3 Points On Why Herbs Don’t Work.
- No, it’s not the herb’s fault.
It’s social medias fault. It’s every herbal advertisement’s fault. It’s every practitioner that generalizes fault. It’s every blog post & article that claims that X herb is good for Y because they used it and it worked.
Just like every person on this planet is highly unique & individualized in their make up & personality, so is every herb. Each herb on this planet is equally unique in it’s make up, properties & energetic qualities AND how it will work in an individuals body.
Some herbs are warming, stimulating and activating. While other herbs are cooling, astringent & drying.
For example, you come to me with joint pain. You’ve heard about turmeric. You tell me that you tried Turmeric. You tell me Turmeric didn’t work and in fact Turmeric, not only doesn’t work wonders for your joint pain, it actually makes you go to the bathroom… a lot.
You share with me that you have a “fast” digestion (veering towards soft stools & diarrhea). Turmeric’s quality of warming & stimulating energetics is going to “up” your digestive fire even more, creating more bathroom trips for you- which you don’t need.
You also share your diet habits with me. You eat lots of processed foods, stimulants & sweets. Bingo.
You need a joint herb that not only is more cooling & less stimulating than turmeric, you need one that will help “clean out” your joints of toxic build up from your less than perfect diet(another conversation:):)), one that will help to build up mineral content within the joints as well- AND combat chronic inflammation, from that cooling stand point. My herb choice for you would be Nettle. An herb that is not always in the limelight for joints, but does WONDERS for folks with warmer constitutions that need a cleaning out and a cooling “boost”.
Okay, so I’m not expecting you to remember energetics or that Tumeric is warming & Nettle is cooling. BUT, I do want you to remember that you can’t read generalized information about an herb at a healthfood store or an ad, go out and buy it and expect it to work for you. Herbs must be used with educated guidance if they’re to work effectively, more often than not. That’s not to say you won’t luck out once in awhile and find that “magically fit” herb. And I hope that you do. AND, I hope that those of you who have had NO LUCK with herbs, won’t give up in your search for support.
2. What Form Are You Taking?
More often than not folks are taking capsules of herbs. And while there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with encapsulated herbs, you are robbing your body of the deeper medicine, by not TASTING the herb. No, you’re right. Most herbal medicine is not tasty… BUT, there is enormous value in allowing yourself to taste the herb, even just a little bit (before washing it down with water!) so that the flavor of the plant can clearly communicate with your body around what it’s “receiving” and better utilize it. That’s why we have the ability to taste, after all. It’s not solely for enjoyment:) . When we taste something, our taste buds immediately send the message to other parts of our bodies which begin to create enzymes and other chemicals to helps us receive (the food, herb, drink), utilize it to the best of our ability and then send whatever can’t be used on its way. So… powdered herbs, liquid tinctures, teas and syrups… those herbal medicines will always serve you better and may often have a quicker effect on your mind & body. Which brings me to….
3. Be Patient.
Herbal medicine sometimes takes time. Some folks are very sensitive and will have a cup of tea and immediately feel the effects of an herb, while other folks will take the same herbal medicine for weeks with still no real change. Give it time. Herbs are NOT pharmaceuticals. The are holistic in their affects on the body and that often takes longer. My general rule of thumb is to tell my clients to go a full month if not 2 full months of CONSISTENT administration of an herb before deciding if it’s shown a positive shift. It often takes us years for us to wind up with the imbalances we find ourselves in, so we have to keep in mind that sometimes it may take us just as long to fully, holistically bring ourselves back to a healthy balance.
Make sense? Have questions? Totally disagree?? Share your thoughts below. xoA
***Please use all herbs under the guidance of an educated healthcare practitioner especially if you are pregnant, nursing, are taking prescriptive medication or have a serious health imbalance.