Massage Therapist Invited speak at Warwick to help Bridge Gap
camexpo reports successful first show at Olympia
Leicester Herbalist elected IRCH president
Natural and organic personal care sector driven by health concerns
‘Wellness uprising’ is sweeping US says top retail consultancy
HFMA claims challenge gets European Court hearing
“Lifestyle choice” driving boom in allergy-free
Massage Therapist Invited speak at Warwick to help Bridge Gap
November –, Coventry, UK – FHT, US and Canadian registered massage therapist (RMT) Paul Lewis has been invited to lecture at the University of Warwick Medical School this November. The opportunity, created by the University of Warwick, for a complementary and alternative (CAM) healthcare practitioner to speak to second year medical students will be instrumental in bridging the gaps in communication and interprofessional collaboration that still permeate the health care landscape in Europe and North America.
The University of Warwick Medical School leverages academic excellence and research training to support its emphasis on values-based medicine. The medical school houses the largest graduate-entry medical course in the UK and prides itself on offering a distinctive and innovative medical program to its students. The faculty have organized a week in training in the area of breast cancer, incorporating discussions on presentation, pathology, treatment and outcomes. Dr. Sarah Stewart-Brown, a Professor of Public Health, has invited Paul Lewis RMT to introduce the second-year students to the role CAM can play in breast cancer care.
Paul Lewis is also an approved provider, finding balance between patient treatments and presenting workshops. He currently presented at CAMExpo and is scheduled to provide workshops for therapists in areas such as the Isle of White, London, Southampton, Newcastle, Glasgow and Cardiff. He is registered with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) and also with The Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT) and The Complementary and Natural Health Council (CNHC) in Great Britain. He is an accredited provider with the FHT and has taught advanced treatment techniques, using a method called Dynamic Angular Petirissage (DAP), across North America, Europe and Japan. He has also contributed to a number of massage therapy publications and has recently completed his preliminary filming on two new DVDs about Joint Mobilizations and Temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
Dr. Stewart–Brown notes that the teaching session will include a few CAM therapists, who care for people with any aspect of breast cancer, to outline what they do, and why people come to them, and how their work relates to breast cancer care. The session would end with the medical students attending a panel discussion with all the contributing therapists. This event will give medical students and CAM therapists an opportunity to interface and to come to better understand how their respective professions work and how they interact with their patients in a given clinical scenario.
Grateful for the opportunity to lecture at the University of Warwick Medical School, and eager to meet with the second year medical students, Paul Lewis says, “ I believe this wonderful opportunity is another step forward in helping CAM and conventional medicine move forward together”
For more information about workshops in Cardiff with tutor Paul Lewis, RMT, please visit www.paullewis.ca.
For more information about the Warwick University Medical School, please visit http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/
camexpo reports successful first show at Olympia
Host to the UK’s biggest gathering of complementary healthcare practitioners and therapists of the year, camexpo 2014 welcomed over four thousand attendees to its twelfth edition last month on 4-5 October.
Boasting a fresh new look to accompany its move to Olympia Central for 2014, the show combined a bustling 200-strong trade exhibition with a packed programme of Keynotes seminars and workshops. Around 86% of surveyed visitors have rated their experience as excellent/good, with around three in four planning to return next year.
Informative, invaluable, motivating, fun, relevant, excellent and engaging – are just some of the words used to describe the 2014 show so far; with one visiting nutritional therapist commenting that it was “well worth travelling from central Scotland to attend”.
“camexpo is my annual one-stop-shop for business ideas, great products and new skills. I always go home inspired and re-motivated for the next twelve months,” says holistic therapist Paula Woods from Plymouth.
“I do love camexpo,” says holistic & deep tissue massage therapist Ellie Verkerk, from Transformational Massage in Farnborough. “After visiting, I feel inspired, empowered and motivated to become a better therapist. I love the opportunity to share experiences and talk with other CAM therapists, and look forward to it every year!”
“As a first time attendee to camexpo I wasn’t sure what to expect, but found it to be a fantastic educational experience and an excellent opportunity to gain insight into a range of services and trends across the industry. It was brilliant to be able to spend a day chatting with like-minded, positive and uplifting individuals and business entrepreneurs. Highly recommended!” adds Phil Mason, a student at Body Type Nutrition in London.
As in previous years, individual practitioners and therapists were by far the show’s biggest audience (47%), followed by complementary health clinics, health stores, and training providers at 16%, 6% and 5% respectively. CAM students – the practitioners of tomorrow – accounted for around 10% of all visitors.
“Our vision for camexpo 2014 was to produce the most professional event to date, one that really focused on the growing needs of integrative healthcare in today’s society. The education programme certainly reflected this, and we’re delighted to announce that more delegates passed through the theatres than at any other camexpo,” comments event director Zoe Campbell.
“Once again, the show attracted exactly the right kind of enthusiastic, high-calibre audience that our exhibitors have come to expect. And as result, our re-book for 2015 has also been our best ever, with 70% of exhibitors planning to return. Big thanks must go to all our visitors, exhibitors, speakers, media supporters, and association partners for helping us put on such a great show,” she says.
Looking ahead to 2015, the show’s exhibitor list already includes a host of returning big name brands – showcasing everything from supplements and natural beauty products to essential clinical services. With 82% of surveyed exhibitors rating their show experience as excellent/good, stand space is filling up fast.
Lepicol and Bio-Kult (Protexin), A.Vogel (Bioforce UK), Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), Alliance for Natural Health International, phi energyDOTs, Abundance & Health, G&G Vitamin Centre, MFR UK (Myofascial Release UK), Integrative Health Education, Parasite Testing Europe, Nutrigold, Balens, Coconoil, and Natural by Nature Oils, are just some of the companies that have rebooked to date.
“2014 was our first year at camexpo and we had a wonderful show – lots of sales, bookings and media interest. We were all very impressed and are definitely returning next year!” says Sarah Cox, founder of Zephorium.
“camexpo 2014 has been very successful for us,” agrees Paul Naude, Nutritional Advisor at Solgar Vitamin & Herb. “The calibre of visitors has been the exact target audience that we require – knowledgeable, highly educated practitioners.”
“We’ve had a fantastic show! We saw a huge number of visitors, which is going to be a real boost to our business in the coming months. It’s really exciting to be part of such a vibrant CAM community,” says Dr Elisabeth Philipps, technical & educational consultant with Nutrigold.
Inspiring show content
With 17% of visitors attending the show on both days, one of the show’s key draws has always been its exceptional educational content – including 22 Keynotes, 17 Demo Theatre sessions, 48 Taster Workshops, and eight Business Clinic Sessions. Averaging four seminars each, 26% of visiting practitioners clocked up an impressive 2,508 seminars between them.
Highlights in the show’s two Revital-sponsored Keynote Theatres included sessions by Professor Ben Pfeifer, Antony Haynes, Bettina Karsten, Dr Marilyn Glenville, Niall Rafferty, and Leon Chaitow.
“My experience of speaking at camexpo 2014 event was excellent,” says renowned osteopath Leon Chaitow, founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies. “The organisation, venue, technicians and ambiance were all of the highest standard. And those attending were both attentive and inquisitive – an ideal audience.”
Best New CAM Product Award 2014
Audience participation was also key to the prestigious Best New CAM Product Award 2014, which was voted for by visitors to the New Products Showcase on the show’s opening day. Featuring new launches from the last twelve months, the winner of this year’s New Products Showcase award was EssentialFood by G&G Vitamin Centre.
“The whole of camexpo was a success from start to finish,” says Bob Parker, business development director at G&G Vitamin Centre. “We are delighted that we won the New Products Showcase award – particularly because it’s voted for by the camexpo visitors. Since the show, we’ve had numerous enquiries, so it was definitely well worth entering!”
“We’d like to thank everyone who voted for our EssentialFood to make it the ‘Best New CAM Product 2014’,” adds Nancy Grier, PR manager at G&G Vitamin Centre. “It has been a fantastic year for EssentialFood and this really is the cherry on top!”
camexpo Clinic of the Year Award 2014
Another camexpo winner was David Ruddick, principle osteopath and co-owner of Summertown Clinic in Oxford, which won the camexpo Clinic of the Year Award 2014 (it was also finalist in 2013). The Award, sponsored by Coconoil, included £250 cash and £250 of Bamber Watson Coconoil products for the clinic, and was presented by The CMA’s president Jayney Goddard. Now in its fifth year, the award was judged on the treatments offered, marketing, client testimonials, unique selling points and all round client experience. The final shortlist also included Archway House Natural Health Centre in Market Harborough, Ashlins Natural Health in Walthamstow; and Fine Fettle Multi Healthcare in Bookham, Surrey (last year’s winner and a finalist in 2012).
The judging panel were impressed by the high quality of entries but singled out Summertown Clinic for its involvement with its local community, its work helping to teach the next generation of practitioners, and fantastic client testimonials, commenting:
“This family run practice set up in 1975, has become Oxford’s biggest and busiest multi-disciplinary clinic. Their mission is to make every patient feel cared for, valued, and listened to, while offering the highest standards of CAM therapy. They work with the community offering open seminars, helping with charity work, and educating other healthcare professionals about the work they do.”
“It was a very proud moment to see my Dad [David Ruddick], who had set the practice up almost 40 years ago, go up to collect the clinic of the year award,” says Summertown Clinic’s director James Ruddick. “He has dedicated his life to helping his patients, and building the most successful clinic he could. So to be given this award was a testament to all the effort, hours, years, and decades, it takes to build a clinic like ours. Of course, he has a great team around him, not least my mother [his wife and co-owner of the clinic – Kerry Ruddick], and we have staff and practitioners who have been working with us for decades. It has been brilliant to celebrate this achievement together.”
“It is thanks to the expertise and experience of all our clinic team, reception staff, and most importantly the patients at Summertown Clinic who together make the clinic all that it is today, and have made this award possible. Thank you everyone,” agrees retired osteopath and herbalist Kerry Ruddick.
She adds: “Having worked with camexpo for many years now, I can sincerely say that this is the one event that brings together all the leading professionals of the industry and people who are whole-heartedly interested in the benefits of complementary therapies.”
camexpo Outstanding Achievement Award 2014
The recipient of camexpo’s sixth annual, industry-voted camexpo Outstanding Achievement Award was also a popular choice. The winner – Ruth Duncan, owner of Myofascial Release UK, enjoyed a standing ovation as she accepted the award from Leon Chaitow, who praised her work “at the forefront of the development of MFR as a treatment modality and integrated bodywork therapy in this country for over a decade”. Aside from winning an overwhelming majority of votes, many of her students and clients submitted glowing testimonials on their behalf.
“Whilst training in Massage in the US, this lady was introduced to a life changing therapy – Myofascial Release. Life changing for two reasons – here was a therapy that resonated with her both personally and professionally. MFR ignited a passion, a quest for learning and a deep desire to take it to a new level by making it accessible to a wider group back home – in essence, to share,” explains Chaitow during his presentation of the award at the show.
“She is a naturally gifted orator and found her niche teaching healthcare professionals about the fascinating subject of fascia and its role within each and every one of us. As research grew, so too did our understanding and at every step of that journey she shared it with her fellow therapist’s, her clients – in fact everyone who reached out for it. This was ten years or more in the making and now fascia IS the word on everyone’s lips. This is in large due to Ruth Duncan’s dedication.”
“I am absolutely delighted to win this award and to have it presented by Leon [Chaitow] was fantastic,” says Ruth Duncan. “I have always loved sharing soft tissue and myofascial therapy in our workshops and have had the pleasure of meeting so many skilled manual therapists along the way. I am passionate about promoting this work in the industry to help it get the recognition that it deserves through both clinical results, evidence and research. I couldn’t do what I do without all the amazing support I have from my close friends and like-minded colleagues – we are a team. 2014 has been a great year for me and Myofascial Release UK, and to receive this award makes me realise that the hard work has been worth it!”
Save the date for camexpo 2015
“camexpo offers me the opportunity to increase my knowledge of products and companies; it opens my mind, allowing me to expand my horizons to reach further fields of information. It stimulates my curiosity, pushing me to grow and evolve. Each of us can truly benefit from attending such a remarkable event,” says nutritionist and clinical hypnotherapist Alessia Biciocchi from London.
camexpo returns to Olympia, London, on 26-27 September 2015. For further information, please visit www.camexpo.co.uk.
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camexpo was named as a finalist in the Best UK Trade Show Exhibition (Under 2,000m2) category at the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) Excellence Awards in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, it was awarded Highly Commended by the AEO judges.
Diversified Communications UK (Diversified UK) is a fast growing trade event organiser and publisher based in Brighton, Peterborough, Leamington Spa, and Nailsworth, Glos. In addition to camexpo, Diversified UK’s portfolio includes Natural & Organic Products Europe; Natural and Organic Awards; Natural Products Scandinavia in Malmö, Sweden (co-located with Nordic Organic Food Fair); Natural Products magazine; Natural Beauty Yearbook; lunch!; Casual Dining; office*; Ocean Business (including Offshore Survey Conference & Ocean Careers); OceanBuzz; MARELEC Marine Electromagnetics conference (in Philadelphia, USA); SITS – The Service Desk & IT Support Show; ServiceDesk360; Euro Bus Expo; Coach and Bus Live; Best of Britain & Ireland; The Route One Operator Excellence Awards; The National Coach Tourism Awards; Route One magazine; and Coach Monthly. For more information, visit: www.divcom.co.uk.
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Leicester Herbalist elected IRCH president
In recognition of his considerable experience, and valuable contributions to the field of natural medicine Mohammed Salim Khan, Director of Mohsin Health in Leicester, has been elected president of the International Register of Consultant Herbalists (IRCH).This choice of president demonstrates the ‘broad church’ of the IRCH, which recognises the validity of richness of the various traditions in natural medicine.
Salim said: “It is an honour to be recognised by the IRCH. I have had a long journey with the IRCH, from my early days as a student, then a registered Medical Herbalist, a teacher and now the president.”
Khan was trained with the IRCH 40 years ago. He founded Mohsin Health Clinic in Leicester, in 1978.The practice continues to thrive today and is serves people from the diverse local community and much further afield in the UK and abroad.
In 2011 Salim started a not-for-profit company, The College of Medicine and Healing Arts, to train a new generation of herbalists and nutritionists.
The IRCH was established in 1960, and is devoted to protecting the practice of Traditional Herbal Medicine and safeguarding the public. There are many traditions of herbal medicine in the UK. Although herbal medicine throughout history has been protected under Common Law and enshrined in the Herbalists’s Charter by Henry VIII, the practice has often been challenged by the medical establishment, and most recently by restrictive EU directives.
Salim Khan believes that access to the various traditions of natural medicine is everyone’s birthright. With the increasing pressures and stresses of modern life, h says, herbal medicine has an important part to play in helping people to stay healthy and preventing long-term illness.
This choice of president demonstrates the ‘broad church’ of the IRCH, which recognises the validity of richness of the various traditions in natural medicine.
Salim said: “It is an honour to be recognised by the IRCH. I have had a long journey with the IRCH, from my early days as a student, then a registered Medical Herbalist, a teacher and now the president.”
Khan was trained with the IRCH 40 years ago. He founded Mohsin Health Clinic in Leicester, in 1978.The practice continues to thrive today and is serves people from the diverse local community and much further afield in the UK and abroad.
In 2011 Salim started a not-for-profit company, The College of Medicine and Healing Arts, to train a new generation of herbalists and nutritionists.
The IRCH was established in 1960, and is devoted to protecting the practice of Traditional Herbal Medicine and safeguarding the public. There are many traditions of herbal medicine in the UK. Although herbal medicine throughout history has been protected under Common Law and enshrined in the Herbalists’s Charter by Henry VIII, the practice has often been challenged by the medical establishment, and most recently by restrictive EU directives.
Salim Khan believes that access to the various traditions of natural medicine is everyone’s birthright. With the increasing pressures and stresses of modern life, h says, herbal medicine has an important part to play in helping people to stay healthy and preventing long-term illness.
Natural and organic personal care sector driven by health concerns
The latest Consumer Insights report by Organic Monitor has revealed that health concerns regarding synthetic chemicals are driving consumers to switch to natural and organic personal care products.
The study found that 90% of UK consumers of natural and organic products in this sector cited ‘avoidance of synthetic chemicals’ as being important or very important to them. When asked to name specific chemicals they try to avoid, almost two-thirds said parabens. Awareness of synthetic chemicals has markedly increased compared to the previous study in 2007. For instance, the survey showed 19% of buyers wanted to avoid phthalates and lanolin in 2014, compared to just 3% in 2007.
And certification is increasingly important to consumers too, with 43% of buyers looking for symbols and logos on personal care products, up from 33% in 2007. The report reveals that the Soil Association logo is the most associated with certified products, with nearly 30% of buyers seeking it out.
Highlighting the confusion regarding natural/organic terms and certification, 21% of buyers said they look for the Fairtrade symbol. However, the Fairtrade symbol represents the presence of certified Fairtrade ingredients, but does not represent certified finished products.
Organic Monitor found that all of those surveyed were willing to pay more for certified products, with 72% saying they’d pay up to 20% more. Just 12% said they would pay a premium over 30%.
The research also showed that although the number of brands has mushroomed in the UK, established brands comprise most sales in every product category, with Weleda, Dr Haushcka and Jason Natural being some of the leading brands.
Consumer behaviour is a major theme of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, taking place in Paris on 24-26 November. Key findings of this new study will be presented for the first time at the summit.
For more information, visit: www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com/Europe/.
‘Wellness uprising’ is sweeping US says top retail consultancy
Top US retail consultancy WSL says the country is witnessing a “wellness uprising”.
A new report from WSL says people of all ages and demographics are adopting healthier lifestyles as awareness of personal wellness increases.
Its Wellness Uprising Report 2014 found that people of all ages and income levels cited stress (47%) as their number one health concern and are adopting strategies to live healthier lives.
Wendy Liebmann, CEO of WSL said: “People are changing their dietary habits, eating less ‘bad’ foods and cooking more ‘good’ foods, two growing trends which will have a major impact on every type of business, especially those that involve food, exercise and healthcare. In the recent recession it was an economic necessity and now it has become a more holistic approach to being well every day.”
US trade magazine Natural Foods Merchandiser believes the trend offers an opportunity for independent natural foods retailers. It breaks this down into the ‘trust’ opportunity – retailers who have earned consumers’ trust are most likely to hold on to and attract shoppers, and the ‘new demographic’ opportunity – the “wellness uprising” is pulling in consumers from the full income spectrum as heath becomes a universal priority.
HFMA claims challenge gets European Court hearing
Over two years after launching its legal challenge to the “illegalities” of the EC’s approach to health claims regulation, the HFMA this week finally had its day in Court.
The HFMA, together with the Dutch trade association NPN, filed an application in the General Court of the European in July 2013. The “last resort action” aims to annul the controversial Permitted List Regulation, requiring the Commission to “correct the flaws in its approach and produce the permitted list more in keeping with the original spirit and intention of the ‘Parent Regulation’, the Nutrition and Health Claims.”
Commenting on the day the case was heard in Court, HFMA executive director, Graham Keen, said: “We are obviously very pleased to have finally got to have our day in Court, and a chance to help defend our industry, members and consumers against this hugely flawed and badly implemented Regulation. We initiated this legal action back in July of 2012 as a ‘last resort’ when our serious concerns about many aspects of the implementation of the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation were falling on deaf ears.” said Graham Keen, Executive Director of the HFMA.
“Once again, the HFMA has shown the will to take difficult but important actions necessary to protect our industry. We are grateful for the support in this action of our partners from the Dutch trade association Natuur-en Gezondheidsproducten Nederland (NPN), along with our Co-Applicant member companies Natures Aid and Quest Vitamins from the UK and New Care Supplements from the Netherlands. We also thank the Italian trade association Federsalus, which intervened into the action in our support and last, but certainly not least, our lawyer Brian Kelly and the excellent legal team from Covington & Burling.
“We now await the judgment of the Court, and hope that they will come to the right decision. We obviously hope that the Court will find in our favour, but whatever the outcome it will be important to have clarity from the Court on this vital issue for industry.”
“Lifestyle choice” driving boom in allergy-free
The booming allergy-free market is being driven by growing numbers of people buying for “lifestyle reasons”, a new survey shows
According to the survey by YouGov of 1,039 UK adults, 55% of consumers purchasing free-from foods don’t suffer from an intolerance or allergy and don’t live with anyone who does.
The main reason that non-allergy/intolerance sufferers gave for buying free-from foods was that they are generally healthier/better for you.
A previous survey of 3,000 consumers published in a report by Leatherhead Food Research found the main benefits of free-from foods were perceived as being to maintain a healthy balanced diet, to help cope with a condition and help digestive health, indicating that these foods are appealing to a much broader customer base. According to that report, a staggering 97% of people who buy into the gluten-free category are non-coeliacs.
“There is a rapid growth in those who choose to go free-from as a lifestyle choice as they see free-from food as being healthier and more environmentally friendly,” commented Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, director of the FreeFrom Food Awards.
The YouGov survey revealed that only 33% of allergy/intolerance sufferers said they were aware of and have purchased free-from foods (rising to 46% for those with gluten intolerance and 45% for dairy intolerance) but 39% were unaware that free-from foods even existed. 28% of sufferers were aware of free-from products but hadn’t purchased them.
59% of those surveyed believed that free-from products have really improved in the last couple of years and 67% are noticing that more free-from products are now available in grocery stores.
The survey also found that 22% of the UK population consider themselves to have a food allergy or intolerance (up 5% on 2011); 7% have a diagnosed or suspected food allergy; and 16% have a diagnosed or suspected food intolerance. In addition, it revealed that 31% of UK households include at least one allergy or intolerance sufferer.