Secrets from a Herbalist's Garden

Secrets from a Herbalist’s Garden

(Watkins Publishing)

Paperback £14.00.

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There is nothing as magical as picking a weed from under a hedge, brewing it in the cauldron of your teapot, and using that potion to restore health. It’s everyday alchemy, and it transforms us from the base metal of material gratification into the gold of recognizing the exquisite power of nature.

In recent years there has been a groundswell of interest in spending time in nature as well as using plant medicine in the home, as our grandmothers did.

This book is all about herbs which you can grow in your garden, the weeds which you will not want to throw out, wild plants of the hedgerows and culinary herbs in your kitchen cupboards. It is packed with recipes such as Menopause Tea, Horse Chestnut Gel and Brain Spice Condiments, and chapters include Nourishing Your Adrenals, Herbs for the Heart and Muscles and Joints.

Beyond the herbal recipes, there is healing advice born of Jo’s over 22 years of practice as a Medical Herbalist, spiritual insights from her Druidic practice and a bit of metaphysics, because it so fascinating that when we bind the magic of plants with science, we find that nature is even more amazing than we had ever imagined.

Secrets from a Herbalist’s Garden meets the pull to recover from a minor illness, as well as the yearning for a new way of life, where growing and harvesting herbs with the seasons is adopted as a new holistic lifestyle. You might consult the text with a specific ailment or a plant to harvest, but it would also guide you to a more spiritual and seasonal lifestyle.

Read the first chapter of the book here…

The Spirit Of The Hedgerow

The Spirit Of The HedgerowWishing Shelf Finalist 2016

Winner of the Local Legend Independent Publishing Awards 2016

Paperback £14.

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An introduction by Jo Dunbar:

“There is fabulous folk lore hidden away in the hedgerow and forgotten details of history. Spirit of the Hedgerow was written for those who want to know more about the medical properties of common wayside plants how they might be worked with in a spiritual sense. Over 40 common wild plants are described according to their medical properties with herbal remedies and foraging recipes to try at home. The spiritual aspects of the book invite you to see common plants from a sacred perspective while stories such as the battle between the Oak King and the Holly King bring a sense of a wild drama going on right under our noses!”

Spirit of the Hedgerow follows the wild plants as they call attention to themselves in the hedgerow throughout the year.  Each month outlines modern medical properties, home remedies and recipes to follow, as well as some of the folk lore or magical practice associated with the plants featured that month.  There is also a brief explanation of the eight Celtic festivals of the year so that you may join in with the celebration of the turning of the seasons.

A review from Amazon:

“What a delightful book! Like most people, I love a walk in the countryside or a city park but in the past I’ve hardly given a passing nod to the flowers, plants and herbs growing there until now. This book is a true eye-opener, describing the wild food available for us as well as the very significant medical uses of so many ‘weeds’. The pages also come alive with wonderful and often amusing stories of the ancient folklore of our natural world, and the whole thing is beautifully illustrated with colour photographs. The author has that rare skill, too, of writing a book that manages to be both academic and totally down to earth at the same time, satisfying every kind of reader. Pack this in your bag next time you go for a walk!”

How To Cope Successfully With Candida, The Drug-Free Way

How To Cope Successfully With Candida, The Drug-Free Way By Jo Dunbar

Paperback £7.99.

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Candida is the common name for an overgrowth of yeast organism known as ‘Candida Albicans’. It appears with many varying and seemingly unrelated symptoms and affects almost every part of the body. Because of the wide range of symptoms and the lack of positive diagnostic tests available, this gap has provided fertile ground for individuals of limited medical training to quickly hop on the band wagon and begin ‘diagnosing’ candida for almost any condition or illness.

Candida is a serious disorder, it is a disease of an internal environmental disturbance, and not simply a fungal infection, which is treated with anti-fungal medicines.

This book introduces you to a thorough drug-free treatment program, as well as tips on how to adapt your life-style comfortably to treating candida.


Recovering From Stress, Burnout And Fatigue

Recovering From Stress, Burnout And Fatigue By Jo Dunbar

Kindle edition £7.78. Paperback, £7.78.

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The effects of stress on our health can lead to devastating long term illnesses such as adrenal fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome.

So many people feel absolutely burnt out and just do not understand how this affects their body or what they can do about it. Mainstream medicine has almost nothing to offer the person who wakes up feeling exhausted, who simply cannot cope with the smallest stress or feels so weak they can barely digest their food. Having helped people for 15 years to recover from these illnesses, Jo wrote this book so she could pass on her knowledge and experience to as many people as possible.

In Part One Jo outlines how stress affects your body systems, and clearly explains why stress can make people so unwell, sometimes for years. In these chapters Jo shows the reader how long term stress can lead to adrenal fatigue, reduced immunity, disrupted hormones, poor digestion and low thyroid function, amongst many other symptoms.

Part Two offers clear guidelines towards recovery, including advice about diet and blood sugar control, dealing with candida, restoring the immune system, rebalancing hormones, restoring the adrenal glands and energy using lifestyle changes, herbal medicine and nutritional supplements.

In Part Three Jo uses her experience to offer practical tips on how to adjust your life so that you stay well. The book concludes by exploring our modern lifestyle, why many of us choose to live to stressfully and how we might make more sustainable life choices.