There really is a lot we can do to help ourselves

This site will build a resource of the best, most reliable tools to help us safely look after ourselves and our families. We find the best evidence about modern approaches to keeping well, and rediscover and update old wisdoms. Most of the approaches are natural and all are suitable for home use.

This is what we have so far.

Our Workbooks and Journals

We all need good sleep, to enjoy good eating, calm in a stressful world and adequate energy to see the day through. When these go wrong they often worsen other medical problems. Our free-to-view Workbooks set out the best self-care approaches to improving these four ‘pillars’ of health.

The Workbooks are best used along with take-home ‘Journals’ for creating personal care plans and monitoring progress. These Journals are now available as packs that care professionals can assemble into individual handouts for patients or clients to use at home. They are designed especially for you to take back and share with your practitioner or other supporter – we know that having personal feedback is the most effective way to change our health long term.

Check with your  practitioner or carer to see if they are willing to use the Journals and review your homework. Point to the Health Guide link for further information. Then you may get a personal exercise book like this:

Self Care Library

Our FREE independent review of scientific evidence for a wide range of self care approaches in 12 common conditions where prescriptions can often be a last resort: things you can do at home, things you can buy and people you can see. Each is given a simple rating for benefits, risks and costs.  Created by a team at the University of Westminster, London with the support of the UK Department of Health.

Medicines from the Earth

Traditional plant medicines were used more to nudge recovery functions than attack diseases. Ranging from foods to powerful drugs, many plants are also very well suited for a safe home medicine chest. Follow the Herbal Hub link for the best leads and to a useful range of resources on the use of plants for modern needs.

Includes a free download book!

The following services are also underway.

Our ‘Whole Health Catalogue’

On this OurMedicine website we will compile the most reliable information, evidence and advice available for looking after ourselves.

This resource will include a section on natural first aid and survival care – a new ‘barefoot doctor handbook’ – for where there are serious gaps in medical services.

In 1968 Stewart Brand first published the Whole Earth Catalog as “an evaluation and access device”. His opening mission statement inspires us with OurMedicine’s task: “We are as gods and might as well get good at it“.

Community prescription

Our parent Sustaincare Community Interest Company has worked with charities, family doctors and care providers in  projects to develop a ‘social prescription’ recovery model for health and social care, in which doctors are easily able to prescribe to community hubs, within which each participant becomes the new ‘primary care provider’. OurMedicine Workbooks will become a key feature in future project bids.

Health Guides

Our website and support programme for anyone who is interested in supporting self care. Health and care professionals and carers will find useful resources here.

It is also the place to get Health Guide toolkits.