Positive Health Online

Herbal Help for PMS

Listed in women's health

Anne McIntyre begins by highlighting that the menstrual cycle is a reflection of the other cyclical changes of the earth. The delicate hormone balance can have profound effects on w...

Keep Cool With Coriander

Listed in ayurveda

Coriander is used in Ayurvedic medicine to relieve hot inflammatory conditions, particularly in the digestive tract. The author recommends it to her patients to improve appetite, e...

The Therapeutic Value of Sesame Oil

Listed in ayurveda

The properties of sesame oil has been recognized for thousands of years and is particularly popular in India, used in oil massage and also as an important aspect of Ayurveda. The se...

Ashwagandha: Winter Cherry - Withania Somnifera

Listed in ayurveda

Ashwaganda, sometimes called Indian Ginseng, is a herb native to India, North Africa and the Middle East, and is one of the most important herbs used in Ayurvedic medicine. In India...

Turmeric - An Amazing Healer

Listed in ayurveda

Often regarded simply as a spice for flavouring and colouring curry, Anne McIntyre highlights the vast number of therapeutic properties attributed to turmeric. Usually obtained in p...

The Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Listed in ayurveda

This article looks specifically at the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which manifests in a variety of unpleasant symptoms and can be caused/aggravated by stress, food...

Preparing for the cold season

Listed in herbal medicine

Primary prevention of infection can be assisted by taking certain herbs and spices. To enhance our immunity, the author suggests including spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cardamom,...

Cardamom: Elettaria Cardamomum

Listed in ayurveda

Regular contributor Anne McIntyre looks at cardamom. Cardamom pods have long been esteemed for their ability to lift the spirits, reduce pain, restore vitality and induce a calm, me...

Herbs for Mother and Baby

Listed in ayurveda

Anne McIntyre describes how breast milk can be regulated through Ayurvedic principles of medicine and how this can improve the wellbeing of both mother and baby. Ayurveda views our ...

Herbal Support for Stress

Listed in ayurveda

The dynamics of the mind-body relationship are explored here in terms of the ability of negative thoughts and feelings to result in physical illness, and vice versa with physical sy...

Treating Behavioural Problems in Children

Listed in ayurveda

Treating behavioural problems in children often means having to cope with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Both are noted by rest...

Treating Sleep Problems with Herbs

Listed in ayurveda

In this article, the author focuses on herbal remedies for insomnia, which has its origin in many different problems of both mind and body and predisposes us to further health probl...

Gotu Cola: The Amazing Brain Tonic

Listed in ayurveda

This article focuses on Gotu cola (Centella asiatical/Hydrocotyle), a well-known Ayurvedic herb that is gaining popularity among Western herbalist as a brain tonic. In addition to b...

Amalaki: The Amazine Indian Gooseberry Emblica officinalis/Phyllanthus emblica

Listed in ayurveda

Anne McIntyre looks closer at the healing properties of Amalaki or Indian Gooseberry. It is an Ayurvedic herb and is known as one of the best rejuvenative tonics in Ayurvedic medici...

Women and Herbs - The Art of Artemis

Listed in ayurveda

In this column the author touches on the various myths and legends behind the relationship between women and the moon and their connection to fertility and the Greek goddess Artemis...

Rasayana: The Ayurvedic Path to Rejuvenation

Listed in ayurveda

This column focuses on the ancient science of rejuvenation known as Rasayana, one of the eight branches of Ayurveda. There are many Rasayana herbs and foods, but for them to achiev...

An Ayurvedic Approach to the Treatment of Eczema

Listed in ayurveda

This column focuses on Ayurvedic and dietary treatment for skin problems, such as eczema, a condition which the author broadly categorizes into three types (doshas) - Vata, Pitta an...

Are There Herbs for Low Self Esteem?

Listed in ayurveda

In this Expert Column, McIntyre recognizes that while low self esteem is not a disease, it can be incredibly crippling. She asks the rhetorical question as to whether herbs can help...

Herbs - at the Forefront of Modern Medicine

Listed in herbal medicine

The world of herbal medicine offers a wide range of applications and treatments on several different levels, ranging from everyday over-the-counter remedies for more symptomatic rel...

The Herbal Garden: Ocimum Sanctum Tulsi (Sacred Holy Basil)

Listed in ayurveda

This column focuses on the Tulsi (holy basil), one of the most sacred plants in India. The Tulsi qualities are well described in Vedic texts, and include all round healing propertie...

An Ayurvedic Approach to the Treatment of Eczema

Listed in allergies

This column focuses on Ayurvedic and dietary treatment for skin problems, such as eczema, a condition which the author broadly categorizes into three types (doshas) - Vata, Pitta an...

Women and Herbs - The Art of Artemis

Listed in women's health

In this column the author touches on the various myths and legends behind the relationship between women and the moon and their connection to fertility and the Greek goddess Artemis...

Herbal Support for Stress

Listed in stress

The dynamics of the mind-body relationship are explored here in terms of the ability of negative thoughts and feelings to result in physical illness, and vice versa with physical sy...

The Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Listed in ibs

The author of this article has practised as a medical herbalist for twenty years, and ten years ago became interested in Ayurvedic medicine as a useful adjunct to her herbal therapy...

Coleus forskohlii / Plectranthus barbatus: A Unique Healer

Listed in herbal medicine

The author writes that although she has practised as a Medical Herbalist for some 25 years, she had only recently come across Coleus. Coleus is an Ayurvedic herb, a small perennial ...

Herbal Remedies for Altitude Sickness

Listed in herbal medicine

The author, acclaimed Medical Herbalist and author describes in clinical details the causes and clinical and physiological symptoms of altitude sickness, which may lead to Cerebral ...

The Herbal Approach to Dysbiosis

Listed in herbal medicine

The importance of our intestinal flora is increasingly being recognized as a prerequisite for good health. The author explains in detail about the beneficial bacteria we rely on to ...

Helpful Herbs Following Surgery

Listed in herbal medicine

The author has recently undergone a half-knee replacement, and the topic of this article is to share with her readers the particular herbs which she found helpful during her conval...

Herbs and the Sattvic Life

Listed in ayurveda

When Sattva predominates, the light of wisdom shines through every gate of the body (Ghagavad Gita 14:11). Beginning with this quotation, the article, based on Ayurvedic teachings, ...

Balancing Mind and Emotion through Ayurveda

Listed in ayurveda

Expert Regular Herbalist Anne McIntyre states that in Ayurveda the mind and heart are one and the same. The mind is said to reside in the heart and this means the physical heart a...

Andrographis: The Ayurvedic Remedy for Boosting Immunity

Listed in ayurveda

Andrographis paniculata is highly valued in Ayurvedic, TCM, Siddha and Unani medicine for enhancing immunity and combating acute infections, and is beginning to gain popularity here...

A New Look at Daisy (Bellis Perennis)

Listed in herbal medicine

The perennial daisy is such a common ‘weed’ that its value as a medicinal plant has largely been overlooked. Its fresh green leaves can be eaten in salads, along with other wild fo...

Chamomilla recutita - German Chamomile: Western and Ayurvedic Perspectives

Listed in herbal medicine

Delicately fragrant chamomile, with its familiar daisy-like flowers, has long been popular as a bedtime tisane to induce sleep; its sedative and mood enhancing properties as well as...

Prunella vulgaris: Self-heal - Eastern and Western Perspectives

Listed in ayurveda

Self-heal is a pretty member of the Lamiaceae family which grows all over Britain and Europe in pastures, woods and clearings and is loved by bees

The Benefits of California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

Listed in herbal medicine

With its vibrantly colourful annual flower, the California poppy is a wonderful asset to brighten the garden in summer and yet it has so much more to offer as a great antidote to st...

Marshmallow the Most Soothing of Herbs

Listed in herbal medicine

Marshmallow (Althea officinalis) is a handsome and stately perennial from the Malvaceae family, with soft velvety leaves and pink flowers. As its name suggests, it is found growing...

Rosemary for Remembrance

Listed in herbal medicine

Enlivening your cuisine with the distinctive flavour of rosemary, which not only scintillates the taste buds but also provides a wealth of medicinal benefits to nurture the body and...

Galium Aparine - Cleavers for Spring Cleansing

Listed in herbal medicine

One of the first wild herbs to appear in hedgerows in spring is cleavers. Also known as goosegrass as geese enjoy eating it, this common ‘weed’ is native to Europe and recognized b...