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Herbal Medicine: Nature’s
Medicine Chest
There is an old saying in Chinese Medicine, “when food fails,
prescribe herbs.” Food is the first line of defense in Chinese
Medicine, so it is no wonder that many herbal prescriptions contain common
herbs and spices you can find in your kitchen pantry.
However, when food is not enough to correct an imbalance, you can turn to
herbal medicines. There are many ways to use herbal medicine; you can take
prepared honey pills, called patent herbs, powders that are mixed in water,
tinctures and herbal wines and raw teas that are boiled and drunk daily for
a period of time.
Many who have used raw teas usually will remark that they are an
“acquired taste.” This is a nice way of saying that they taste
terrible. The taste is quite different from the herbal teas available at
the market, but the benefit of taking the traditional herbal medicine
usually outweighs having to endure any unpleasant taste.
Many people are curious about taking herbal medicine, but have heard horror
stories about side effects after taking them. It’s important to
understand that herbal medicine can cause undesirable side effects if
prescribed incorrectly. It’s best to see an experienced herbalist
instead of taking an over the counter formulation. When well prepared,
these herbal formulas can be quite helpful, especially if the preparation
has been designed specifically for your own unique constellation of needs.
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