Irish Organic Botanical Products, Workshops, Herb Walks & Clinical Consultations.
Inspired & ran by Registered Herbalists
Foraging Workshops
Have you ever wondered what wild Irish plants can be used as food, herbal medicine and for craft?
We run seasonal foraging walks & herbal workshops throughout Ireland.
Interweaving our local folklore and legends with plant lore, let us immerse you into the fantastical world of our native flora.
Start your journey of herbal discovery!
Herbal Medicine Clinic
We run Herbal Medicine Clinics in Belfast, Louth & Kerry. We are Registered Medical Herbalists trained to specialise in the use of medicinal herbs to support various conditions.
Is a condition affecting your Quality of Life or have you been disheartened by your current treatments? Why not find out about the clinics or book a consultation?
Organic Products
We are releasing a range of Organic Herbal Products inspired by our Local Irish Plants.
Superfood Powders, Herbal Cosmetics, Herbal Teas and Animal Care Products.
We’ve decided to focus on developing a small range of products so we can optimise their quality by using our in-depth knowledge of Herbal Medicine.
Our Upcoming Events
Have your ever wanted to learn about the uses our local flora have to offer as food and herbal medicine?
Treat yourself to a foraging walk or workshop. Below are our 5 next events. Click here to see all events for the year.
Our Instagram Feeds
》》HOW IS YOUR METABOLISM?
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So which one out of your friends are you...are you the one who always wears the most layers and still complains its baltic even when its not? Or the one who can't lose weight or gain muscle at the gym but your gym buddies are knocking it out of the park, doing only half the work? Or are you the one whose fingers turn those funky colours when the temperatures drop? Or maybe you are the one shedding like crazy and panicking you'll be bald by Christmas!💔
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If any of these sound familiar and if you've got ongoing period/pms, energy or sleep issues then chances are you've got low metabolism.
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Metabolism in a nutshell means how effective your cells are at making energy or ATP and for a lot of us ladies who are chronically stressed, undernourished and lacking in quality sleep, we have key signs of low metabolism.
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A lot of doctors are sadly only trained to look at a select few blood tests and low metabolism or underactive thyroid can often go misdiagnosed.
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As a fertile woman you should feel generally warm and energised, have a regular cycle without debilitating pms, cramps or heavy flow and have a good head of hair on your shoulders. If you don't, then maybe its time to take a closer look at what's going on.
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Want to regain your glow? Drop me a PM or book a free mini consultation call via my website (link in bio).
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#hormonebalance #hormonehealth
#women
#nutritionaltherapy #herbalmedicine #northernireland #periodproblems #pms #hairloss #insomnia #weightloss
》》WHAT I OFFER🌿
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I thought it would be really useful to pop a post up covering some of the services that I offer as I get asked a lot what it is I do.
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For those new here, hi I'm Sarah 👋 and I'm a Registered Nutritional Therapist & Clinical Herbalist who is absolutely passionate about reconnecting people back to nature and their bodies through nutrition, lifestyle and herbal medicine! No fads, no trends and no BS.
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If you are interested in any of my services and want to know more information please drop me a PM or visit my website to book in. You can also drop me an email at hello@sarahhawkinsnutrition.com 💌
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I look forward to hearing from you!🙏
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#nutrition #foraging #herbalmedicine #nutritionaltherapy #wildedibles #functionalmedicine
》》SELF HEAL (Prunella vulgaris)
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This pretty little perennial is native to Europe, Asia and N.America and is a member of the mint family. It has been used for centuries by herbalists as a plant medicine for a variety of ailments, hence the commonname ''heal-all'.🌿
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One of the most popular uses for this herb is as an anti-herpetic as it has been found to be effective against various herpes viruses, including HSV-1 and HSV-2. One study by Zhang et al. (2022) found that the Polyphenolic-protein-polysaccharides in the plant demonstrated anti hermetic action against coldsores resistant to acyclovir (the main drug used against herpes)!
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It should therefore come as no surprise that it has also been used by herbalists as a general immune herb, again owing to the activity of the polysaccharides it posses. In fact there is some evidence its effective against estrogen driven c@ncer$ (Lin et al. 2020; Zhao et al. 2018).
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As the plant does appear to lower estrogen levels it may be less suited to menopausal women.
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Self heal is also considered a antidiabetic, bitter, hepatic, lymphatic, anti-inflammatory and astringent herb by herbalists. Energetically it is considered cooling and drying.
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The flowering tops are what are used medicinally and now is a great time to find it growing in your lawn as well as at your local park. It can be used as a tea, a topical coldsore cream or tinctured. I found this patch taking up residence in my backgarden!🥰
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DISCLAIMER: This post is for information only and is not intended as medical advice or to treat or cure any disease. Do not take any herbal medicine without first consulting your licensed healthcare provider. Do not pick and consume any plant unless you are 100% able to identify it and it is safe to do so.
#selfheal #herbs #flowers #summer #belfast #women
》》Patient feedback 🥰
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I never get tired of hearing from clients who report back that by implementing a few simple tweaks to their diet and lifestyle, in addition to a bespoke herbal tonic taken daily, has had such a profound impact on their day to day lives.
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Food really is medicine, and when combined with the right herbs, better sleep and a little bit of time, you can start to make a real difference in how you are feeling.
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And it doesn't have to complicated! But... it does need to be right for you and that's where I come in to guide you through the steps that are best suited to you. No fads. No diets. No trends. Just a simple, sustainable approach that we work through together at a pace that suits you.
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The main herb in this lovely client's formula is Ashwanghda which is a gentle adaptogenic herb that steadily builds up iron stores, improves sleep, balances blood sugars and supports hormonal balance.
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If you'd like to know more about what I do or how to book in, drop me a PM or check out my website (via link in my bio)!
》》WHY GO TO A HERBALIST?🌿
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This is just a few of the reasons people may want to consider booking in to see a herbalist and covers some of the most common reasons people come to see me!
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If you'd like to know more about what I can offer, don't hesitate to drop me a pm!
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Didclaimer: I do not claim to ever treat, cure or diagnose health conditions. If you are worried about your health or want a diagnosis, please speak with your doctor.
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#herbalmedicine #herbalistsofinstagram #plantmedicine #northernireland #holistichealth #womenshealth #herbs
》》SMOOTHIES🍍🍌🥬
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They may not be your BFF after all! In fact they could be pretending to be your bestie whilst sabotaging your health goals right behind your back. Ladies, please hear me out on this one!🙏
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Truthfully, nothing grinds my gears in nutrition quite like a health influencer (or nutritionist) with an iced green smoothie as a go to breakfast for all. Especially one packed with expensive supplements, frozen spinach and peanut butter. And if they post it in January when it's absolutely baltic outside, well.....😬😬😬
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Green smoothies are a tricky one. They can be so utterly lacking in nutrition to fuel you through the day or they can be so jam packed with everything yet you still don't feel satiated. In fact I bet a lot of the time it sits in your tummy making you feel bloated and hungry and maybe even a little gassy or nauseous? 🍉
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If you suffer from IBS, blood sugar issues, bloating, indigestion, period problems like light or delayed or crampy periods and feel cold all the time, then smoothies probably aren't quite right for you as a daily breakfast🤸♀️
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If you are having a smoothie for breakfast be sure to follow these tips to make it work a little better for you;
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1️⃣ Add sufficient protein and fat- collagen, Greek yoghurt, avocado and/or have some eggs alongside it.
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2️⃣ Avoid nut butters. They are NOT a health food- see my previous post. Go easy on unroasted nuts too as their omega 6:3 ratio is not good. Peanuts for example 1720:0 🥴
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3️⃣ Skip the ice! 🧊
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4️⃣ Swap out the spinach and also avoid beet leaves and chard which are super high in oxalates. Butter lettuce, endive, rocket, pak choi or a spirulina powder would be better.🥬
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5️⃣ Add warming spices like ginger and cinnamon
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6️⃣ Use berries instead of sugary tropical fruits. Blueberries and raspberries are ideal.
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7️⃣ Skip the oats if you've already got fruit in there. If you need more substance add flaxseed/chia seed/hemp hearts or just....
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8️⃣ Eat a protein rich breakfast and instead have a green smoothie as an afternoon/ post workout pick me up.
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#smoothie #greensmoothie #hormonebalance
#womenshealth #breakfast #spinach #spinachsmoothie #eatwell
》》SUGAR 🍬
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Listen up ladies, you need to quit with the guilt around eating sugar! I'm so tired of reading posts around cutting out sugar and blaming it from everything from acne to low energy.
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Yes, too much sugar isn't a good thing, but blaming it for your health woes is ignoring the elephant in room!
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You are craving it for a reason! Your sweet tooth is a survival instinct!
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Love to hear your thoughts on this one! Be sure to share it with your sweet toothed friends too!
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#sweet #sweets #sugar #sugaraddict #sugarcrush #nutrition #nutritionaltherapist #lowcarb #keto #northernireland
》》HORMONES & MOOD 🤸
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Ladies, in case you missed it last Friday, don't forget to grab your FREE ebook on hormones and mood which is available to download now from my website! Click the link in bio or visit www.sarahhawkinsnutrition.com.
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This is your ultimate starter guide on how and why hormones affect your mood snd some of the first few steps you can take to support it. 💪
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I really think you are going to love it, but would love to hear your thoughts on it too! ❣
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And ladies, if you like this please tag your gal pals or share with other girlie's who you think would benefit from having this guide in their lives!🙏
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#hormonebalance #mood #nutrition #periodproblems #feelgood #belfast #women #womenshealth #girls