The College of Medicine’s Chair, Dr Michael Dixon, made a keynote address at the Westminster Health Forum Conference on September 17th…here, we share his address in full… ‘I am most grateful to the Westminster Health Forum for organising this third…
English National Opera launches breathing programme – using singing techniques – for patients recovering from Covid-19
What started as a Zoom meeting between four College of Medicine physicians; Dr Michael Dixon, Sir Sam Everington, Professor Ajit Lalvani and Dr Harry Brunjes, has sparked a new, nationwide initiative with the English National Opera. The topic was COVID-19…
Losing weight cuts the risk of a raft of obesity-related health problems, new study finds
A major new study has found that shedding weight significantly cuts the risk of developing a group of chronic health conditions – with a loss of 13 per cent body weight reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes by 42…
“Next Steps for Social Prescribing in England” on the 17th September.
Chair of the College, Dr Michael Dixon, will be delivering the keynote speech at the online conference. For more information click here
Honey is ‘better than conventional medicine for sore throats and coughs’, new research says
A new study suggests that honey is better for easing sore throats and coughs than many over-the-counter medicines and antibiotics. The sweet nectar made by bees – meaning it’s cheap to mass produce – has strong antimicrobial properties and has…
Study on the power of yoga for mental health sparks new calls for NHS to ‘clinically prescribe’ it
Practising yoga regularly can be almost as effective in treating anxiety as seeing a talking therapist, new US research has found. The study, carried out by New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, asked 226 people who have generalised anxiety…
Exercise, cognitive therapy and acupuncture could be better than paracetamol for chronic pain sufferers, NICE report finds
GPs treating people suffering with chronic primary pain shouldn’t prescribe painkillers including paracetamol and ibuprofen, new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advises. A draft report by a NICE committee suggests that exercise, cognitive therapy,…
Making healthy lifestyle changes could cut dementia cases by 40 per cent, says new research
Cutting back on alcohol, exercising more and not smoking are among 12 lifestyle changes that could help reduce a person’s risk of developing dementia, a major new study has found. A global team of 28 dementia experts conducted the comprehensive…
Study finds medieval eye salve made using garlic and onion could fight antibiotic-resistant infections
Researchers at the University of Warwick have found naturally occurring anti-microbials, which could be used to help tackle antibiotic-resistant infections, in a 1,000-year-old eye salve. Scientists examined natural remedies used in early medieval history in its research investigating alternatives to…
COPING WITH COVID-19: Updates, advice and useful links from the College of Medicine
The continued spread of COVID-19 continues to challenge countries all over the world, halting daily life as we know it and placing huge pressure on communities, testing our physical and mental resilience. The College of Medicine, pioneers in social prescribing…
Video: Sir Sam Everington on obesity in young people: ‘Schools are becoming incubators for long-term health problems…’
A leading voice in social prescribing has called obesity levels among young people ‘shocking’, saying more needs to be done to address future health and prevent the rise of long-term conditions including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. The government announced…
College of Medicine patron HRH The Prince of Wales praises ‘pioneering’ social prescribing project in Cornwall
The College of Medicine’s patron, HRH the Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall have praised a social prescribing team at a GP practice in Cornwall, after a flying visit there this week. His Royal Highness visited St Austell…
VIDEO: The Food Teacher on food poverty during lock-down and how to engage children with healthy eating
Katherine Tate, aka The Food Teacher, has a head start when it comes to getting 30 youngsters to engage with healthy eating. Tate is a qualified primary school teacher, who retrained in 2014 as a nutritional therapist, ensuring she knows…
Make yourself ‘as fit as possible’ to beat COVID-19 second wave, says deputy Chief Medical Officer
The UK’s deputy Chief Medical Officer has urged people to lose weight and get fit to equip themselves against a potential second wave of COVID-19. Speaking on ITV’s This Morning, Dr Jenny Harries said it was now proven that being…
VIDEO: ‘We’re like a Duke of Edinburgh for the over 55s’: The Challenge Hub helps new retirees adjust to the post-work life change
Retirement remains one of the biggest life transitions we face, where one can go from a fast-paced career to a much quieter existence in a matter of days. And while many employers are very happy to throw a farewell party…
Gardening with no garden: Producing abundant pots with a £50 budget – using old beer cans and mole hills for compost
‘I’ve been eating fresh strawberries every day for a month now’, keen amateur gardener Piers Day, a Neuro Linguistic Programming trainer and College of Medicine member, tells us. On a sizeable patch of gravel outside his front door, Piers has…
It’s easier than you think: How to cook up an immune-supporting delicious healthy meal in just 15 minutes
Heather Richards, the College of Medicine’s lead on nutrition and Director Of Nutrition at Sano School of Culinary Medicine, tells us how to cook up an immune-supporting chicken stir fry (easily made veggie) in just 15 minutes… In a recent…
Study finds dance health project reduces falls in the elderly by up to 58 per cent
A social prescribing programme designed to encourage older people to dance could help reduce falls by around 58 per cent, a new study has found. Community-led project Dance to Health combines evidence-based falls prevention principles with the creativity, expression and energy…
Video workshop on food as medicine: exploring taste in common herbs and spices
From ancient times humans have eaten natural herbs and spices. Traditional medicine knew how to use them to act as catalysts in enhancing or reducing the power of foods. Food really can be medicine. In June, Harmony in Health held…
Complementary Medicine Roundup – March 2020
DARK HOURS BEFORE DAWN Floating to the surface of sleep, I felt my tears, heavy, wet, unstoppable. Yet they were easing the heaviness that lay between my heart and my throat, filling the dark empty well where my heart had once…
New UK study finds broccoli and tea can play ‘significant role’ in cancer prevention
A new UK study has found that broccoli and tea can be helpful in the prevention of cancer. Research by Bedfordshire Hospitals Consultant Professor Robert Thomas, who co-led a national scientific study, suggests that consuming broccoli and drinking tea can…
‘Social prescribing is as old as the hills…’ Dr Michael Dixon gives a potted history of integrated medicine
It may now be national policy and championed by both the NHS and the Government… but social prescribing still isn’t on the radar of many practitioners, both in the UK and globally. Here, College of Medicine Chair, Dr Michael Dixon,…
Books that changed our lives: College of Medicine course attendees share their favourite inspirational reads
Unthinkable as it might seem now to congregate in large groups, the last few times the College of Medicine held its Foundation Courses on Integrated Medicine, we asked our attendees for some reading tips. And we gleaned almost a hundred…
New study finds regular yoga sessions have positive impact on mental health disorders
Practicing yoga on a regular basis can help alleviate the symptoms of mental health disorders, according to new research. The World Health Organisation says around 264 million people suffer from depression globally. The study’s lead author Jacinta Brinsley, from the…
New UK study suggests that vitamin D could help in the fight against COVID-19
New research from scientists at three UK universities has concluded that vitamin D could be useful in the fight against COVID-19. The study, ‘The role of vitamin D in the prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 infection and mortality’, is currently…
