Buy your prescription tincture blend here. Select the size that you need. At 5ml three times a day: 100ml will last a...
Ease and relax your hardworking joints and muscles. Napiers warming cream is used to comfort muscles, joints, backs a...
Quick moisturising relief from dry, irritated, itchy skin. Moisturises and soothes dry, itchy skin Cools and calms h...
A Cooling, Soothing, Calming Eye Cream for Itchy and Puffy Eyes. Cooling, refreshing, and soothing to puffy, irrit...
A complete blend of friendly bacteria, vitamin D, digestive enzymes & prebiotic fibres
Buy your prescription herbal tea blend here. Select the size that you need. Please enter the following into the Comme...
An Introduction to Essential Oils Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts that are obtained through steam distillation, cold pressing, or other methods. These oils are known for their distinct aromas and therapeutic properties, and ...
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We offer a wide range of high-quality aromatherapy and essential oils, carefully curated from aromatic plants and known for their therapeutic properties. Our collection includes pure essential oils, fragrance oils, carrier oils, and bath oils, amo...
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At Napiers, we are committed to supporting women at every stage of their lives. We understand the unique health needs and challenges that women face, from reproductive health and menstrual health to fertility and pregnancy, hormonal health, and me...
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Managing stress, sleep, and mood are crucial aspects of maintaining overall well-being and mental health. At Napiers, we understand the impact that these factors can have on our customers' lives and offer a range of herbal and natural products to ...
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Alan is a fully qualified Five Element Acupuncturist and has been practising this wonderful system of medicine at Napiers Clinic in the West End of Glasgow for the past 18 years.
Angela practices Herbal Medicine at Napiers Bathgate, Edinburgh & Glasgow, as well as with the Napiers CLAID Clinic.
Audrey is a Medical Herbalist, graduating in 2007 with a BSc (Hons) in Herbal Medicine & Phytotherapy from Edinburgh’s Napier University and is a registered member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (MNIMH). Audrey is a practicing member within the Napiers CLAID Clinic.
As a fully qualified, experienced Holistic Therapist, Bettina works with clients on a one-to-one basis to establish an optimal treatment plan or therapy to best support your skin health and well-being.
Cat offers a range of massage including holistic, deep tissue, trigger point therapy, advanced sports stretching and pregnancy massge.
Claire is an experienced Western Medical Herbalist (BSc), a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) and works at Napiers online clinic.
Clare is an experienced medical herbalist based in the West Highlands of Scotland, home to deer, livestock, ticks, and Lyme disease. She works for the Napier's CLAID clinic on a Thursday morning.
Clare began training at Edinburgh’s Napier University in 2005, gaining a Bachelor of Science Degree in Herbal Medicine in 2009. She joined the Napiers Clinic team shortly after her graduation, initially working in the dispensary before beginning her herbal practice in 2010. Since then she has been a key member of our clinical team, working alongside Dee Atkinson in running the general herbal clinics, as well as heading the Baby & Child Clinic.
Cybele is a passionate Sophrologist and founder of Chamapola, Healing Yourself - Healing Together.
Dean is a Naturopathic Practitioner experienced in Nutrition and Herbal Medicine. With interests in nerve problems, cardiovascular health, digestive disorders as well as male and female reproductive system wellbeing.
Dee is the senior herbal practitioner at Napiers the Herbalists in Edinburgh. She runs a general medicine clinic with a special interest in women’s health, managing hormonal health and ageing. More recently, Dee set up the Napiers Long Covid Clinic to facilitate an integrated approach between doctors, herbalists and nutritionist to this new disease.
Isabelle has over 20 years helping individuals and couples achieve their fertility goals through nutrition.
Jill is a fully qualified and insured Advanced Clinical Massage Therapist offering Outcome Based Treatments
John is a friendly and experienced counsellor offering 1-1 sessions on Fridays at Napiers Clinic in Edinburgh city centre and online via FaceTime/Skype. He has worked in private practice supporting people for over 18 years and brings a wealth of experience.
Kate is a BANT registered Nutritionist who owns and runs the Edinburgh Clinic of Nutrition. She trained for three and a half years at Patrick Holford's renowned Institute of Optimum Nutrition in London and is currently studying with The Institute of Functional Medicine in the US.
Kim is qualified in Aromatherapy Massage and Indian Head Massage. Working with the needs of her massage clients led to a deeper interest in their health and Kim studied the BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine degree at Napier University, Edinburgh. Kim is one of the lead herbalists within the Napiers CLAID Clinic and sees many patients.
Kirstin is a fully qualified member of the Society of Homeopaths and holds an RSHom distinction in Classical Homeopathy. Kirstin qualified from the Northwest College of Homeopathy's four-year training course in Manchester.
Lynn is a registered osteopath and has been practicing osteopathy for nineteen years. She studied osteopathy and cranial sacral therapy at the European School of Osteopathy and graduated in 1991. Lynn has a background in physiotherapy and is trained in structural, craniosacral, functional, fascial and visceral osteopathy.
Malgorzata graduated from the College of Naturopathic Medicine where she studied Western Herbal Medicine and Naturopathic Nutrition /Diplomas in Herbal Medicine (2017), Naturopathy (2017), and Naturopathic Nutrition (2020). She is also qualified in KORE Therapy, Anmo-fu - 5 Element Abdominal Massage, Craniosacral Balance and Stress Release Therapy and Cupping. Her first degree is a PhD in History.
Margaret practices Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy at Napiers Edinburgh.
Mark runs the podiatry clinic, offering diagnosis and treatment of various disorders relating to the feet, ankles, legs and lower back. He offers podiatry, chiropody, orthotics and nail surgery.
Mary is a qualified therapist in Swedish, Indian and Thai Foot Massage.
Mary trained in Edinburgh, and has been working as a complementary therapist since 1999, holding diplomas in Clinical Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Therapeutic Massage and Hopi Ear Candling gained from the International Therapy Examinations Council (ITEC). She is a member of, and is fully insured to practice with, the Complementary Therapists Association (CThA).
Melissa qualified from Middlesex University in 2000. She runs a general herbal practice from her boat, The Herbal Barge, which is based on the river Lea in North London. Melissa joined the CLAID Clinic Co-operative to work collaboratively in an integrated and specialised context to support patients with long covid.
Mike is a body worker and NLP Practitioner who is passionate about working with the person as a whole; offering treatments that integrate body and mind.
Monica has a Masters degree in herbal medicine from the University of Central Lancashire. She is the research herbalist heading up the Napiers CLAID Clinic. The CLAID Clinic specialism is Lyme disease Borrelia burgdorferi and co-infections - crypto-infections Bartonella, Babesia, Rickettsia, Erlichia, Anaplasma, Mycoplasma, etc. A research herbalist is not the same as a medical herbalist and Monica does not run a general clinical practice. This allows her to focus on Lyme disease and bacterial and viral infections.
Natasha is an experienced and qualified medical herbalist in Western herbal medicine, a forager and mycotherapist. As well as practicing as part of Napiers' general herbal medicine practice, she also sees patients as part of the CLAID Clinic.
Nikki was awarded a first class honours degree in Herbal Medicine from the University of East London and trained at clinics in Glasgow and London. She was also awarded the Arthur Barker prize for her final examination grades. Nikki also has ITEC Diplomas in Holistic Massage and Aromatherapy. She is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists which is the UK’s leading professional body representing herbal practitioners. NIMH members follow a strict code of conduct and are committed to ongoing and continual practitioner development and training.
Ona Madorell is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist, graduating with distinction from the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM). She has further enhanced her expertise through a course in blood test interpretation and a postgraduate program focused on the microbiome.
Pearlyn is a licensed acupuncturist and a registered member of the Acupuncture Society, and is fully insured to practice acupuncture, tuina, cupping and moxibustion.
Rebecca is an Associate Nutritionist, specialising in gut health and women's health, from hormone imbalance to fertility, pregnancy and beyond.
Sara is qualified Medical Herbalist, Ayurvedic Therapist and Yoga teacher, holding an MSc. in Western Herbal Medicine from Middlesex University.
Satya trained at the School of Natural Medicine where she graduated with a Diploma in Healing Diets and additional immersion studies in Herbal Medicine, Healing Diets, Iridology & Naturopathy, Quantum Botanicals and Flower Essences. Satya has a Nonviolent Communication Leadership Certificate with Bay NVC and an MA in European Dance Theatre Practice from Trinity Laban.
Sheila is a Holistic Therapist who qualified in KCR in 2019 with the KCR Academy. After a long career in retail, an ankle injury led her to seek an alternative approach to healing.
Shona has worked at Napiers Clinic for 30 years where she has picked up a wealth of knowledge about various complementary therapies. She trained as a Food Sensitivity tester with The Health Partnership Company, where she was taught how to use the 3 point marker system.
Thanos is an experienced Medical Herbalist and practises as a Herbalist and Orthopaedic Acupuncturist at Napiers in Edinburgh and at Napiers Bathgate.
Wendy qualified in 2002 with a BSc(Hons) in Phytotherapy. Since then she has practiced in Fife, Angus and the Lothians. She is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common functional disorder of the digestive system. Dietary interventions are a cornerstone of symptom management. Learn more here.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common functional disorder of the digestive system. You can read about the symptoms and causes here.
There are two types of diet for those experiencing IBS. The first IBS-C (C for Constipation) is when you find that you are mostly constipated. The second IBS-D (D for Diarrhoea) is if you are experiencing mostly diarrhoea. IBS-C is caused by food moving through the digestive system too slowly, allowing too much water from the food to become absorbed by the body. Whereas in IBS-D, food is moving so quickly through the system that the body doesn’t have time to absorb enough water, resulting in diarrhoea.
It’s well known that adding more fibre to your diet will help with constipation problems, but that doesn’t mean you should go overboard- filling yourself up with as much as you can eat. The key to this is to take it slow and be gentle with your body. Slowly increase your soluble fibre intake over a period of time to get the best results.
Fibre is found in foods that originate from plants. Meat and dairy foods don’t contain fibre. There are two types of fibre- Soluble and Insoluble. Within the body- soluble fibre dissolves to form into a gel-like consistency, slowing down digestion and causing you to feel full. Good sources of soluble fibre include fresh fruit and vegetables, root vegetables and oats. Insoluble fibre on the other hand, does not dissolve. It passes through the system as it is, adding bulk and speeding up digestion and the elimination of waste. It has a slightly laxative effect so it should be avoided in cases of diarrhoea, but it is useful in general for keeping the bowels healthy. Good sources include whole grains, nuts and seeds and vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and green beans.
A lack of fluids within your diet can cause many problems including constipation as the body needs water to move food through your digestive system. If you start off dehydrated, your body has no option but to accumulate as much liquid as possible from the food that is passing through, which results in dry stools that are hard to pass. If you get sick of drinking water: fruit, vegetable juices and herbal teas are good alternatives.
Our modern, convenient, ready meal diets leave us severely lacking fibre. So if we are experiencing chronic constipation, we really need to start including a fresh salad in our daily diet. Eaten regularly, you will soon see what a huge difference this can make. It doesn’t have to be a large amount to change things around, a little raw everyday could be enough.
Unfortunately for the avid meat eaters out there, animal protein is more difficult to digest and therefore should be kept to a minimum. Instead try some meat-free options in the form of vegetarian meat alternatives or something plant based- for example a juicy Portobello mushroom burger. Aim for a vegetarian alternative 1-2 times a week.
If you eat a lot of refined foods such as white rice, pasta and bread you will be making your problems worse. During the refining process, fibre and other vital nutrients have been eliminated, making these foods a lot more difficult to digest. You will end up with a clogged up system. Switch to complex wholegrain carbohydrates instead.
Prunes contain a sugar called sorbitol, which can help ease constipation. But like all of the IBS-C diet rules, eat them in moderation as a drastic change of any kind could upset your system. In the case of prunes or prune juice, too much sorbitol can cause bloating, flatulence and even diarrhoea.
Drinks such as tea and coffee can have an extremely dehydrating effect on the body due to their caffeine content. Cut down on the amount of cups you have per day or avoid them altogether. Herbal tea and fresh vegetable juices (especially containing fresh ginger) can be an invigorating healthy alternative.
Another food type that is slow and more difficult to digest. They lack essential fibre and are high in fat. Try your best to cut back on milk, butter, cheese and ice-cream.
Foods like cakes and sweets are low in fibre and high in fat and sugar, making them a tricky digestive combination. Try eating a couple of pieces of fresh fruit to get your sugar fix, but remember for digestive purposes it is best to eat them on an empty stomach.
Overconsumption of iron is known to cause constipation. If you take a multivitamin, consult the back and have a look at your diet to check you aren’t getting too much. Dietary sources of iron include seafood, meat, nuts and beans to name a few.
IBS-D is a little trickier to advise about than IBS-C in the sense that with IBS-D, why diarrhoea comes about is often specifically related from person to person. That is why it is especially important to not take any dietary advice to the extreme. Saying that, there are some food types that are common triggers in people experiencing IBS-D. These include: fried foods, dairy products, caffeine, fizzy drinks, alcohol and gluten. The best way to get round this tricky situation is to keep a food diary to record your dietary triggers.
Soluble fibre is preferable over insoluble as insoluble can have a slightly laxative effect. However always test food (especially when it comes to fibre) in moderation, as IBS can be a particularly fragile issue. If you are not careful, you can swing from one side of IBS to the other in terms of constipation and diarrhoea.
Diarrhoea can lead to extreme dehydration and a loss of important nutrients. Make sure you are sipping on water throughout the day to keep your body nourished. Carrot juice is good in making stools less watery but avoid apple juice as it has the opposite effect.
Bananas are particularly good in replacing lost elecrolytes after experiencing a period of diarrhoea. They are also incredibly easy to digest, therefore shouldn’t cause your system any problems.
Foods such as white rice, mashed potatoes, steamed chicken and apple sauce are usually seen as unhealthy because they lack nutrients and fibre, but whilst experiencing IBS-D they could really help. It is not recommended to consume a diet like this for a long period of time, but whilst your symtoms persist, these foods should calm your system down.
Avoid particularly high fibre foods, as this will add to the watery consistency of your stools.
Keeping a food diary is perhaps the most valuable thing you can do when it comes to IBS. It is a difficult condition to work out as there are many different factors that could be involved and so many circumstances that could trigger reactions. Taking at least a couple of months to record and evaluate your findings could be the key to working out your specific issue.
Stress is quite often linked to IBS and for this reason, exercise really is a great help. It also encourages muscles to relax which has even been shown to help calm the system during periods of inactivity. Depending on the type of IBS you experience, getting out to exercise could be difficult. But a little goes a long way and could improve your symptoms dramatically.
As stress of any kind can quite easily disrupt your digestive system, it is best to eat your meals sitting down in a relaxed environment. This way you are letting your body digest well, at its own pace. Slow down from your day and chew your food thoroughly.
Having a regular meal pattern is important. This way your body can expect and prepare for what is to come and this can ultimately improve symptoms.
Ultimately there is no quick solution, IBS can take a long time to figure out. But with the right approach, symptoms can be greatly reduced or eradicated altogether. Take the time, don’t beat yourself up and you hopefully you will soon see dramatic results.