Yep. I am closing Purehealth Clinic at the end of the year. If you want to, you can still continue to follow me here – not sure what I’ll be writing about yet, but I’m a writer so I will be writing something!! I’ll change the name obvs at some point!
BIG DECISION. BIG GULP.
It hurts to do it and I’m sorry. But, it’s time. I’m almost 60. I’ve been doing some form of health work since I was 21. I reckon I’ve earned a break and a chance to do something else for my last few decades (I hope!) of work. I’ve tried every which way to cut down, to change focus etc, but I always end up back in the same place. Totally my fault! I’m a people-pleaser lol. As I’ve taught so many of you, it’s not a good idea to ignore your instincts and they always surface again if you do!
Not entirely sure what I will do instead – I don’t want to actually retire. I love working, as you know! What I do know is that I will focus on getting rid of this ruddy MCAS/hypersensitivity illness once and for all and then put my focus on something more joyful. I have got an idea for a new Substack newsletter and hopefully a printed magazine I can post to you. I will no doubt have a health section in it, but the focus will not be health.
The reason for telling you now is that December is always quiet anyway and this will give you chance now to order any tests you need, ask me anything, have any progress reviews etc before the clinic closes on 31st December.
I’d love for you to stick with me, continue to follow me wherever I end up. You’re family to me and the biggest reason why it has been so hard to walk away from Purehealth.
So, if you don’t mind, I will send a few messages out to you sometimes to let you know where you can find me/what I’m up to and hopefully we can be together in a different way.
OK, you can stop reading there as that’s the practical, short version! But I did originally write a much more detailed post about my thoughts about instinct, our need to shift our focus away from a fix-it mentality, our need for more joy etc as I know many of you like it when I bear my soul for you! If you’re interested, read on..
Either way, I hope this is au revoir instead of goodbye. Hope to see you somewhere on the other side – maybe here. I’m going to miss this and you, hugely.
Lots of love, M xx
Like A Moth To A Flame
I have been ignoring my instincts for, literally, years and, as I say to so many of you, I must start to listen! As you know, I have multiple food and chemical sensitivity, diagnosed MCAS, which has waxed and waned, but never fully gone for about 25 years now. Notice the timing there – just as I set Purehealth up in 2000!
For the last decade, I have been trying to calm my nervous system down in various ways in a bid to bring a sense of safety back to my body and limbic system – evidenced by the Healing Plan etc. My instinct has been to stop clinic work, talking about food/nutrition/illness all day every day and to do things that are more joyful – and less about food specifically.
By being joyful, we send a message of safety to the nervous system, to the overactive limbic system. We need to do that to stop the hypervigilant protector role in our bodies seeing threat everywhere. The more we question food, chemicals, mould toxins, MCAS or whatever, the more we are constantly teaching our systems that there is a threat. We get stuck in a spiral of hypervigilance, threat, fear and reactivity.
On some levels, I am mighty aware of this, on others I ignore it. If I think about it, I can see how much I have been trying but – let’s face it – largely ignoring this instinct.
Way back in 2015, I chose to move to the sea for a more joyful, expansive environment. In 2018, I tried to lean into my not-going-away instinct to try and balance the illness work out by doing and writing my joyful things. I love colour so I trained in colour analysis. But then shelved it and went back to clinic work. The pull to earn a living and share my clinical know-how is very strong!
In 2020, I returned to Warwick as I missed family, friends and a more vibrant town life. Covid hit. I was very busy for a while supporting Covid patients and my online clinic approach came into its own. And I hardly saw anyone so we spent half of shutdowns in Cornwall anyway! I got worse health-wise again.
I stopped patient work in 2021 to give myself a chance to get better, but I continued the test service, research, writing, daily email communications etc. It certainly helped, but not enough. So, I went back to clinic work.
I tried writing more joyful newsletters – remember Silver White Winters? I LOVED doing that, but I couldn’t get enough subscribers to make it pay so, yet again, I leaned back into clinic work.
In 2022, I moved back to the sea to get back to my joyful place again. I immediately became MUCH less reactive. I should really have taken the hint there and focused on more joyful things, but stopped talking about ill health all day.
The last couple of years, I have tried to become more creative, making floral wreaths and bouquets, free from toiletries, learning different crafts, building our garden, doing lots of interior design work. But the sensitivity started returning. It wasn’t enough.
Last year, I stopped patient work, but for the first time attempted to close the test service as well as I realised that that is where most of my queries and patients come from. Of course. My (fabulous- I thank you!) business model has been set up that people read something I write, book some support or buy a test, buy some supplement or one of my books/factsheets, then maybe need some support to analyse the results/consider their case specifically.
I had an outcry at stopping the tests, I held out for over a month, but got spooked by no money coming in and not being able to help with the emails that still continued. If I’m going to help, I’m going to do it well, you know. I can’t do half measures; it’s not in me! So, I set it all back up again and have been doing that ever since, despite an increasingly loud cry from my inner self to JUST STOP!!
But it’s hard to give up a job you love, earning money and helping when you know you can. Plus, I am a stubborn bugger!
I’ve come up with loads of different more joyful business ideas, even gone as far as creating websites for them. But just not gone ahead. I’m too busy listening to my unsafe, hypervigilant protector parts and keep chickening out!
Little Miss Fix-It
As you know, I have been doing a lot of limbic impairment and identity/trauma healing work over the past few months. I have long worried that I was perpetuating my own – and maybe some of your illnesses – by focusing on avoidance of foods. For good reasons – to calm inflammation, promote healing, stop symptoms etc. I’ve gradually stopped avoidance techniques over the last 10 years and have been encouraging you to calm your systems down instead. I even wrote the Healing Plan to help with this.
Recently, I have been working really hard on the multiple sensitivity, MCAS plans for you. In it, I have set out that I think you have to work on both functional, biochemical approaches nervous system regulation and trauma-healing to really get well. The former, for example, could be: what’s the immune system doing, how do we measure and increase DAO, enzymes, stomach acid, lower cell danger response in mitochondria, the hamp reactions at cell level, histamine, inflammatory cytokines – and loads more? I got quite excited about finding what I think is a pretty unique approach to multiple food and chemical sensitivity, MCAS etc.
But I had a worrying feeling that this was more of the same, really. Telling ourselves something is wrong and perpetuating a threat sense of self in the body and mind. This type of approach takes a lot of money, a lot of time, and a lot of determined thought – thoughts that actually could be making us more unwell. So, I have held it back. It’s been so frustrating not knowing why I was holding back – not like me at all. I thought it was menopause or something! But recently, clarity has arrived (thank goodness!) and some of the jigsaw pieces have been slotting together more.
Essentially, I have realised my trained functional medicine system – tests, supplement, meds etc – is very much a ‘fix-it’ mentality and it is constantly telling us that we are broken, something is wrong, we need to be fixed – it’s a fear and threat-based approach. If we are hypervigilant in some way, we are just not going to get well if we constantly reinforce the threat message, are we?
Anyway, I looked at the forums and approaches to food sensitivity that have worked for people. This put the tin lid on it for me:
Working with a nutritionist is likely adding to your sensitivities. The reaction to the food is in your brain, not your body. I had heavy food sensitivities. I went on the AIP diet to remove inflammatory foods and then reintroduce them when I was in a less sensitive state. I got more and more sensitive because I was telling an overactive limbic system that food was not safe by singling out foods and avoiding them.
Various bits from forums etc
I got over my food sensitivities fast, but I understood that if the reaction is limbic, that meant the food is healthy and safe. It is not harming my body, it is not a reaction to the food. It is a reaction to our perception of the food.
If we know we are going to get a reaction, we will. If we worry we will get one, even if we doubt that we will be ok to eat it, it will activate the threat pathways, not the healthy ones.
This is the knowledge it takes to stop the sensitivities. Working with someone to identify the foods that are reactive, and how or why they are, perpetuates the response….
If you focus on food as a threat you validate the pathways that are firing the responses. If you want to change the brain and body reaction, we have to change. I am healthy, I am safe. This food is nutritious. My body can handle it.
I repeated these things like a mantra ALL DAY LONG. If I had a thought about having a reaction, Why would I? My body is capable, these reactions are all limbic. If I wanted to check ingredients, I would tell myself in my head that it serves no purpose. I can handle what is in this because I am making healthy choices. Cancel those thoughts that drive reactions and reaffirm your ability to move forward with positive and encouraging thought.
If we live in a world of threat we will have threat responses. If we show the NS safety, our world changes.
When you worry about what the food is going to do to you, it is going to feed reactions. Working with someone to identify the threats… Makes them threats.
Listening to my instinct this time tells me this is probably spot on.
Being Braver, And More Joyful
So, now I have accepted that as probably true, I cannot, in all conscience, continue to ‘fix’ me or you. Hence, the clinic, test service etc will close by the end of the year. I’d close it now, to be honest, but that will give you all time to finish up stuff, get test results, download whatever you need and ask me anything you need to before I walk off into the sunset.
Or will I? I’m not sure what I will do next, but it will be something. I have a few ideas, but I’m giving myself space to allow things to present themselves. Whatever it will be , it will be joyful in some way, which is the best way I can help you, I think. We need more joy in our lives if we are to get fully better.
I’d love for you to stick with me, continue to follow me wherever I end up – probably here for now. You’re family to me and the biggest reason why it has been so hard to walk away from Purehealth.
So, if you don’t mind, I will send a few messages out to you sometimes to let you know where you can find me/what I’m up to and hopefully we can be together in a different way. Let’s create something less illness-based and more joyful!
Lots of love, Micki
PS. I will post out more practical stuff, obviously, like where to find practitioners, tests, supplements etc etc but I wanted to get this post out to you asap to give you some notice. Any questions, email me, of course. And if you want to send me nice, kind messages of support, I could honestly do with a few of those too. I feel a bit sick 😉 x
Thank you for your wonderful work all these years to bring health and happiness to so many people
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2025 at 10:27 PM
I so needed to hear that, thank you. Bless your heart xx
Love health happiness and gratitude to you Micki.
Thank you, my lovely x
That was one of the bravest things I’ve ever read Micki. Thanks for all the help you’ve given me during the last seventeen years – now it’s time for you to do you.
Seek, and find joy. It’s out there! xx
Oh Chrissie, that just made me cry! Thank you xx
Dear Micki, I applaud your insight and decision. You model self-care is a significant way. I
Oh I SO needed to hear that, thank you Suzanne! It does indeed feel like a self-care step and I sort of wanted to be a role model for that at the same time. x
Thank you so so much for all of your support, knowledge and kindness through a really scary time for me and I’m sure many others!
This was a beautiful read. The perspective on how fear and threat responses perpetuate reactivity was really interesting. I really resonate with this, now I am in a more manageable state.
I also wanted to express my gratitude, as I found your ‘fix it’ approach to be invaluable during a crisis. So, in essence, thank you for all the approaches, as they all serve a really beneficial purpose. Both short term (‘Fix it’) and long term (calming the limbic system, trauma work ect), both helping us through this journey of learning more about ourselves and our bodies!
Enjoy some well earned feet-up, joyous time, putting you first.
Jada x
Bless you, thank you Jada. I’m so glad I was able to help. Maybe I am moving into a different role-model self care era of helping in some way! I’m very glad you are feeling better. Feet up. I don’t remember how to do that – I shall have to learn, although I doubt it, I still get all excited about everything!
I agree with Jada. I needed both the short-term ‘crisis’ help and the longer-term calming and learning, and you provided both, with understanding, knowledge and humour. I would not be where I am without your help, and it is hugely appreciated. Thank you. I know that good and joyous things await you, just around the corner, and look forward to hearing what they are. Julie x
Ooh me too – can you tell me what they are, lol! Thanks so much. I have been honoured to have been able to help. I guess we all evolve and this is clearly my next me, whoever she turns out to be! x
Oh what a shock but totally understand you need to do something else for yourself – I don’t know how many years I’ve ‘known’ you but it’s a very long time. If only you could train someone to try to fill your very big shoes 😊
Take care Micki, thank you and keep in touch with us all! Karen xx
Sorry for the shock! I suppose I’ve been trying to do it for so long but I do genuinely feel there are more other ‘mes’ about now where there really weren’t even up to about 5 years ago, you know. I have been mentoring and case reviewing for other practitioners for the past 3 years, so have tried. Instead of big shoes I have finally put my big girl pants on! I will keep in touch – I will be on Substack wittering on about other things that I find interesting, I’m sure. Once a writer…https://substack.com/@mickipurehealth. Thanks for your kindness and support xx
Oh Micki, what a huge decision to make, but you have all my admiration for taking this step. You will of course be greatly missed!
At 62, with pension age moving further away, I have felt this conundrum myself, though obviously not in your field of work.
Thanks to you though, I’m in much better shape and moving in the right direction!
I am so grateful, and wish you every happiness and good health, and huge confidence and inspiration in whatever you choose to do! ☀️❤️☀️
Bless you, thanks, that means such a lot xx. It feels right but a huge thing to do. Especially as you all feel like family to me. I have a rather large lump in my throat. But also excited to see where I let myself go next! Keep with me if you can and want to, of course: https://substack.com/@mickipurehealth
Micki, you have provided a wealth of information and wise support to so many people over the years, as well as the testing service and advice around that. I especially appreciate your generosity in making this readily available to everyone, whereas many private practitioners are simply beyond budget for many.
THANK YOU, and God bless you with health and happiness in the next chapter of your life 🥰
Oh thank you, Barbara, that’s so lovely of you x. I really struggled with stopping the test service but it had to be done as it draws me back in every time! Happily, there are now a lot of non-practitioner test services about so I feel I can let go, you know. I shall keep in touch in some way – probably here: https://substack.com/@mickipurehealth. Be well and joyful yourself xx
Thank you Micki for all the useful information over the years. I maybe thought someone would buy your company?
Take care and best wishes for the future ❤️👏👏☺️
Thank you! I did think about selling it. But the brand is me, really, so I didn’t think anyone would want that! x
Sometimes we need to be selfish put ourselves first and forget about others. You doing the right thing I thank you for all your help and info you have shared over the years it has been so valuable and helped me out many times. I totally get when you are talking about intolerances, food issues, ill health all the time the impact on your own recovery is slowed down, halted and even heightened. One bit of info you gave and has stuck with me is you said those people who have reactions to food if you think that you will react to it you probably will, tell yourself instead…..no I will not react to this and likely you will not. All about the mind and over thinking.
Whatever you choose to do enjoy, whether semi retirement, retirement or something else. And hopefully nothing this time to do with health etc. This is now your time. Enjoy and embrace but do keep in touch you have a lot of friends out there snd be nice to see the other side of Micki xxx
Aah, thank you sweetie. You have indeed been with me a looong time, and I have always appreciated it. The other side of Micki – who knows! I am a woman of many parts and interests so much so, I get too interested in everything and find it difficult to just choose lol. Re the reactivity, I guess it is not just about thinking your way out of it – it’s not positive thinking as such, more a rewiring of an overactive limbic threat system that needs to be shown how to calm down. I look forward to seeing your name show up wherever I am x
Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that!!! Although also glad that you are going to be putting yourself first xx
It sounds like the business has been taking a big personal toll on you, and your health and joy are the most important.
Are you handing the business over to anyone?
Sending love and thinking of you. You have helped so many people in their hour of need, myself included. Thank you for being amazing for other people for so long and hope you will have the most wonderful, healthy and peaceful time in your change in direction xxx
Oh bless you, thank you Carolyn. It has been toughest deciding to listen to myself for a change, I must admit. I hope you’ll stay with me over on substack or wherever I end up as I like seeing your name pop up! Handing it over? I did think about it, but I wasn’t sure anyone would be interested in a brand that is so Micki-oriented, you know! Hope you are well yourself? xx
Dear Micki
I am so sad to hear this. You have been amazing and even though I have not been able to afford you so far, I read your writings and they really helped me.
I hope you get to do some really great things for yourself now and heal more.
Will all your writings be taken down?
Good luck and lots of love, Angela
Ah, I’m sorry Angela, but thank you for your understanding. It makes me smile to know people have got help from my witterings over the years – there’s a lot of it, isn’t there?! I am planning to keep it all up as there is a lot of useful stuff there, including the books. I just won’t be updating it all now – it was taking over my life trying to keep up with new info, changing links etc!! Bless your heart for your support. Keep with me if you would like that: https://substack.com/@mickipurehealth xx
And most important of all, thank you!
🙂
Dear Micki, I don’t know whether to sympathise with or congratulate you (the latter I hope) but if you need to be more joyful, there’s one thing you must definitely do next year . . . sing more!
x
Sally
Ha ha! Thanks Sally. Funnily enough, I went to Fowey Christmas market at the weekend and was happily singing along with Acapella Sound choir! They were fab. I would like to come back to choir – part of the reason I have to change the way I am working is so I can do things without getting ruddy ill! Hope you are well and happy – and deffo congrats – thank you x
Hi Micki
Very sad to see you are hanging up your hat – from a purely selfish point of view – but I totally understand It is important to follow our instincts and to live a life filled with joy. I applaud you for your decision.
Are you back in Cornwall?
Best wishes Gilly
Thanks for understanding Gilly. NOT an easy decision. Yes, been back in Cornwall for almost 3 years now – time flies when you’re trying to find a house to live in lol. Which we have. Back in Looe. Hope you are well and happy too x
Congratulations my lovely! Albeit the end of an era, I say ‘congratulations’ because you are worth celebrating.
Purehealth has touched and helped so many lives, mine included, but now sees the start of a new and exciting chapter for YOU.
I’m so happy for you, enjoy this finale, take a bow my friend, soak up all the well earned and deserved applause!
I hope you will find things that bring you joy and good health, and I look forward to keeping in touch with you, and sharing our musings!
PS. I LOVED Silver White Winters – it was ‘so up my street!’
See you on the other side….. 🙂
Aww, thank you Karen, that fair made me gulp. Or glup as I just wrote! That is so kind of you, my lovely. I was so hoping people said they loved silver white winters so I’d have an excuse to do it again lolol. I might rename it and do it anyway! Thanks sweetie x
Hi Micki Sorry to hear you closing, just want you to know that you have helped me and my daughter so much (anisah) it was handy that we could order the test through you especially with Genova diagnostics with your code. I always found doing it through other nutritionists they would charge for a consult and then order the test then charge again for a result session, whereas with you we had the freedom to book the test and then book a result consult if needed. Will miss you. With Genova diagnostics can you only book with a practitioner code? And any other test company? Take care and look after yourself, you’ve gone above and beyond helping people and most of the time for free. Sayeeda xx
Bless you thank you. I am so glad I was able to help and that things are much better. Re tests, I’m working on it but the one lab that used to have a system where you could order without a practitioner has just changed so it is practitioner-only as they send the results to the practitioner for release now – I moaned and cajoled on all your behalfs, of course!! There are some possible solutions and I’m trying to get codes/discounts for those – as well as for lots of other things for you all! I’ll keep you all posted, I promise. Meantime, thank you for your kind words. xx
Hi Micki, You got me back to health and strength many years ago when you had your clinic in Uppermill. Because of your help I became strong enough, physically and mentally, to take stock and realise that my health was top priority. I was about 60 at the time, still needed an income, on my own, burnt out, and just knew that I couldn’t go on after 30 years of working at pressure in a health setting.
My little story may give you hope. Taking a huge leap of faith, which felt like financial suicide, I retired shortly after my sixtieth birthday (1st time!) and didn’t have a clue what I was going to do next, so I decided to give myself six months rest and review how I felt at the end of that time. I fell asleep every time I sat down for the first few months, and then, suddenly I woke up one morning after about 4 months and I felt joy for the first time in years. I had found my equilibrium again. I knew that I still had useful skills that could be used in a different setting and as soon as I had firmly closed the door on the past, new doors began to open right left and centre! I got a second wind and my next career took off and lasted ten more years. I happily retired for the second time aged 70, and was ready then for proper retirement. Eleven years since my 2nd retirement and I am enjoying a more creative and social life, but still fascinated by how health is so interlinked with nutrition, connection with loved ones and power of the mind, so have greatly enjoyed your wonderful ‘ramblings’ over the years. Thank you so much, and all the very best for your future. Your intuition and vast knowledge will get you to your happy place… after a good rest! Love, Mo x
What a lovely story, thank you Mo, and thank you for sharing it. It does indeed make me think I am not going completely nutty then! I bet I am not the only one who is now wondering what was your next career – I’d love to hear more? I can definitely relate to the falling asleep every time you sit down. I think I am exhausted as much as anything. It’s a strange mix of needing rest and being very Tiggery and excited about starting something new – goodness knows what yet though! Thank you for your wise advice, and I was so glad to have been able to help you along all those years ago xx
Hi again Micki. Sorry for long delay in replying to your question about my second wind but I have been away for a week or so.
When I got my mojo back, friends persuaded me to do catering as I loved cooking. So, I started doing small weddings/home parties for adult birthdays and special occasions, which I really enjoyed, but as numbers grew It became difficult operating from a domestic kitchen. However, it was very sociable and great fun while it lasted. Alongside the catering I was asked to devise training sessions for organisations working with brain injury. That kept me busy for a few years. At the same time I was invited to take part in a health research project (taking me back to where my career started!) It lasted nearly eight years, part-time, and gave me the space to do voluntry work at my local Hospice, some writing up of the history of a charity, close to my heart, and enjoy courses as a member of U3A (University of the third age) And, importantly, the time to be a social being again and bring plenty of fun back into my life. I Hope you find a new direction once you are rested – just shoot a lot of arrows and see which ones land!
Mo
x
Ha – that is such good advice, thanks Mo – I do feel like I’m shooting arrows into the ether to see what happens; that makes me feel better about being somewhat indiscriminate! Sounds like you had a lot of fun with your next career choices – people call me the cat whisperer so maybe I should look after cats or something! I shall hang on to this for inspiration: “Time to be a social being again and bring plenty of fun back into my life”. Definitely! Thanks Mo – keep in touch on Substack if you fancy it x
Well done you for following your instincts! Here’s wishing you great joy, health and happiness in whichever direction you yomp along in. Kate x
Yomp along – oh I do so hope it is yompy, thanks Kate xx
Good luck Micki ,I have really enjoyed reading your articles and musings over the years.You were the first person who.made me aware that there was another approach other than supplements and diets ,which I’d reached the end of the road with ,and I am now ,like yourself ,concentrating on my limbic system for my rampant and ever increasing allergies to everything and it’s dog!Take care and thanks a million ,again !Cathy Langan
Oh I so hope it helps for you, Cathy. I can definitely feel mine unrampanting, if there is such a word! I am glad I was able to offer an alternative. Do keep in touch on substack if you can and let me know how you are doing. Who are you doing limbic work with or just by yourself?