Holistic Healthcare Wexford

07/06/2026

🌿 Meet Fat Hen (Lamb's Quarters) – The "W**d" That Fed Generations 🌿

I have to admit, I still smile every time I hear one of its common names... Fat Hen! 😂

Known botanically as Chenopodium album, Lamb's Quarters has a long history of use as both a food and a traditional herbal remedy. While many gardeners pull it out without a second thought, our ancestors valued it highly.

🌱 Traditionally Used For:
• Digestive complaints including stomach discomfort and diarrhoea
• Urinary and kidney support
• Skin irritations, insect bites, burns and sore joints (as poultices)
• Mouth and gum care as a wash
• Nutritional support during times of food scarcity
• Prevention of scurvy due to its vitamin C content

🌱 Nutritional Benefits
The young leaves are rich in:
• Vitamins A and C
• Calcium
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Iron

Many people compare the flavour of young Lamb's Quarters to spinach, and I have to say, it tastes surprisingly good!

One of its most distinctive features is the silvery-white, powdery coating on the young leaves, making it easy to recognise once you know what to look for.

🌿 A Note for Foragers
As with many wild greens, younger leaves are generally preferred. Older plants can become tougher and may contain higher levels of naturally occurring oxalates.

It's a wonderful reminder that sometimes the plants we spend years pulling out of our gardens are the very ones our grandparents would have gathered for supper.

✨ As the old saying goes:

"A w**d is simply a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."

Have you ever tried Lamb's Quarters (Fat Hen)? Let me know below! 👇

🌿🍃😂

06/06/2026

Today I went to the Cliff and foraged plantain.
Brought a bag full home. Brushed and rinsed them off. Spun dry in salad spinner. Then they are getting the final 2.5hr drying in the dehydrator.

Tomorrow I will start the 6 week cold oil infusion.

Then I shall have a fresh batch of iodine enriched plantain salves 🍃😘

But today i have started Cough Syrup.

Want to know more?
🌿 Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) – A Traditional Herbal Ally 🌿
Have you ever walked past Ribwort Plantain growing along paths, field edges, and meadows without realising the treasure at your feet?
For generations, Ribwort Plantain has been valued as a gentle yet powerful herb, particularly for the respiratory system and skin.
Women's Shed New Ross
🍃 Ribwort Plantain Cough Syrup Traditionally used to help: ✔ Soothe irritated throats ✔ Calm dry, tickly coughs ✔ Support recovery during seasonal respiratory complaints ✔ Ease throat discomfort from excessive talking or singing ✔ Provide soothing mucilage that coats and comforts the throat
Many herbalists combine Ribwort Plantain with honey, thyme, mullein, or elderflower to create a comforting seasonal syrup.

🌿 Ribwort Plantain Infused Oil When infused into oil, Ribwort Plantain has long been used as a skin-supportive herb and may help: ✔ Soothe minor cuts and scrapes ✔ Calm insect bites and stings ✔ Support dry, irritated skin ✔ Comfort bruised or overworked areas ✔ Form the basis of traditional healing balms and salves
Its reputation as a "first-aid herb" has earned it a place in many herbal medicine cabinets.

🐝 As a bonus, Ribwort Plantain is also a valuable plant for wildlife and pollinators, making it a wonderful addition to any natural garden.
Nature often provides some of the simplest remedies right under our feet.
As always, herbs are intended to support wellbeing and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
🌿💚

06/06/2026

06/06/2026

05/06/2026

With Women's Shed New Ross – I just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉

03/06/2026

YOU ARE NOT IMAGINING IT

Many people are told the same thing:
“Your blood tests are normal.” And yet… you don’t feel normal.

Does this sound familiar?
I am hearing this on a daily basis level in General Practice. It is not gender specific, nor age specific.

It leads us to question: " what's going on?"

In this article I hope to address some causes and help you understand your body better.

👇follow the link for more information.
Thank you.

Why you can feel exhausted, anxious, or simply “not right” even when your blood tests are normal – and what your body may be trying to tell you.

01/06/2026

MAGNESIUM: The Mineral Many People May Be Missing
Magnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical processes in the body, yet it is one of the nutrients most commonly overlooked.
Magnesium-rich foods include:
🍌 Bananas
🍫 Dark chocolate (70%+)
🌰 Dried figs
🥬 Leafy greens
🌻 Pumpkin seeds
🥑 Avocados
You can also make a simple magnesium-rich seed blend at home:
✨ 60g pumpkin seeds
✨ 60g flax seeds
✨ 30g sesame seeds
✨ 30g chia seeds
✨ 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
Blend into a coarse powder and store in an airtight jar. Sprinkle onto porridge, yoghurt, smoothies, fruit, or salads for a nutrient-rich addition to your daily diet.
The challenge is that modern stress, poor sleep, medications, processed foods, gut issues, menopause, chronic illness, and even high caffeine intake can all increase magnesium depletion faster than many people can replenish it through food alone.

Low magnesium levels may contribute to:
• Muscle tension or cramps
• Poor sleep
• Anxiety or nervous system overload
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Heart palpitations
• Hormonal imbalance
• Constipation
• Increased stress sensitivity
Sometimes the body whispers long before it shouts.

As both a nurse and holistic practitioner, I often see people whose symptoms are treated individually while an underlying magnesium deficiency is never even considered.
Serum magnesium levels can appear normal even when magnesium stores within the body are suboptimal.

Food first is always a wonderful foundation. However, when symptoms persist, it may be worth discussing magnesium status and broader nutritional factors with your healthcare professional.
Your nervous system will often thank you for it.

Dr Catherine W. Dunne MSc.D.
Holistic Healthcare Wexford
Integrative · Mindful · Patient-Centred

01/06/2026

I haven't offered these publicly for several years. Returning to this work has been both humbling and rewarding, and I have been reminded how much insight can emerge when we take time to reflect on our life's patterns and lessons.

✨ Gentle Reminder ✨

The Re-Introduction Special for my Akashic Soul Reflection Readings will close on 14 June 2026.

These readings are not fortune telling or future predictions.

They are deeply reflective soul assessments exploring life themes, strengths, challenges, repeating patterns, energy centres, personal growth and spiritual development.

Each reading is individually prepared and takes approximately 4–5 hours to complete, resulting in a detailed written report unique to you.

If you have been considering one, but have been waiting for the right time, this introductory rate of €95 will only be available until 14 June.

A few places remain available.

Private message for further information.

— Dr Catherine W. Dunne
Holistic Healthcare Wexford
Integrative · Mindful · Patient-Centred

✨✨✨Re-Introduction Special Expires 14 June 2026✨✨✨

For many years I quietly stepped away from offering Akashic Readings publicly.
Recently, I returned to this work again — slowly, carefully, and with a very different perspective than years ago.
My Akashic Soul Reflection Readings are deeply personal, intuitive assessments exploring:
• emotional and soul themes
• strengths and challenges
• repeating life patterns
• energy centres
• soul lessons
• areas of growth, healing and self-awareness
Using pendulum dowsing, intuitive interpretation, and the Akashic framework I have taught through Aumvedas Academy since 2017, each reading is individually prepared and written with care.
These are not fortune-telling sessions or fear-based predictions.
They are reflective spiritual guidance readings intended to support insight, understanding, personal growth and deeper connection to self.
Each reading takes approximately 4–5 hours to complete and includes a detailed written summary.
✨ Re-introductory Special Offer: €95 (Expires 14 June 2026)
(Limited availability)
If you feel drawn to explore your soul themes and personal journey more deeply, you are welcome to message me privately for further information.
— Dr Catherine W. Dunne
Holistic Healthcare Wexford
Integrative · Mindful · Patient-Centred

22/05/2026

One thing I have noticed over the years…

People often come for healing when they are not actually sick.

They are exhausted from carrying:
everyone else’s emotions,
everyone else’s expectations,
everyone else’s needs.

And somewhere along the way, they quietly lost themselves.

That is often where deeper reflective soul work begins.

Not in “fortune telling”.
Not in fear.
Not in fantasy.

But in finally asking:
“What part of me have I ignored for too long?”

My Soul Reflection Readings are deeply personal written intuitive assessments exploring emotional patterns, strengths, challenges, energy balance and deeper self-awareness.

Prepared privately and carefully over several hours.

Sometimes insight changes more than prediction ever could.

📩 Private message if drawn to enquire.

— Dr Catherine W. Dunne MSc.D. | M.H.I.T. | RGN
Holistic Healthcare Wexford
Integrative · Mindful · Patient-Centred

✨✨✨Re-Introduction Special Expires 14 June 2026✨✨✨

For many years I quietly stepped away from offering Akashic Readings publicly.
Recently, I returned to this work again — slowly, carefully, and with a very different perspective than years ago.
My Akashic Soul Reflection Readings are deeply personal, intuitive assessments exploring:
• emotional and soul themes
• strengths and challenges
• repeating life patterns
• energy centres
• soul lessons
• areas of growth, healing and self-awareness
Using pendulum dowsing, intuitive interpretation, and the Akashic framework I have taught through Aumvedas Academy since 2017, each reading is individually prepared and written with care.
These are not fortune-telling sessions or fear-based predictions.
They are reflective spiritual guidance readings intended to support insight, understanding, personal growth and deeper connection to self.
Each reading takes approximately 4–5 hours to complete and includes a detailed written summary.
✨ Re-introductory Special Offer: €95 (Expires 14 June 2026)
(Limited availability)
If you feel drawn to explore your soul themes and personal journey more deeply, you are welcome to message me privately for further information.
— Dr Catherine W. Dunne
Holistic Healthcare Wexford
Integrative · Mindful · Patient-Centred

22/05/2026

People are tired in a way that sleep alone no longer seems to fix.

Not simply “busy” or “run down” — but mentally overloaded, emotionally exhausted, and physically depleted while still trying to function normally every day.

As a nurse, I increasingly hear:
“I’m exhausted all the time.”
“My blood tests are normal.”
“I just don’t feel like myself anymore.”

So why are so many people feeling this way?

In my latest reflective article:
🟣 Why Are We So Tired?
I explore modern exhaustion through the lens of nursing, nervous system overload, stress, burnout, recovery, and the loss of true rest in modern life.

This is not about fear or quick fixes.
It is about understanding what the body may be trying to say when exhaustion becomes chronic.

✨ A Nurse’s Reflection on Exhaustion in Modern Life
✨ The Quiet Epidemic Nobody Seems to Talk About Properly

📍 Holistic Healthcare Wexford
Integrative · Mindful · Patient-Centred

“Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.”
— Dr Catherine W. Dunne

https://holistichealthcarewx.health.blog/2026/05/22/why-are-we-so-tired/