
Introducing the MediHerb podcast, where we discuss all things related to herbal medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle practices. From ancient wisdom to the latest in scientific research, join us for conversations with leading experts, practitioners, and pioneers in the field of natural healthcare. Host: Jesal Alimchandani Producer: Kerry Sanchez
Episodes
4 days ago
4 days ago
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the Bowel Flora Protocol with Professor Kerry Bone. From its origins to its clinical application, Professor Kerry Bone unpacks the science and strategy behind this powerful approach to restoring gut health. He explores each phase of the protocol, sharing some of his top herbal choices for optimising microbial balance and addressing dysbiosis. He provides key clinical insights on when and how to apply the protocol and touches upon biofilms. Whether you're new to the Bowel Flora Protocol or looking to refine your approach, this episode delivers expert guidance to enhance your practice.
Bio: Professor Kerry Bone. Kerry is the co-founder and innovation driver at MediHerb as the Director of Research & Development; practicing Herbalist and Naturopath with 38 years of experience; a lecturer in Australia and overseas; a prolific author with 7 published Herbal Medicine texts and over 40 scientific papers on herbal research including original research and Systematic Reviews.
Monday Mar 03, 2025
Dr Elizabeth Steels - Pathology & Screening: Best Practices for Clinicians
Monday Mar 03, 2025
Monday Mar 03, 2025
In this episode, Dr Elizabeth Steels explores the essentials of pathology testing and regular health screenings, providing healthcare professionals with the knowledge to guide their patients toward optimal testing accuracy and meaningful results. Elizabeth discusses the core set of pathology tests recommended for different age groups, key companion tests for deeper clinical insights, and the importance of regular screenings such as DEXA scans.
We also dive into the practical considerations that can significantly impact test accuracy, including fasting requirements, hydration, time of collection, and other factors that practitioners should educate their patients about. Additionally, we touch on the evolving field of epigenetic testing and its potential role in preventative healthcare.
Integria also has a 4 part webinar series on pathology coming up in April, for more information visit the Integria Practitioner Education Center website: https://practitioner.integria.com/upcoming-events
Bio: Elizabeth is a clinical biochemist and nutritionist with over 30 years experience in clinical practice, research, clinical trials, formulation and regulatory affairs. She runs a consulting and research clinic in New Farm, Brisbane. She is also an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, and has a growing team of clinical naturopaths enrolled in MPHIL and PHD students, also becoming researchers to further support natural health research. The projects vary from metabolic disease and diabetes, pain and peripheral neuropathy, GIT health, candida overgrowth, to probiotics for bone health in menopause. She is well published and often speaks at academic and industry events.
Monday Feb 17, 2025
Rachel Arthur - Kidney Clarity: Early Signs & Smart Strategies
Monday Feb 17, 2025
Monday Feb 17, 2025
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is often a silent condition, progressing unnoticed until it reaches the later stages. In this episode, we sit down with naturopath and registered nutritionist Rachel Arthur to shed light on the early warning signs of kidney dysfunction. We explore the pathology markers that can serve as early screening tools, helping practitioners identify those at risk before significant damage occurs.
Rachel also unpacks both well-known and lesser-discussed risk factors for CKD, offering a comprehensive understanding of how kidney health can be compromised. Finally, we dive into nutritional and dietary interventions that can help support kidney function, prevent progression, and optimize overall health.
Mentoring with Rachel:
Rachel is renowned for her transformative programs in the fields of diagnostic interpretation, comprehensive case workups and most recently, nutritional prescribing:
The Nutrient Prescriber’s Program - a structured process for creating prescriptions that’s systematic, scientific and more likely to produce successful outcomes. You’ll gain a reliable and robust framework to answer key questions such as: Which form? How much? How often? And, for how long?
https://rachelarthur.com.au/the-nutrient-prescribers-program/
Cracking the Case – Comprehensive workups of real clinical cases, providing an opportunity for accelerated development of your clinical competency and practice prowess. Gain skills in complex cases, condition specific knowledge, prescription decisions and pathology interpretation.
https://rachelarthur.com.au/cracking-the-case/
MasterCourse I: Comprehensive Diagnostics - realise the true value we can extract from the most commonly performed labs (ELFTs, FBE, WCC, Lipids & Glucose).
https://rachelarthur.com.au/mastercourse-comprehensive-diagnostics/
MasterCourse II: Thyroid & Adrenal Diagnostics – View thyroid and adrenals through a new lens as ‘first responders’ and be able to elicit from patients’ results deep insights regarding their big picture health story.
https://rachelarthur.com.au/mastercourse-ii-thyroid-adrenal-diagnostics/
Bio: Rachel Arthur is a seasoned naturopath and registered nutritionist with a specialisation in integrative nutrition and diagnostics. With three decades of experience spanning clinical practice and educational settings, Rachel has established herself as a leading educator in the field of nutritional medicine. Her work is deeply rooted in evidence-based practices, contributing to renowned texts such as the award-winning Herbs & Natural Supplements – An Evidence-Based Guide across all four editions.
Delivering advanced training and mentorship to a wide range of healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, dietitians, and naturopaths, her educational initiatives, such as the popular Update in Under 30 podcast, reflect her dedication to providing practical, actionable insights that empower clinicians to integrate nutritional strategies into their practice effectively.
With a passion for integrative health and an ongoing dedication to professional development, Rachel's presentations are not only informative but also transformative, making a significant impact on the practitioners she mentors.
Monday Feb 03, 2025
Tina Taylor - Herbal Medicine for Children: Safe and Effective Practices
Monday Feb 03, 2025
Monday Feb 03, 2025
In this episode, we sit down with Tina Taylor, an experienced naturopath, lecturer, and PhD candidate, to explore the art and science of safely prescribing herbal medicine for children. Tina shares her wealth of knowledge on tailoring treatments to suit the unique needs of young patients, ensuring safety and efficacy at every step. She also highlights some of her go-to herbs for addressing common childhood conditions, offering practical tips and insights to build confidence in supporting this cohort of patients in clinic.
Bio: Tina holds a BHSc in Nutritional Medicine and BHSc in Naturopathic Medicine and has been in clinical practice since 2008, supporting individuals with diverse health issues and goals and children's health. She also holds a Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice from SCU, a Diploma in Integrated Somatic Psychotherapy, and is currently a PhD Candidate at UTS researching 'Patient-focused public health information shared by Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine practitioners in clinical encounters and patient engagement.’ With over 12 years of teaching experience at Endeavour College of Natural Health, Tina supervised Naturopathy and Nutritional Medicine student clinics for 7 years and contributed to teaching and supervision at the Australian College of Natural Therapies (now Torrens University). She continues to supervise Naturopathy clinics at Torrens University, combining her extensive expertise with a passion for mentoring future practitioners.
Monday Dec 23, 2024
Katelyn Gray - Endometriosis and Trauma: Navigating Care with Compassion
Monday Dec 23, 2024
Monday Dec 23, 2024
In this episode, we speak with Katelyn Gray, about the complex and often misunderstood condition of endometriosis. Katelyn delves into the emerging research linking trauma to the incidence of endometriosis and offers practical advice on how practitioners can approach this sensitive topic with care and compassion. She also shares her expertise in staging treatment, ensuring that support is introduced in a way that respects and prioritizes the needs of patients already coping with significant stress.
Bio: Katelyn was driven to make naturopathy her career after Having successfully utilised natural medicine for her own health and the valuable role her own naturopath played. Katelyn completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree from Southern School of Natural Therapies and is now a busy clinician specialising in female reproductive health.
Katelyn’s mission is to empower women and get to the underlying cause of real and debilitating presentations often ignored and considered “normal” due to which women can suffer for the majority of their reproductive lives. She aims to remove the stigma attached to these conditions and works with her clients to achieve long lasting health benefits.
Monday Dec 09, 2024
Angela Hywood - Herbs for Women's Health and their Forgotten Uses
Monday Dec 09, 2024
Monday Dec 09, 2024
In this episode, we sit down with Angela Hywood to explore the remarkable versatility of herbs most commonly used for women's health. Angela delves into the forgotten uses and broader applications of these botanicals, shedding light on their diverse therapeutic benefits. From Shatavari and Dong Quai to Black Cohosh and beyond, discover how these herbs can support not just reproductive health but a variety of other systems and conditions.
Bio: With over 25 years’ experience as a Naturopathic Clinician, Angela Hywoods’ areas of expertise lie in integrative endocrinology, fertility and pregnancy care, as well as herbal safety and pharmacology. With a world of experience as a published writer in complementary medicine journals and a presenter across Australia and internationally, Angela has a particular passion in the art and science of herbal medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, whole food nutrition and lifestyle medicine.
Monday Nov 25, 2024
Monday Nov 25, 2024
Today, Sebastian Pole discusses the importance of sustainable practices in the herbal sourcing and growing industry. Sebastian emphasizes the vital need for practitioners to be informed about the origins of their herbs, understanding where and how they are grown, and who cultivates them. He discusses the ethical considerations of sourcing, focusing on the importance of responsible harvesting practices that protect plant species from overharvesting and potential extinction. Sebastian also shares how ethical sourcing impacts the quality and efficacy of herbal products, encouraging practitioners to align their practices with sustainable values that respect both the environment, and the communities involved in herbal cultivation. This conversation highlights the role practitioners can play in fostering a more sustainable herbal industry and preserving these precious resources for future generations.
Be sure to check out Sebastian's Website 'Herb Reality' - A voice for herbal medicine
https://www.herbalreality.com/
Bio: Sebastian Pole is a registered member of the Ayurvedic Professionals Association, Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine and a Fellow of the Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners. Sebastian is qualified as a herbalist with the aim of using the principles of Ayurveda and the Herbal tradition to help transform health. He has been in clinical practice since 1998.
He co-founded Pukka Herbs in 2001 and is experienced in organic herb growing, practitioner grade quality, and sustainable value chains. Sebastian is a Trustee of the FairWild Foundation, a Director of The Betonica School of Herbal Medicine, and an Advisor to The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and The Sustainable Herbs Project. In addition, he has created the Herb Reality website where he and other herbalists and health experts are a voice for herbal medicine sharing traditional, scientific and practical insights. Sebastian is on a mission to bring the incredible power of plants into people’s life.
Monday Nov 11, 2024
Sarah Franklin - Compassionate Care: Naturopathy’s Role in Palliative Care
Monday Nov 11, 2024
Monday Nov 11, 2024
In this podcast episode, we sit down with Sarah Franklin, a registered nurse and naturopath who specialises in oncology and palliative care. Sarah shares her insights on the essential role a naturopath can play in supporting patients through the challenging transition of palliative care. She discusses how naturopaths can collaborate with conventional care providers to enhance quality of life, addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Key topics include managing symptoms, optimizing nutrition, addressing anxiety, and supporting the patient and their family through the end-of-life journey. Sarah also explores factors to consider, such as the importance of personalized care, addressing comfort, and navigating ethical considerations in palliative care.
Bio: Sarah is one of Australia’s leading Oncology Naturopathic practitioners. Sarah is a accomplished Naturopath, and distinguished Keynote speaker, with more than 23 years of experience in healthcare. In 2008, she founded Balanced Health, where she has supported over 8000 clients across Australia and Internationally.
Graduating from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia in 1999, Sarah initially specialized in oncology, palliative care, and emergency nursing. Her fascination with the potential of nutritional and naturopathic medicine in oncology care was ignited during her tenure as an oncology nurse. Witnessing patients benefit from integrative therapies sparked her profound interest in this field.