Women's Health Revelations from Season 4 with Sebastian & Marion

Welcome back to a brand new series of Herbcast.

We’re beginning series 5 with a look back at series 4, as Sebastian welcomes back herbalist and researcher Marion Mackonochie back to discuss the insights gained from her series on women's health.

Sebastian and Marion delve into the rich conversations Marion had with various expert herbalists, reflecting on the challenges and opportunities in treating women's health issues through herbal medicine. With a focus on personal experiences and the importance of holistic care, they explore recurring themes of diet, stress management, and the significance of individualised treatment.

Marion shares key insights from her discussions, highlighting the wealth of knowledge among herbalists, the urgent need for more research and funding in women's health, and how herbalists can offer support through tailored approaches.

The conversation also emphasises the value of community and shared experiences in empowering women to take control of their health.

In this episode:

• The importance of personalised care and the time herbalists can dedicate to understanding their clients.
• Recurring themes in women's health: lifestyle, stress, and dietary influences.
• Challenges in treating conditions like endometriosis and perimenopause.
• The need for more robust research to demonstrate the effectiveness of herbal practices.
• Empowering young women through education about healthy cycles and nutrition.

About Marion

Marion Mackonochie is a herbalist and researcher, recently appointed president of the College of Phytotherapeutic Practitioners in the UK. With a passion for women's health, she has conducted insightful interviews with expert herbalists, sharing their experiences and knowledge to enhance understanding and practice in the field.

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Explore a world of plant-powered knowledge at herbalreality.com or connect with us on Instagram @herbal.reality.

We are fundraising to continue our work!

These funds will allow us to produce our next season of the Herbcast and commission our 2026 publications.

We are asking for a contribution of £3 or whatever you feel able to offer, to sustain our website and content creation in the years ahead.

Donate: https://www.herbalreality.com/donate/

Herbcast is proudly produced by Decibelle Creative / @decibelle_creative

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We are fundraising to continue our work! These funds will allow us to produce our next season of the Herbcast and commission our 2026 publications. We are asking for a contribution of £3 or whatever you feel able to offer, to sustain our website and content creation in the years ahead. Donate: https://www.herbalreality.com/donate/

Herbal support during pregnancy: Guidance on safety with herbalists Eve Brazil and Simon Mills.

In this episode of Herbcast, editor and first-time host Eve sits down with veteran herbal practitioner, educator, and author Simon Mills to explore one of the most sensitive and deeply important topics in herbal care: using herbs safely during pregnancy.

With over four decades of clinical experience and co-authorship of The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety, Simon brings clarity to a subject often clouded by caution, conflicting advice, and limited research. Together, Eve and Simon discuss why safety is such a critical consideration in pregnancy, how herbs are assessed for risk, which plants are truly well-supported, and where professional judgement is essential. The episode also covers supportive herbs for nausea, digestion, nourishment, and late-pregnancy preparation, plus key considerations for herbal use while breastfeeding.

• Why the precautionary principle is so important in pregnancy and why most herbs are best avoided in the first trimester.
• How herbs are assessed for safety (including the A–X categories) and why hard data in pregnancy is still very limited.
• Herbs with supportive safety data (e.g. ginger, chamomile, echinacea, raspberry leaf, nettle) and those historically used to bring on a period that are best avoided.
• Practical herbal support for morning sickness, digestion, and nourishment, including ginger, chamomile, dandelion root, nettle and food-based strategies.
• Late-pregnancy and postpartum considerations: raspberry leaf, caution with licorice, and how certain herbs may support breastfeeding or colic through the mother.

Eve is the editor of written content at Herbal Reality and the host of this Herbcast episode. With a deep love of language and plants, she helps translate complex herbal knowledge into clear, accessible articles, features, and resources for the Herbal Reality community. This episode marks her Herbcast debut, where she brings her editorial curiosity and grounding in herbal philosophy into conversation with experienced practitioners.

Follow & Connect

Explore a world of plant-powered knowledge at herbalreality.com or connect with us on Instagram @herbal.reality.

Herbcast is proudly produced by Decibelle Creative / @decibelle_creative

These funds will allow us to produce our next season of the Herbcast and commission our 2026 publications. We are asking for a contribution of £3 or whatever you feel able to offer, to sustain our website and content creation in the years ahead.

Donate: https://www.herbalreality.com/donate/

Mentioned in this episode:

Support our cause - Donate to Herbal Reality

We are fundraising to continue our work! These funds will allow us to produce our next season of the Herbcast and commission our 2026 publications. We are asking for a contribution of £3 or whatever you feel able to offer, to sustain our website and content creation in the years ahead. Donate: https://www.herbalreality.com/donate/

In this episode of Herbcast, Marion Mackonochie talks with medical herbalist Kathie Bishop about vaginal health, why it’s so often overlooked, how the vaginal microbiome really works, and the herbal and holistic strategies that can make a difference. Kathie shares her personal story of recurrent thrush from childhood into her 30s, what finally helped, and why every person’s microbiome and needs are unique.

In this episode:

• The vaginal microbiome 101 - lactobacilli, glycogen, and the powerful role of oestrogen across the cycle and life stages.
• Thrush vs. bacterial vaginitis (and aerobic vaginitis), why thrush often flares around ovulation/post-ovulation, why BV is more common post-menopause, and practical symptom clues (itch, discharge, odour) to tell them apart.
• Testing without the anxiety - when microbiome tests help (and when they don’t), plus why symptom-led care with a practitioner can be enough.
• Herbal care & applications
• Everyday choices that matter - hygiene (only water internally), breathable underwear (cotton/bamboo), managing heat and moisture, toilet paper swaps (bamboo to avoid dusty pulp irritation), and exploring personal diet triggers (e.g., sugar, alcohol, wheat) and iron status.

Kathie Bishop is a Medical Herbalist specialising in vaginal health and author of It’s Your Power Portal: Take Control of Your Vaginal Health with Herbal and Holistic Care (2022). She received the Innovation in Practice Award from the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (2021) and was a finalist in the Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards for her contributions to women’s health. Kathie also founded Into the Wild, an award-winning natural, organic, vegan intimate lubricant brand, and continues to support women in clinical practice.

• Book: It’s Your Power Portal: Take Control of Your Vaginal Health with Herbal and Holistic Care (2022)

Explore a world of plant-powered knowledge at herbalreality.com or connect with us on Instagram @herbal.reality.

These funds will allow us to produce our next season of the Herbcast and commission our 2026 publications. We are asking for a contribution of £3 or whatever you feel able to offer, to sustain our website and content creation in the years ahead.

Donate: https://www.herbalreality.com/donate/

Mentioned in this episode:

Support our cause - Donate to Herbal Reality

We are fundraising to continue our work! These funds will allow us to produce our next season of the Herbcast and commission our 2026 publications. We are asking for a contribution of £3 or whatever you feel able to offer, to sustain our website and content creation in the years ahead. Donate: https://www.herbalreality.com/donate/