Practitioner Spotlight
Meet Dounne Alexander MBE – Spiritual Herbalist, Creator of GRAMMA’S For Life
“All that man needs for health and healing has been provided by God in nature – the challenge of science is to find it.” – Paracelsus
At HealthWest UK, we believe that practitioners bring something particularly valuable to the natural health conversation: experience, perspective and a commitment to the products they choose to use and recommend.
In this Practitioner Spotlight, we meet Dounne Alexander MBE, a Spiritual Herbalist, author, entrepreneur and creator of GRAMMA’S For Life, whose relationship with natural health began not in a classroom, but through the wisdom and traditions passed down by her grandmother.
With more than 30 years of experience, Dounne has developed a business centred around natural foods, traditional remedies and holistic practices for both humans and animals. She describes herself not as a conventional practitioner, but as a Spiritual Herbalist following in her ancestors’ footsteps.
A remarkable beginning and a lifelong connection with nature
Dounne was born in Trinidad as a severely premature baby, with a life expectancy of just one month.
She attributes her survival to the faith, intuition, care and traditional knowledge of her late grandmother, whose understanding of natural foods, traditional remedies and holistic practices left a lasting impression.
That experience became the foundation of Dounne’s lifelong respect for nature and its potential role in supporting health and wellbeing.
It is also the reason behind the name GRAMMA’S – chosen in loving memory of the grandmother who played such an important role in her life.
Having lived in the UK for more than six decades, Dounne’s work has subsequently received 11 national awards, including an MBE from the late Queen Elizabeth for services to the British Food Industry, as well as recognition for her contribution to Complementary & Natural Medicine.
Her ambition extends beyond her own business. Dounne says her goal is to help establish a “fair, balanced & effective” healthcare service that incorporates natural products within the NHS.
“Nature knows best”
Dounne’s philosophy has been strongly influenced by her family history.
She recalls that her great-grandmother lived to 113 years, and reflects on the lifestyles of previous generations, when traditional foods and nature’s provisions were central to everyday life.
For Dounne, this contrast with today’s increasingly chronic health challenges reinforces her belief that there is much to learn from traditional approaches.
“Nature knows best.”
Her approach also comes with an important message about personal responsibility. While Dounne attracts people interested in natural lifestyles, including those seeking alternatives to conventional approaches, she encourages people to do their own research.
A natural approach for people and animals
Dounne’s work extends beyond human wellbeing.
Through GRAMMA’S For Life, she works with products and approaches intended for both humans and animals, which has naturally attracted people interested in incorporating traditional and natural approaches into their lifestyles.
This philosophy aligns with HealthWest UK’s interest in supplying products across the natural health, wellness and animal-health sectors.
Discovering HealthWest UK
Dounne has been working with HealthWest UK for around two years.
Her introduction to the company came following the passing of her previous UK supplier. Having previously sourced colloidal silver, she discovered HealthWest UK and says she was impressed by the quality of the product and the service she received from UK Managing Director Lee Milward.
She particularly highlights Lee’s polite manner, friendliness and willingness to help, alongside the quality of the products.
For Dounne, the relationship goes beyond simply purchasing products.
“Professional yet friendly, easy to talk to and impeccable service.”
That’s how she describes what sets HealthWest UK apart.
Why product quality matters
As someone who manufactures her own products and has worked hard to build a trusted business, Dounne says she is particularly careful about the external products she chooses.
For her, quality and trust are fundamental.
She describes HealthWest UK as providing products that complement the ethos and ethics of her own business, making the relationship a natural fit.
Her view is straightforward: when you are putting your reputation behind a product, you need to have confidence in the supplier as well as the product itself.
Dounne’s experience with Ionic Silver
Of the HealthWest UK products she uses, Ionic Silver 20ppm has become particularly important to Dounne and her customers.
She says her customer base is heavily health-focused and that Ionic Silver forms part of the general health-maintenance advice she provides.
She also describes receiving positive feedback from customers, with some choosing to carry the product with them when out and about.
Dounne has also shared her own experiences using HealthWest products for herself and her animals. These are her personal experiences and observations rather than clinical evidence, and should be understood in that context.
What matters most to Dounne is the confidence that comes from personally knowing and using the products she recommends.
“Using the product ourselves, we not only see, but also experience its benefits and can therefore confidently recommend it to others.”
From HydroCell to IS20+ Ionic Silver + Oxygen
Dounne’s interview also highlights a product that has been part of her experience with HealthWest UK: HydroCell.
For those familiar with the older HydroCell product, HealthWest UK has since updated the product name and now supplies it as: IS20+ Ionic Silver + Oxygen
So, if you have previously known or purchased HydroCell / Ionic Silver with Oxygen, the current HealthWest UK product name is IS20+ Ionic Silver + Oxygen – and IS20+ is currently stocked by HealthWest UK.
This is particularly relevant because when asked what product she would like to see developed in the future, Dounne simply answered: “HydroCell.”
The product she knew as HydroCell therefore has a continuing place within the HealthWest UK range under its current IS20+ name.
A partnership based on shared values
For Dounne, partnering with HealthWest UK is about more than having access to products.
Because she manufactures products herself and has built her business around trust, she says she is selective about the products and suppliers she works with.
Her assessment of the partnership is clear:
“Partnering with HealthWest has provided a product which complements our ethos and ethics.”
That shared emphasis on quality, trust and a natural approach to wellbeing is an important part of why the relationship has continued.
Would Dounne recommend HealthWest UK?
When asked whether she would recommend HealthWest UK products to her clients, Dounne’s answer was unequivocal:
“YES! Our experience over the past 2 years speaks for itself.”
And when asked whether she would recommend the HealthWest UK Practitioner Partnership Programme to other healthcare professionals, her response was equally direct:
“YES! Without a doubt.”
Join the HealthWest UK Practitioner Partnership Programme
HealthWest UK’s Practitioner Partnership Programme is designed for professionals working across natural, complementary and integrative health who are looking for access to quality products and practitioner support.
If you are a Naturopath, Herbalist, Functional or Integrative Health Practitioner, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, Traditional Islamic & Chinese Medicine practitioner, Nutrition professional or another eligible healthcare professional, we’d love to hear from you.
Find out more about becoming a HealthWest UK Practitioner Partner and discover how the programme could complement your professional practice.
Quick Fire Questions
One word to describe HealthWest UK: Professional
Favourite HealthWest UK product: Ionic Silver
Tea or Coffee: Tea
Book or Podcast: Both
Favourite way to relax: Walking
Favourite quote:
“All that man needs for health and healing has been provided by God in nature - the challenge of science is to find it.”— Paracelsus
