In today’s climate of information technology and therefore information saturation it can be a challenge deciding which natural remedy may help your particular complaint.

At Health Food and More, we are able to give you expert advice, both over-the-counter and within the herbal medicine clinic, where you can book a consultation with one of our qualified Medical Herbalists.

Consulting a medical herbalist needn’t be expensive and can be seen as a good investment for your future health.  By addressing the root cause of your problem, you will often get relief from lots of symptoms that you may have tried to address with lots of different remedies. 

By carefully choosing and blending herbs in your own unique prescription and helping you tidy up your diet and nutritional status, a Medical Herbalist can help steer you back to good health and vitality.   Many people now choose to attend a herbal medicine clinic to complement their orthodox health care from their GP.

Who is our Medical Herbalist

Health Food and More is owned and managed by Keren Brynes MacLean MNIMH.  Keren qualified from the School of Phytotherapy in Sussex in 1996 and has been in full time practice since and is a Member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.

She brings with her a wealth of clinical experience that includes running an Edinburgh based Herbal Skin Clinic and working as a Training Clinic Supervisor, this coupled with having worked with thousands of patients over the years gives Keren an extensive breadth and depth of experience.  There are very few medical problems she hasn’t helped to manage in this time.   She is considered to be one of the most experienced Medical Herbalists practicing in the whole of Scotland today.

She started a practice in Fife in 1998 an in 2007 took over Health Food and More, merging her busy herbal practice with a successful health food store.  The shop now boasts a fully stocked herbal dispensary and consulting rooms, where a full range of therapies are available.

As well as running a very busy herbal practice Keren has worked tirelessly to support the National Institute of Medical Herbalists in gaining Statutory Regulation, lobbying MPs and MSPs to safeguard the future of the profession.

A passionate believer in herbal medicine, Keren’s down to earth and friendly approach makes her a popular speaker on the subject and she is in great demand to talk to groups and clubs about herbal medicine throughout the whole of Fife about what she does.

Training 

Qualified Medical Herbalists undergo specialist training to degree standard, undertaking the medical sciences as well as botanical therapeutics before being invited to join the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.

Membership is considered to be the gold standard of herbal healthcare and is indicated by the letters MNIMH after your herbalist’s name.

Medical Herbalists have been working with the government over a number of years to gain statutory regulation to ensure that only those fully qualified are able to use the title Medical Herbalist.

What happens when I see a Medical Herbalist? 

The initial appointment, lasting up to an hour, is for gathering all the relevant information about your current health issues as well as previous health problems, medication, diet, family history and lifestyle factors.

Your Medical Herbalist will assess you to rule out any underlying health problems that may require referral back to your GP for investigation.   They may take your blood pressure, test your urine and are trained to carry out clinical exams if this aids their diagnosis of your complaint. 

Through this thorough herbal consultation they will be building up a picture of you, your health and your constitutional traits so that they can develop a treatment plan to help steer you back to good health.  All the time they are seeking to discover and treat the root cause of your illness and not the symptoms alone.

At the end of the herbal consultation they will formulate your own unique herbal prescription and give you advice about your diet, nutritional supplements and lifestyle. 

You will then come back over a period of weeks or months, depending on your complaint, for shorter follow up herbal consultations to assess your progress and fine tune your treatment as your health improves.    

Can I use herbs if I am taking a prescription from my GP?
 
The answer is yes – but in trained hands.   Herbal medicines are drugs and need to be treated with respect. 

Medical Herbalists are trained to take into consideration concurrent medical conditions and any medication that you may have been prescribed and can safely use herbs alongside these. 

They are also trained to treat pregnant women, new-born babies, elderly, frail patients and everyone in between!

Self Treating with herbs

Herbal Medicine is effective in acute problems such as colds, flu, tummy upsets etc.  In this situation you could think about using a remedy you have bought over-the-counter after getting advice from a trained assistant. 

However, if you suffer from chronic long standing health problems or a serious health complaint it is recommended that you consult a qualified Medical Herbalist rather than self prescribe or buy a remedy off the shelf.

You will generally find prescribed herbs chosen specifically for you will be more effective and potent than those you can simply buy.

Problems that can be supported with herbal medicine

Medical herbalists are trained to offer you supportive treatment for almost any health problem that you may take to your doctor. In our experience we find we get good results with chronic health problems that might not be responding well to conventional medicine. Many people also seek treatment to avoid potential side effects from medication that would be used to manage their illness or to help make a chronic problem more manageable.  Medical Herbalists are trained to safely prescribe herbs alongside conventional drugs and will ask you about any medications used as part of your consultation.

HORMONAL:  Menopause, PMS, heavy periods, painful periods, infertility, PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis, birth preparation, thyroid imbalance.

SKIN: Acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, warts, dermatitis, fungal infections, itchy skin, skin rashes, athletes foot.

DIGESTION:  Heartburn, reflux, indigestion, bloating, worms, IBS, Crohns disease, colitis, piles, constipation, diverticulitis.

IMMUNITY: Frequent infections, post-viral fatigue, glandular fever, cold sores, shingles, tonsillitis, mouth ulcers, cystitis, candida, thrush.

RESPIRATORY:  Sinus, bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, sore throats, ear infections.

STRESS & EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING: Headaches, fatigue, poor concentration, panic attacks, depression, mood swings, anxiety, insomnia.

MUSCULO-SKELETAL: Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fybromyalgia, osteoporosis, gout.

CARDIOVASCULAR: High blood pressure, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, angina, Raynauds, chilblains, varicose veins, cramps.

CHILDRENS HEALTH: Children respond particularly well to herbal treatment. Tiny doses of herbs helping to shift problems such as glue ear, molluscum, constipation, eczema, bed wetting etc. We offer reduced rates for childrens appointments. Even the tiniest of babies can be safely treated with herbs.

Costs

First Appointment    (1 hour)          £30
Follow up                  (1/2 hour)       £22

Medicines cost approx £6 per week.

We have reduced fees for babies and children and we also offer a concessionary rate for those on a low income.