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Nikki Hawkes

Medical Herbalist MNIMH

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general health

Natural Remedies for Deep Sleep: 30 Tips to Get Better Rest

January 4, 2023 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

woman in deep sleep

Getting a restful night of deep sleep is essential for our overall health and can make all the difference in our energy levels. So it’s no wonder many people struggle with the effects of persistent poor sleep. Whether the reason is an ongoing medical condition, chronic pain, shift work or a stressful situation, millions of […]

Filed Under: general health Tagged With: sleep

Food intolerance testing

August 13, 2022 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

food intolerance testing

Food intolerance testing has become more popular over the last decade, and more tests are available. But how useful are they? I will explain your options. In the past few years, food intolerance testing has become increasingly popular. But why should you test for intolerances? And, what do these tests tell us? What is food intolerance? […]

Filed Under: general health

What is holistic health?

June 22, 2021 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

herbalism and holistic health

Holistic Health focuses on the entire person. Rather than treating one aspect of the body, it looks at how each area affects the others. For example, health conditions don’t affect just one body part. With a holistic approach to health, we can see a relationship between the mind and the body. Stress impacts our mental […]

Filed Under: general health

What is flaxseed good for?

January 13, 2020 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

what is flaxseed good for?

This small, nutritious seed is full of good fats and fibre. But do you know what flaxseed is good for in terms of your health?

Filed Under: general health

Why I have a food first approach to optimum health

August 17, 2019 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

some examples of unhealthy foods

People that know me well know that good food is essential to me. I even chose my daughters’ school based on the food they offered. It is the same with my patients. My patients know that I am very interested in what they are eating. I have a food first approach when it comes to […]

Filed Under: general health Tagged With: diet, health, herbal medicine, herbs

An intro on adaptogens for stress

February 25, 2019 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

adaptogen herbs help you manage stress

Modern life is inherently stressful. The funny thing is that we don’t all respond to stress in the same way. Of course there are situations that we all might struggle to cope with, like the death of a loved one. But in the day to day hurdles of life, it is often the case that […]

Filed Under: chronic fatigue, general health

What to eat on the Mediterranean diet

February 9, 2019 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

Mediterranean diet photo

As I have discussed before scientific studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest way to eat. There are hundreds if not thousands of studies that support the use of this way of eating for improving health as well as reducing the risk of developing a chronic disease, potentially reversing chronic disease and for […]

Filed Under: general health Tagged With: diet

Should you eat more whole grains?

January 21, 2019 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

barely whole grains

In the news last week we saw many articles similar to this one from the BBC website. These articles relate to a World Health Organisation (WHO) funded review in the Lancet that looked at the amount of dietary fibre people eat and how it relates to their health and risk of disease. The general impression of the […]

Filed Under: general health Tagged With: chronic disease, diet, Mediterranean diet, microbiome

Why a low fat diet is not the way to go

December 3, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

a food pyramid can help people balance their meals

  It’s not surprising that sometimes people get confused about the healthiest way to eat, whether it’s a low fat diet or low carb or something else. There are far too many contradictory messages in the media about the healthiest type of diet. But, as I’ve been telling my patients for quite some time, nobody […]

Filed Under: general health Tagged With: diet, Mediterranean diet

Are group appointments the answer to the healthcare crisis?

October 11, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

group sessions might ease the healthcare crisis

The BBC recently reported a story about the success of group appointments within the NHS. The article said that both patients and GPs benefited. Patients enjoyed peer support. And, GPs said they saved time and did not need to repeat their advice. But are group appointments really the answer to our healthcare crisis?

Filed Under: general health Tagged With: functional medicine, medical herbalist

Simple strategies for preventing a common cold

October 1, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

garlic cloves and sliced garlic

Are you one of the lucky ones that never seems to catch a cold? If not then you might want to read on. This article is for those people who want to know about some evidence based strategies for preventing a common cold. Of course there are plenty of remedies for reducing the symptoms and […]

Filed Under: general health, herbal medicine Tagged With: diet, green tea, herbalist, herbs, immunity, probiotic

Pesticides linked to autism and other chronic diseases

August 20, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

crop spraying with pesticides

In my article Could indoor toxins be making you ill?, I discuss how the constant exposure to household and workplace toxins can mean these chemicals accumulate in the body. And, how this build up of toxic chemicals may be one factor underlying the rapid increase we are seeing in chronic diseases, such as heart disease, […]

Filed Under: general health, mind and mood Tagged With: environmental toxins

Do you have allergies? Or, is it histamine intolerance…

May 7, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

histamine intolerance has many of the same symptoms as allergies

Histamine is a naturally occurring chemical that has many effects in the human body, including an important role in allergies. In a person with an allergy, the immune system responds to their allergen by releasing histamine, which causes various symptoms depending on the location. For example, in someone that has hayfever, exposure to pollen causes […]

Filed Under: allergy, general health Tagged With: allergies, histamine intolerance

Stop cold sores coming back

January 15, 2018 by nikki hawkes 2 Comments

Herpes simplex virus often affect the lips and mouth

Cold sores are the result of a very common and persistent infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. We recognise the infection as small blisters that usually occur on the lips or around the mouth. These blisters or sores can be painful, with burning or itching, and may last up to three weeks without treatment. […]

Filed Under: general health, skin health Tagged With: herbalist, herbs

Why it’s important to manage stress for weight control

November 13, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

managing stress with meditation

There is no doubt that life in the modern world is stressful. Could this stress be one cause of the modern epidemic of obesity? Researchers seem to think so. In another study, researchers showed that it may be important to manage stress if you want to maintain or lose weight. What is stress? Stress is the […]

Filed Under: general health, mind and mood

How to stop sugar cravings – the two week challenge

October 30, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

how to stop sugar cravings with herbal remedies

Everyone knows a healthy diet is low in sugar. Yet if you’ve ever tried to cut down on sweet foods you will know how difficult it can be. Researchers describe sugar cravings as being comparable to those induced by addictive drugs. However, if you can cut out all sugar for two weeks, a recent study suggests […]

Filed Under: general health

How to lower cholesterol naturally with food as medicine

October 23, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

how to lower cholesterol naturally

Cholesterol is a fatty substance in the body that is vital for health. It is so important to normal body functioning that the body can make its own cholesterol. In fact, if we eat less cholesterol the body makes more in the liver. However, for some people, if cholesterol in the bloodstream is too high, […]

Filed Under: general health, healthy ageing Tagged With: diet

Are these the best healthy snacks ever?

October 9, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

the best healthy snacks

I don’t normally do posts about recipes. There are plenty of other sites that provide healthy recipe ideas. But I just had to share my latest discovery in the quest for the best healthy snacks. Admittedly these are not my creations. I have taken the idea from Dr Terry Wahls recipe book – the Wahls […]

Filed Under: general health Tagged With: diet

Should you have the annual flu vaccination?

October 2, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

do you need the flu vaccination to prevent viral infection

During autumn in the UK, more than 10 million people receive the flu vaccinations. At around £16 per vaccination, this is a substantial cost to the NHS. If the vaccine were effective, this might be a worthy expenditure. Yet, Public Health England admits that the vaccine may be ineffective for many. What is flu? Flu, […]

Filed Under: general health, healthy ageing Tagged With: colds and flu, herbs

How much water should I drink a day?

August 28, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

drink enough water to stay hydrated

As a herbalist, my patients often tell me “I know I should drink more water.” But, do we really know how much we should drink per day? From the studies on this subject, I would say that it depends on many factors. No study directly answers the question of how much water to drink, but […]

Filed Under: general health, mind and mood Tagged With: health

Men’s Health Week 2017 – strategies for weight loss

June 12, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

strategies for weight loss

International Men’s Health Week this year is June 12-18th. This year it is all about the health risks of being overweight. Though both men are women are getting heavier, men are more likely to be overweight. In fact, 67% of men have a BMI over 25. What’s more, overweight men are more likely to carry […]

Filed Under: general health Tagged With: diet

Soak nuts for better digestion

April 3, 2017 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

nuts soaking in water

Nuts are full of healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. They have the potential to be very nutritious foods. Yet for some people they can be difficult to digest.

Filed Under: general health Tagged With: diet, digestion

Try magnesium for better sleep

November 6, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

try magnesium for help with sleep

Magnesium is an important mineral for help with sleep regulation. Yet many people have low levels of this crucial nutrient. If you have insomnia, then read on. This article will explain how best to increase your magnesium levels so you can get better sleep. What is insomnia? Insomnia is a condition of persistent poor sleep. […]

Filed Under: general health Tagged With: magnesium

What is gluten? And why do some people avoid eating it?

September 3, 2016 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

many foods contain gluten which can be detrimental to gut health in susceptible people

Recent reports by YouGov and Mintel have found that in the UK people are buying an increasing amount of gluten-free foods. This is because many people now believe that gluten is bad for them. But what is gluten and should anyone avoid eating it? Problematic grains Gluten is the general name for certain proteins in some cereal […]

Filed Under: general health Tagged With: diet, gluten-free, gut health

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