Mind, body & soul
LOCAL HONEY is my hay-fever allergy secret
One of Maidstone’s best-known faces about town is Isla Butler. The town centre coordinator of One Maidstone, who lives in Chart Sutton, leads a small team who help glue community and commercial interests together…
How are you? I’m great, thank you!
How is your health generally?
Touch wood, it’s fine. Occasional back ache and some knee and achilles tendon trouble, but that serves for me right for wearing high heels for 20 solid years!
Have you ever had any major illnesses?
No, I’m very lucky that I haven’t.
Do you take any medicines?
I get the occasional migraine, so I have medication on hand for that. I take Sumatriptan for the migraines.
Have you ever considered herbal remedies?
I don’t know if this would count as a herbal remedy, but I do find that Omega 3, 6 and 9 supplements seem to work well for me, and are great for the skin. I also understand that locally-grown honey can be great for anyone suffering from pollen allergies; my family on my Dad’s side used to have bee hives so I have this on good authority! You can get pure Kent Honey and even some with added pollen. My uncle and Dad had bee hives in Chart Sutton; I remember them being there when I visited my grandmother and both my brother and I getting stung simultaneously one day! Our fault, not the bees!
Ever needed an osteopath or chiropractor?
No, but I have had to have physiotherapy so I would definitely go if I needed to. I had physiotherapy for a stubborn
back problem. I’m lucky that at One Maidstone
we get kept up to date with things happening at the European School of Osteopathy and they have some great offers available sometimes.
What, if any, exercise do you take?
I do yoga and pilates but not as often as I should. I’m not very sporty!
What are your vices?
I love a glass of wine or a gin and tonic and can’t say no to cheese. I love cooking and strongly believe that home- cooked food is better for you than convenience food, simply because you know exactly what has gone into it. It tastes better too. Cooking most days also means that a very occasional takeaway is even more of a treat. I like to try and cook quite seasonally and grow some of my own herbs that I like to use. I particularly like to cook recipes from Rachel Allen’s books; I’m also inspired when I eat something lovely at a restaurant and we have some talented local chefs in Maidstone like Ulric at Frederic’s and Scott at Heart of Flavour.
What is the best piece of health advice anyone has ever given you?
Everything in moderation, including work. Achieving a good work-life balance can be challenging but is definitely worth at least attempting, it’s very important to decompress when you can.
Would you like to live forever?
I think that might be quite lonely if I was the only one; I worry more about the people I love dying than myself.
Mid Kent Living 33
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