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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.
Using a combination of diet, exercise, herbs and micronutrient supplements it is possible to reduce blood sugar levels. We recently had a patient who followed this approach under the supervision of his doctor. After nine days of rigidly following ...
We recently had a patient who followed this approach under the supervision of his doctor. After nine days of rigidly following a diabetes diet and taking some recommended supplements, his fasting blood sugar dropped from an alarming 15 mmol/L to 8.6 mmol/L. In his case diabetes medication was also needed to bring it down further, but his dose is at the low end and he is managing well.
You need a low glycaemic load in your diet to successfully beat diabetes. Your doctor will refer you to a dietitian on the NHS but this could take several months and in the meantime you can make a big difference yourself. I recommend you get a good book on following a diabetes diet too, as there are few preprepared foods in your average supermarket other than diabetic jam and stevia. Check out your health food store and ideally, visit a medical herbalist.
A clinical trial by Khan et al (2003)showed that taking 3 grams of cinnamon a day will moderately lower plasma glucose levels while taking 6 grams a day makes a significant difference. A gram is around a teaspoon and a capsule usually 500mg which is about half a teaspoon. Add as much cinnamon to your diet as you can and top up with capsules when you are on the move or just don't fancy cinnamon in a particular meal!
Chromium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels and is widely sold as a food supplement.
Oatmeal is good as are all wholegrains. They last longer, releasing energy over a period of time which helps to keep your blood sugar levels stable. They also contain nutrients such as magnesium, chromium, omega 3 fatty acids and folate. Pearl barley and oatmeal are also a source of fiber and potassium.
Legumes (beans, lentils and chickpeas) are among the lowest glycemic index (GI) foods and recommended in diabetes diets. Research has also found that eating these also improves blood sugar control compared to a wheat based diet (Jenkins et al., 2012). Puy lentils are particularly delicious and can be bought pre-cooked in pouches or tins. Other low (GI) grains include quinoa and bulgar wheat.
Just half a cup of beans will give you a third of your daily fibre requirement.
Sweet potatoes are a great, low GI alternative to potatoes and contain both vitamin A and fibre. Beetroot is also another good root vegetable to add to your diet.
Chicory seed extract may be useful as a natural dietary supplement for slowing down the pace of diabetes progress, and delaying the development of its complication (Ghamarian et al., 2012). As the phytochemical will also be present to a lesser extent in the leaves, chicory would be a sensible additional to your diet.
Tomatoes contains a substance called lycopene. In studies this has been shown to have a potent hypoglycemic effect which may be useful in the management of diabetes. Lycopene can also be bought as a food supplement. Tomatoes also contain vitamin C, iron and vitamin E.
Artichoke leaves taken as a tea make everything else eaten after it taste sweeter! There is growing evidence that artichoke leaves can also help to reduce blood sugar rises after eating as well (Nomikos, 2007). Artichoke juice is widely available as a health supplement for helping to balance gut bacteria for those who have trouble with dyspepsia. It is also extremely high in antioxidants and helps to lower harmful high cholesterol.
White mulberry Morus alba leaf extract helps to improve blood circulation (vascular dysfunction) in diabetes sufferers. Clinical trials have shown mulberry leaf extract to have antihyperglycemic, antioxidant and antiglycation effects suggesting its use as food supplement for diabetics (Naowaboot, 2009).
Other plant food materials that have been investigated for anti-diabetic properties of varying levels include:
Jerusalem artichoke - Helianthus tuberosus
Onion - Allium cepa
Garlic - Allium sativum
Leeks - Allium porrum
Mustard greens - Brassica juncea
Brassicas (kale, cabbage, sprouts, broccoli) - Brassica oleracea
Cumin - Cuminum cyminum
Turmeric - Curcuma longa
Fenugreek - Trigonella foenum graecum
Chickpeas - Cicer arietinum
Black gram lentils - Phaseolus mungo
Common beans - Phaseolus vulgaris
Beetroot - Beta vulgaris
Squash (zucchini) - Cucurbita pepo
Sweet potato - Ipomoea batatus
Guava - Psidium guajava
Quince - Cydonia oblonga
Pomegranate - Punica granatum
Grape vine - Vitis vinifera
Sugar apple - Annona squamosa
Apple Bananas - Musa sapientum
Bitter melon - Momordica charantia
Pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan
Wild mango - Mangifera indica
White mulberry - Morus alba
In addition, black tea, green tea and red wine have also been reviewed. All these plant food materials have been reported to have varying degree of hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycemic activity.
In Iraq, white wormwood (Artemisia herba-alba) tea is used as a treatment for diabetes (Al-Khazraji, 1993) and common centuary (Centaurium erythraea) is combined with white wormwood as a treatment for diabetes in Algeria (Hamza 2010).
by Monica Wilde. 28 November 2012.
References
Al-Khazraji, M., Al-Shamaony, A., and Twaij, A. (1993). Hypoglycaemic effect of Artemisia herba alba. I: Effect of different parts and influence of the solvent on hypoglycaemia activity. J Ethnopharm.49 (1): 51–55.
Bayramoglu A, Bayramoglu G, Senturk H. (2013). Lycopene partially reverses symptoms of diabetes in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. J Med Food. PubMed PMID: 23347319.
Ghamarian A, Abdollahi M, Su X, Amiri A, Ahadi A, Nowrouzi A. (2012). Effect of chicory seed extract on glucose tolerance test (GTT) and metabolic profile in early and late stage diabetic rats. Daru.20(1):56. PubMed PMID: 23352214
Hamza, N., Berke, B., Cheze, C., Agli, A.-N., Robinson, P., Gin, H., and Moore, N. (2010). Prevention of type 2 diabetes induced by high fat diet in the C57BL/6J mouse by two medicinal plants used in traditional treatment of diabetes in the east of algeria. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 128(2):513-518.
Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Augustin LS, Mitchell S, Sahye-Pudaruth S, Blanco Mejia S, Chiavaroli L, Mirrahimi A, Ireland C, Bashyam B, Vidgen E, de Souza RJ, Sievenpiper JL, Coveney J, Leiter LA, Josse RG. (2012). Effect of Legumes as Part of a Low Glycemic Index Diet on Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Arch Intern Med. Oct 22:1-8.
Khan A, Safdar M, Ali Khan MM, Khattak KN, Anderson RA. Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2003 Dec;26(12):3215-8. PubMed PMID: 14633804. PDF
Naowaboot J., Pannangpetch P., Kukongviriyapan V., Kongyingyoes B., & Kukongviriyapan U. (2009) Antihyperglycemic, antioxidant and antiglycation activities of mulberry leaf extract in streptozotocin-induced chronic diabetic rats. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 64:2 (116-121)
Nomikos, T., Detopoulou, P., Fragopoulou, E., Pliakis, E., and Antonopoulou, S. (2007). Boiled wild artichoke reduces postprandial glycemic and insulinemic responses in normal subjects but has no effect on metabolic syndrome patients. Nutrition Research, 27(12):741-749.
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