Perhaps you think that the Chinese philosophy of naming each year after an animal has no meaning, you might be right? On the other hand perhaps there is something in it. This ancient tradition is based on a 12 year cycle. Apparently the Jade Emperor, ruler of heaven and earth, held a "Great Race" across the river and the first 12 animals to reach the palace had a year named in their honour. 17 February 2026 marks the start of the Year of the Horse, sometimes known as Fire Horse, replacing the Year of the Snake who slithers off, having shed its skin for another 11 years before returning.
Blog
10
Feb
2026 Total views: 51 Comment count: 0 
Feb
2026 Total views: 51 Comment count: 0
Inspired by a recent experience in Saint Pedro do Sul in Portugal, a source of natural geothermal waters, I investigated the powers of ancient healing waters. For centuries, people have travelled far and wide to soak in thermal waters — long before wellness became a trend. From Roman bathhouses to natural hot springs nestled in mountains, thermal waters have been valued for their restorative properties, offering both physical relief and deep mental relaxation.
26
Jan
2026 Total views: 110 Comment count: 0 
Jan
2026 Total views: 110 Comment count: 0
Bitter herbs are plants with a distinctly sharp, bitter taste that have been used for centuries to support digestion, cleanse the body, and anchor many healing and seasonal rituals in folk traditions. They work primarily by stimulating the body’s digestive reflexes and vital organs, while carrying a rich heritage of myth, magic, and everyday use in kitchens and health clinics alike.
How Bitter Herbs Support Digestion and Affect the Body
Bitter herbs contain compounds, often called “bitter principles” that strongly activate bitter taste receptors on the tongue and throughout the digestive tract. When these receptors are stimulated, several coordinated responses occur:
11
Dec
2025 Total views: 300 Comment count: 0 
Dec
2025 Total views: 300 Comment count: 0
Many of us struggle at this time of year with the cold, damp, short days and long nights. I feel I have to accomplish everything by 430pm when the sun goes down even though there is still many hours before bed. Mind you having said that, by 6pm I’m ready to retire, but usually manage to avoid that temptation!
7
Nov
2025 Total views: 504 Comment count: 0 
Nov
2025 Total views: 504 Comment count: 0
Over 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates, often called the “Father of Medicine,” shared a simple truth that continues to echo through the centuries: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
In our fast-paced, convenience-driven world, this quote feels more relevant than ever. Today, food is too often treated as a quick fix for hunger rather than the foundation of our health. Yet Hippocrates’ wisdom reminds us that every bite we take has the potential to heal—or to harm.
The Power of Everyday Choices
14
Oct
2025 Total views: 323 Comment count: 0 
Oct
2025 Total views: 323 Comment count: 0
In today’s high-pressure business world, it’s easy to grab a soapbox about healthy eating—then realise that daily realities make it far harder than it sounds. Consider the challenges we all face:
• Demanding jobs and deadlines that leave little time to prepare food.
• Back-to-back meetings that mean lunch is whatever you can grab in five minutes.
• Stress from the unexpected—technical glitches, urgent client requests, supply chain disruptions.
• Family responsibilities—school runs, after-school activities, caring for children or elderly parents.
Add them together, and it’s no surprise many professionals rely on quick fixes: takeaway meals, vending machine snacks, energy drinks, or ultra-processed convenience food.
17
Sep
2025 Total views: 319 Comment count: 0 
Sep
2025 Total views: 319 Comment count: 0
At this time of year we naturally think about our immune system, wanting to be sure that it is functioning well and fully to manage the transition from the warm and hot summer days to cooler days and colder, longer nights. Vitamin C is perhaps the one vitamin that stands out as it plays an important role in helping the body fight both bacterial and viral infections more prevalent at this time of year.
10
Sep
2025 Total views: 318 Comment count: 0 
Sep
2025 Total views: 318 Comment count: 0
Have you ever moved house or travelled for an extended period and prior to going taken all your worldly possessions and put them into storage? Something like a “Big Yellow” storage unit. When returning for your possessions you were diligently emptying the unit and as you load your things on to the oversized trolley you are asking yourself “Why have I paid to put this into storage?” We do exactly this with our emotions, except it isn’t a “Big Yellow” unit, it is your heart, liver, kidneys and other organs that are playing host to your past negative experiences and the emotions that go with them. In this case there is no cost – not financial anyway.
19
Aug
2025 Total views: 372 Comment count: 0 
Aug
2025 Total views: 372 Comment count: 0
Some things you hear once and never forget. For me, it was during a college lecture on cardiovascular health. The lecturer introduced hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna, Crataegus laevigata) as the “Arteries of Great Britain.”
It made perfect sense. From the air, the British countryside is stitched together by endless hedgerows of hawthorn – a living, breathing network that nourishes and shelters wildlife. Just like our arteries, they carry life. And right now, in late summer, those hedgerows are heavy with bright red berries, a symbol of vitality.
A Herb Steeped in History
15
Jul
2025 Total views: 681 Comment count: 2 
Jul
2025 Total views: 681 Comment count: 2
Sleep is something we take for granted, until we get deprived due to a bad night’s sleep. Often this means we struggle through the day trying to focus and get things done. Everything seems to be an effort. Sleep is essential to feeling rested, refreshed on waking and alert. Getting the right amount for your mind and body feels wonderful and helps you wake up feeling ready to go. Every person is different when it comes to the amount of sleep that’s optimal for them, but most people fall within a range, depending on their age.