Someone pointed out that I often say, “I shouldn’t be hungry!”
Which, if you think about it, is a very ludicrous thing to say.
This statement points out that I believe that one day I will get to the point where I will no longer feel hunger or need to feed myself.
And I will get to that point someday: when I die.
But for now, I need to eat and I need to eat more than once every couple of weeks because I am not a snake.
And you may be thinking, of course you need to eat, this is silly. But many people have these same kinds of thoughts about taking herbs:
- I just need to take this herbal formula once, right?
- I took the herbs the practitioner gave me but nothing happened. It must not have worked.
- The practitioner gave me herbs and I took them for a couple of days but I got bored, could not remember, did not like the taste, etc and I quit taking them.
- Awhile ago I took an herbal formula; I should never have to take an herbal formula again, should I?
Herbs are food. If you need food to live everyday of your life, it would stand to reason that you could use herbs everyday of your life as well, especially if the quality of life that you are experiencing is not what you want. Herbs are superfoods, packed densely with quality nutrients. When so much food is becoming denatured and void of nutrition, it is important to get it from high quality sources.
I tend to be the kind of person that prefers to eat different things, not the same thing everyday. Different kinds of food provide my body different compounds that it needs. Just the same, different herbs give us different minerals and benefit different acupuncture meridians; so different formulas could be needed as the body’s needs shift and change.
The only way to determine which herbal formula is good for your body at this moment is to notice what is happening and let your practitioner know what you are experiencing. Your practitioner will be able to take your pulses and adjust your formula to give you herbs that will benefit your body where it is right now.
Herbs only work if you take them, just like good food only nourishes us if we eat it. We can think about leafy greens all we want but until we put them in our mouth, we are not getting their nutrients. A practitioner may give us herbs but if we are not taking them they might benefit the container they are in but won’t do us a bit of good.
Herbs, as a general rule, do not stay in the body for long periods of time. If you are not taking your herbs in the recommended dosage and schedule that the practitioner has laid out for you, chances are you won’t notice them doing anything because they have not been able to reach the level in the body that is necessary to effect change.
Herbal formulas may need to be taken for longer than the original amount given. Practitioners tend to give small amounts in the beginning, maybe a weeks worth, to see how an herbal formula works for you. It is important to check back in the time frame that a practitioner determines so that they can monitor how things are going. A formula may be too strong or you may be experiencing issues that could be better served by another formula.
Herbs can be a wonderful compliment to many different wellness and longevity plans. But wait: do you hear that sound? Yup, that is the sound of my stomach growling. I need to go give it some grub with a side of herbs; because I do plan to live a long time!
