Natural Health: Do Bach Flower Remedies Work? A Look At Walnut, Mimulus, White Chestnut & Larch

 

Bach Flower Remedies have remained popular in the natural health world since their inception in the 1930s, and these cult homeopathic remedies are found in the cupboards of celebrities, royal families, and the general public, across the world.

What Are Bach Flower Remedies?

Bach Flower Remedies are a wide range of natural remedies which help to support all aspects of emotional health. They were developed by Dr. Edward Bach in the 1930s in England, whilst searching for a new healing technique for his patients with emotional problems and inbalances. Dr. Bach was fascinated by the energy of the sun and its healing ability on plants and wanted to find a way to harness this natural power in a way that could benefit humans.

What Are Bach Flower Remedies Made From? 

Contrary to popular belief, Bach Flower Remedies don't actually contain any active parts of the named flower. Instead, they are a 100% natural tincture created by infusing the specific flower in spring water and allowing the sun's rays to pass through it. This is then preserved in a solution of grape brandy to form the final remedy.

How Do I Choose The Right Bach Flower Remedies For Me?

There are 38 Bach Flower Remedies to choose from and each one serves a different purpose so you might find that you want to use more than one to address your individual needs, especially if there are multiple complex emotional issues that you're dealing with. The easiest way to discover which ones you'll be best suited to is by searching the online catalogue of remedies where you can read up on the different benefits.

I have four of the most commonly used Bach Flower Remedies below to give you a very short introduction into this wide range.

Try Walnut - When You're Experiencing Big Life Changes

If you're struggling with a big life change such as the menopause, puberty, a relationship break up, the stress of moving house or dealing with a bereavement, Walnut is the remedy to try, to help support your mind in adapting to these changes. It can also be useful to help protect against outside influences/energies that are attempting to derail your ambitions and goals.

Try Mimulus - For Known Fears & Shyness

Most of us have a known phobia, whether it's something like a fear of spiders, heights or public speaking for example. Mimulus helps you to face your fears so that they don't bring disruption or stress to your life.

Try White Chestnut - When You're Experiencing Anxiety, Worry & Insomnia

Many of the Bach Flower Remedies are suitable as an alternative natural treatment for mild symptoms of anxiety, and White Chestnut is particularly popular for anyone who struggles with the classic signs of worrying by having too many thoughts racing in their mind. White Chestnut is thought to be a mind-soother and can also help when you need to concentrate and focus on tasks and if you're experiencing insomnia. 

Try Larch - When You Need A Boost Of Confidence

Lack of confidence can affect us all at some point, so when you need a boost, Larch is seen as a little helper to allow you to achieve when you're feeling discouraged or expecting failure.

Do Bach Flower Remedies Work?

Bach Flower Remedies are one of the most 'marmite' of all the natural remedies that I can think of, in fact, it's almost a direct 50/50 split in opinion whenever I discuss them with people. Some absolutely swear by them, others suggest that they're nothing more than a placebo. So who's right? Well, if you're looking from a purely scientific viewpoint, Bach Flower Remedies do not fare well and have been found to have no effiacy in all the clinical trials they have been tested in.

However, I wouldn't completely dismiss them as I believe they can play an important role as a natural alternative remedy in the same way that a placebo does. If someone believes they can help, sometimes this is enough to change one's mental state in a positive manner, and as Bach Flower Remedies have no side effects, they are safe to at least try. I'll leave you to decide!

Bach Flower Remedies are available from various stockists including bachremedies.com

Have you tried Bach Flower Remedies? 

What Are Your Thoughts?

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Christmas Gift Guide 2019: The Alternative Gifts Edit - Practical, Useful & Thought-Provoking Gifts

If your Christmas shopping list involves buying gifts which are practical, thought-provoking and useful in some way, this short but sweet alternative edit is here to give you a couple of ideas!

Reusable Coffee Cups and Drinks Bottles

Whilst many of us have already got the memo about ditching single-use plastic drinks cups and bottles, there are still some people who haven't gotten around to buying an alternative yet. Fret not! You can give them a helping hand in the right direction by gifting them their very own reusable coffee cup or bottle, and help save millions of tons of unnecessary single-use waste from going to landfill every year. Loads of shops sell them on the high street, supermarkets stock them, and I even found them by the till recently at my local petrol station, so they're super easy to find and pick up. 

Diversity Books Subscription

There are lots of book subscription boxes out there, but one that I've been particularly taken with recently is a newbie called Heady Mix. Heady Mix focuses on showcasing characters and writers from underrepresented groups including women, race, disabilities, LGBTQI+ and more, which is a great way to promote diversity whilst finding something new and interesting to read. 

They have a range of subscription options depending on how much you want to spend each month, with prices starting at just £12 (including UK postage). In the photo above is their October Heady Mix box* themed on Afrofuturism, which includes two novels and a specially compiled anthology. Sign up here. 

Kid-Friendly Stockings - Bamboo Toothbrushes 

I've seen a recent trend on social media of parents shunning the typical plastic consumer 'tat' that are marketed at their kids, and instead, making them a Christmas stocking which is full of useful products to help kickstart family conversations about the importance of protecting the environment. With so many young kids being more aware of the problems that the world is facing these days thanks to movements like Extinction Rebellion and programmes such as Blue Planet, I think it's a pretty cool idea!

One item that you can include in their stocking is the much-loved bamboo toothbrush. This sustainable, biodegradable, plastic-free alternative helps to represent how easy it is to change daily habits with just one product. And again, this is an easy item to shop for on the high street or online.

 The Healthy Tea Gift

To round off this edit I wanted to include something that I will always appreciate receiving myself and that's tea! Matcha Green Tea is perhaps the healthiest tea that you can find and it's packed full of heart-healthy antioxidants which have a wide range of proven benefits. It also gives you a boost of energy but has a much lower caffeine content than regular coffee, so you can avoid those annoying post-coffee jitters! Try making a classic Matcha Latte (recipe here) or use some in baking and treat yourself to these delicious Matcha Green Tea & Lemon Breakfast Muffins (recipe here).

The perfect starter kit is this Pure Chimp Matcha Green Tea Gift Set* (£29.95, link) which comprises of a full-size jar of their excellent Matcha Green Tea, a stainless steel measuring spoon and a bamboo whisk and holder.

Are you shopping for useful and practical Christmas gifts this year?

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