Sunday 30 December 2018

Just in time for Christmas – Gill Smith


This week Gill Smith, stage 4 cancer survivor and author of Because You Can, discusses a recent article written about Mistletoe therapy, just in time for Christmas…


Yesterday this was in a Sunday Times article:

It is often an excuse for an amorous encounter at Christmas parties, but now mistletoe is being touted as a potential treatment for cancer.

NHS patients in Scotland are being treated with an extract of the plant in the hope it can boost the body’s immune system and put cancer into remission.

At first, I thought this was new news, but in fact:

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said that in the past two years, 47 patients had been referred for mistletoe therapy at its Centre for Integrative Care at Gartnavel hospital. NHS Lothian said it had sent 42 patients to the clinic between April 2014 and March this year.

In England, two clinics are listed by the website Mistletoe Therapy UK as offering the treatment with possible NHS funding.

Mistletoe therapy has been available for some time in this country, but it is good to see NHS making it available. In Germany and Switzerland extracts of mistletoe are the most commonly used adjuvant to conventional cancer treatments.  

It was Rudolf Steiner who first suggested mistletoe for cancer treatment in the early 1920s, but it has been used as a medicinal plant since ancient times. The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe started in ancient Greece.

I have been taking mistletoe for about two years. Firstly, as Iscador drops, prescribed by the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine. NHS England recently withdrew their funding for this, and other homeopathic medicines. Recently I have privately been using injections, under medical supervision. The ampoules come from Germany and must be kept refrigerated. I inject myself three times per week.

As with any complementary therapy I will not know if it is working. It may enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or even have some direct effect on reducing the cancer itself and prolonging life. Which is also the case for other complementary drugs and supplements that I take.

I’m very encouraged that the NHS is not ruling out mistletoe therapy. Maybe we will slowly see more complementary treatments becoming mainstream with NHS blessing. That would be a marvellous Christmas gift.

Sunday 23 December 2018

What to expect in 2019 with Hifas da Terra - Gillian Bertram

This week Hifas da Terra share with us what is to be expected in the new year ahead…


Some exciting news ahead, at Hifas da Terra we are saying “Yes to Life!” in 2019 and are thrilled to become a regular contributor to the Yes to Life blog and offer a substantial discount to Yes to Life members!

Hifas da Terra, experts in Mycotherapy (mike: mushrooms, therapeia: therapy) apply the therapy of using the mushroom kingdom for its medicinal attributes to present a new perspective in integrative oncology. With 20 years of research and development, the team includes doctors, MD’s, health professionals, biologists and pharmacists, who create specifically formulated products designed for cancer patients who choose to take mushrooms alongside conventional cancer therapies.

Throughout our contributions we will be sharing information and latest scientific research on mushrooms and their therapeutic actions to support integrative oncology care. We will be going into further detail on how mushrooms may support immunity, inflammation and the stress response and much more.

We will also explain how mushrooms may be used to alleviate side effects from conventional cancer therapies.

Our mission is to educate, inspire and support you if you choose to incorporate Mycotherapy as an adjunct therapy.

Look out for our first feature at the start of February!

Bye for now!
Hifas da Terra




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