'Let food be thy medicine' at River Cottage

A qualified medical herbalist from East Devon will be sharing her knowledge of everyday foods and their health benefits with visitors at this weekend’s River Cottage Spring Food Fair.

Jayne Palmer from Roots to Health is giving a talk based on a quote from Hippocrates: "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food". She will explain how common ingredients like onion, garlic and fennel contribute to a healthy diet and how, in concentrated form, they can have medicinal uses.

Roots To Health is a complementary consultancy, advice and prescription practice providing herbal medicine clinics in Axminster and Honiton.

Jayne explains: “Herbs can be used to treat the body in many different ways and, combined properly, will work effectively as medication for a large range of diseases. We are all unique and will respond to herbs differently. As a herbalist, I’m trained in the same diagnostic skills as orthodox doctors and choose herbs specifically for each individual. I search for, and treat, the underlying cause of the problem, rather than just the symptom, to restore the body’s balance and activate its own healing powers.”

Jayne has a BSc in Phytotherapy (herbal medicine) and worked for years in local health food stores as a herbal advisor. She then decided to combine a conventional medical role as healthcare assistant at Honiton Surgery with her knowledge of herbal medicine in order to gain the benefits of both fields.

Jayne’s talk will be held on the decking area at River Cottage HQ from 11 - 11.45am on Saturday 23rd May.