBS. They found that using a hot oil […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: herbalist, herbs

Are you happy with your current irritable bowel syndrome treatment?

July 9, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

Is your Irritable bowel syndrome treatment effective

If you have irritable bowel syndrome and are currently receiving treatment, the chances are, that your answer to this question will be no. In fact, research demonstrates that less than 40% of patients are satisfied with their current irritable bowel syndrome treatment. Which means that in the UK, where an estimated 6.5 to 13 million […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: diet, microbiome, probiotic

Is all processed food unhealthy?

July 2, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

Eat real food, not processed food

The extent to which a food is processed is a major determinant in how healthy that food is. The Western diet includes many processed foods and even some ultra-processed foods. Researchers now think that this processing may have a large role in what makes the typical Western diet unhealthy. Food processing includes food preparation methods […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: diet, digestion, leaky gut, microbiome

How to prevent traveller’s diarrhoea

April 30, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

catamaran anchored off tropical island

Research suggests that Delhi belly or traveller’s diarrhoea affects up to half of the travellers to developing countries. With around a billion international travellers per year, that makes travellers’ diarrhoea a common problem. Yet the microbes that cause this gut infection are present in developed countries too. So, wherever you travel, knowing how to prevent […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: digestion, probiotics

How to get rid of bloating

April 23, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

carminative tea remedy for bloating

This is the second part in a series of posts. The first article covered What causes bloating, and this one follows up with how to get rid of bloating. Though relieving the symptom of bloating is important, as with many chronic health concerns to make a permanent improvement, it is necessary to find the underlying […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: diet, digestion, herbal medicine, microbiome

What causes bloating?

April 16, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

choosing foods that don't cause bloating

A lot of people know the feeling of having a bloated tummy. That uncomfortable, unpleasantly full feeling, similar to the sensation of having eaten too much over the festive season for example. Yet, up to 25% of healthy people report having bloating frequently, and for some people bloating can be a daily occurrence. This is the […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: diet, digestion

4R – Nutrients that repair a leaky gut

February 26, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

Image showing the need to repair a leaky gut

This is the next in a series of blog posts about the 4R program for optimising your digestion and gut health. Here I discuss ways to repair a leaky gut. You can read the previous posts in the series by following the links below. 1 Optimise your digestive health 2 4R program – Remove the triggers […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: 4R, diet, digestion, herbalist, herbs, leaky gut

Which foods are effective as an autoimmune disease natural treatment?

December 18, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

an elimination diet as an autoimmune disease natural treatment

You might know that the foods we eat can make a big difference to our long term health. For better or worse. But, did you know that a healthy diet can reverse autoimmunity? If you have an autoimmune condition this might surprise you because generally, your doctor wouldn’t mention this. Yet, scientists found that food […]

Filed Under: autoimmunity articles, gut health and digestion Tagged With: diet, elimination diet

Why am I reacting to everything I eat?

December 11, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

chamomile flowers are a well known herbal remedy

As a herbalist, I am often asked this question. If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, avoiding your trigger foods can help to prevent symptoms. Yet, if you’re not sure what your trigger foods are. Or you find yourself eating fewer and fewer foods, it can be a scary outlook. As well as creating a […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: diet, digestion, elimination diet, herbs, leaky gut

How to prevent gallbladder sludge and gallstones with natural medicine

November 6, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

prevent gallbladder sludge to keep your gallbladder healthy

In Western countries, gallbladder sludge and the incidence of gallstones are common phenomena. In fact, 10% of the population may have gallbladder sludge or gallstones. We don’t know for sure, as these conditions often don’t cause any significant symptoms. This means many people are unaware they have a potential problem with a build-up of sludge […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: cholesterol, diet

Food cravings! Are your gut bugs to blame?

July 10, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

food cravings and the microbiome

Do you suffer from food cravings? Do you eat plenty but are hungry all the time? Or, are you wanting to make healthy food choices but find it almost impossible? Did you know that the microbes in your gut could be the cause? From the moment of our birth microbes live on us and in […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: diet, digestion

4R – Reinoculate with a probiotic

June 19, 2017 by nikki hawkes 2 Comments

fermented vegetables are a source of probiotic

This article on re-inoculation with a probiotic, is the next in a series of blog posts about the 4R program. This program is all about optimising your digestion and gut health. You can read the previous posts in the series by following the links below. Optimise your digestive health4R program – Remove the triggers4R – […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: 4R, digestion, prebiotic, probiotic

Improve fat digestion with herbs

June 5, 2017 by nikki hawkes 8 Comments

improve digestion of fats like butter with herbs

For decades most people have believed that eating low fat was the healthy choice. Now, finally this myth is being overturned. We now know that certain fats can make a contribution to a healthy diet. People are changing their food habits and are adding back foods with healthy fats. Yet for some, when changing to […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: diet, digestion

Inflammatory bowel disease and the exposome

May 22, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

Pain caused by cramping in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not the same as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The inflammatory bowel diseases are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. These are autoimmune conditions of the digestive tract.  That have chronic gut inflammation in common. Though not all researchers agree on their cause. We do know that genes may affect the risk of […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: autoimmune disease

4R – Replace what’s missing to optimise your digestion

May 1, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

optimise your digestion to stop stomach pain

This is the next in a series of blog posts about the 4R program that describes how you can optimise your digestion. Read the first two in this series by following the links: Part one: Optimise your digestive health Part two: 4R program – Remove the triggers The next R in the 4R program is for replace. The digestive […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: 4R, digestion

4R program – Remove the triggers

March 27, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

barley grains contain gluten

This is the second in a series of blog posts about the 4R program for optimising your digestion and gut health. You can read the first part by following the link below. Part one: Optimise your digestive health Remove the triggers of inflammation The first phase in improving your gut health is to remove the things […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: 4R, elimination diet

Optimise your digestive health

March 13, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

optimise your digestion image

Good gut health and digestion plays an important part in the health and wellbeing of the entire body. So I have created a series of articles about how you can improve your digestive health. This is the first part. A healthy and well functioning digestive system is a cornerstone of good health. Yet, digestive problems […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: 4R

Parkinson’s disease starts in the gut!

January 16, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

Parkinsons disease and the gut

Parkinson’s disease is a condition that develops over a number of years. The most common symptoms being: involuntary shaking slow, shuffling movements stiffness or rigidity of the muscles Symptoms don’t usually start before the age of 50. But once they develop they tend to worsen over time. The symptoms are due to a loss of nerve cells in the brain. […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

Is bone broth harmful?

November 21, 2016 by nikki hawkes 1 Comment

cooking chicken broth

Traditional slow-cooked meals made with meat on the bone have a reputation for providing health benefits. I’m thinking specifically of chicken soup here. What my mother used to call Jewish penicillin. Full of flavour, wholesome and packed with nutrients. Nowadays, bone broth is generally held in the same esteem. Providing healing nutrients in a form […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: diet

Can a leaky gut cause migraines?

October 19, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

The gut-brain connection

An estimated 15% of the population suffer from migraine headaches at least once. With more women than men affected. Those affected tend to need long term medication. But, prescribed medicines tend to be only partially effective, and have side effects. This leaves many people living with severe pain on a regular basis without hope of […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: 4R, leaky gut, migraine

Food allergy and food intolerance – a quick guide

October 11, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

Food Allergy or Food Intolerance

Food allergy and food intolerance are becoming more common. Yet there is a lot of confusion about the difference between them. In fact, as a herbalist, I am often asked about food sensitivity. So, here is a quick guide. Food sensitivity Food sensitivity can refer to either an allergy or intolerance to food. Basically it […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

The Body Reset Diet – healthy eating plan

October 3, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

foods on a healthy eating plan such as the body reset

Do you know for sure which foods to eat? If you want a healthy eating plan, find out about my free body reset plan. I will explain why I chose these particular foods in this article. After all, it can be difficult to know which foods are good for us and which are not. What […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

Do you have a leaky gut?

September 26, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

damaged tight junctions lead to a leaky gut

The digestive tract is responsible for the digestion and absorption of nutrients from our food. This involves the movement of digested food molecules through a porous intestinal lining and into the circulation. This means that to absorb nutrients we must always to some extent, have a leaky gut. To facilitate the digestive process the structure of the […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion Tagged With: leaky gut

Reasons why you should go gluten free

September 19, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

how should I go gluten free?

It is well known that people with the autoimmune disorder coeliac disease, must adhere to a gluten-free (GF) diet. But, if you don’t have coeliac disease is it really necessary to avoid gluten? After all, gluten-containing foods are staples in the western diet. And, people tell me that they really don’t want to give up bread, […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

The link between fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome

July 23, 2016 by nikki hawkes 1 Comment

diagsigns and symptoms of fibromyalgia

A diagnosis of fibromyalgia means you are most likely a woman between the ages of 20 and 50. You are also likely to also suffer with irritable bowel syndrome. Fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome often occur together. Not everyone with irritable bowel syndrome has fibromyalgia. But most people with fibromyalgia do have irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

How can too much and too little stomach acid have the same symptoms?

April 14, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

stomach acid and burning pain

Digestion is a complex process. It involves a number of stages, requiring the action of different digestive juices, acid, enzymes and hormones. It is a sequence of co-ordinated events designed to efficiently extract nutrients from our food. Unfortunately, things can go wrong. Stomach pain with a burning sensation is a common symptom. These symptoms are often believed to […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

Could SIBO be the cause of IBS?

March 11, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

what is the cause of IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is a very common condition of the gut. It often begins after a bout of food poisoning or other gut infection. People with IBS tend to have the condition long term and it can severely impact on their quality of life. Doctors used to believe that IBS was a psychosomatic condition. Sufferers […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

IBS: Multiple Causes and the Functional Medicine Approach

March 2, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

functional medicine approach for IBS

Are you feeling intense abdominal pain accompanied by changes in bowel habits? Do you experience constipation, diarrhoea or alternate between both? If so, you might be suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive disorder affecting millions worldwide. The symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, loose stools and constipation characterise […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

The benefits of probiotics for IBS

February 24, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

keep a food diary to identify issues

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common, relapsing condition.  Its cause is not completely understood.  But its occurrence increases following gut infections, such as food poisoning or gastroenteritis.  These conditions can cause changes in the gut microbiota.  This article discusses the idea that the benefits of probiotics help to ease the symptoms of IBS? The main symptoms of IBS […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

Probiotics and prebiotics – What’s the difference?

February 17, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

supplements can contain both probiotics and prebiotics

Our intestines contain trillions of bacteria. In fact, far more bacteria than cells in our body. We are still learning about how these bacteria affect us. But, we do know they have a huge impact on our health and well being. As a result, probiotics and prebiotics are increasingly available as supplements. Here I explain what probiotics […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

Improve your digestion with bitters

February 7, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

black coffee image

A healthy diet may be the foundation for good health but what about good digestion? If nutrients are not absorbed they provide no benefit to the body. Efficient breakdown of foods allows easier absorption of nutrients. Unfortunately, poor digestive function is common. Many of the people that consult me have digestive issues. These range from constipation and irritable […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

What is a microbiome?

January 21, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

probiotic supplements for a healthy gut microbiome

  A human body contains trillions of cells.  Yet most of these cells are not actually human cells, but microbial.  Some estimates suggest that we may in fact be only 10% human! The remainder being mostly bacteria, yeasts and other microbes – our microbiota. In fact, even if these figures are over estimated the collective genetic material […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

Do I have irritable bowel syndrome?

January 2, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

woman with stomach pain image

Do you sometimes rush to the bathroom on waking?  Does taking your first bite of breakfast cause you painful abdominal cramping, gas and bloating?  Then you may have irritable bowel syndrome. This common condition of the digestive tract affects at least one in ten in the UK.  Yet it could be many more as people often […]

Filed Under: gut health and digestion

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