Some people swear by natural treatments and herbal supplements and others say they never work for them.
Why is it that these time honored treatments used for centuries by the indigenous and even our old "witches" and "wizards" of old seem to work for some people and not for others?
What's there to know about how to use them so herbs and plants and other treatments are effective?
Here's what I have to say about:
What you need to know about using herbal treatments so they're effective
Quality of The Herbs or Ingredients
So, to me, this is the first thing that needs to be discussed. And, unfortunately, we just assume that whatever herbs or supplements we buy are good. Well, by now you know that I try dozens of supplements and treatments every few weeks. And, I can assure you that the quality of some herbs are not as good as the quality of other ones.
Here's a perfect example. Look at the two pictures below. They are pictures of Moringa Capsules that I have received from 2 different wholesale suppliers.
So, here's the seemingly most obvious issue between the 2. Both bottles say that 2 capsules are a serving. But, one of the brands uses capsules that has 380mg of Moringa powder in each capsule, providing 760mg of Moringa in a 2 capsule serving.
The next brand uses capsules that has 500mg of Moringa Powder in each capsule, thus providing 1000mg of of Moringa in a 2 capsule serving.
So, right off the bat, the second one has almost 33% more Moringa Powder per serving. Based on that fact alone, the second one has many more nutrients for your body!
But, now let's look at the second issue between the two brands of Moringa Capsules.
The first one, the one with only 380mg of powder per capsule is kind of a pale green.
The second one, the one with 500mg of powder per capsule is a deep, rich green color.
Now, knowing what I know, I can tell you that just based on the color variation between the 2, the first one is old and stale and the second one is fresh and full of active nutrients!
So, in this example, not only does the second one give you more nutrients just by having 33% more powder. But, also the quality of the Moringa powder is so much fresher in the second one that I'd venture to say that it probably has about 30-40% more nutrients per milligram.
Without getting out my calculator, I'd suggest that a 2 capsule serving of the second one, the 500mg one, gives probably close to double the nutrients than the first one does.
So, yeah, this would be a HUGE reason why one person could take 2 Moringa Capsules per day and not see much benefit and why a second person could take 2 Moringa Capsules per day and see much vibrance and great benefit!!
Rule #1: Pay close attention to the quality of the herbs and natural treatments you buy as well as to the Nutrition Label. Compare Amounts. Compare supplemental ingredients. For instance, Bioperine (which is nothing more than black pepper extract) is sometimes added to supplements to enhance the absorption of the main herb. So, if you see Bioperine listed as an ingredient, you know the manufacturer is adding things to make their product more effective. They would probably tend to be a better manufacturer and therefore provide better supplements.
Okay, so here's concept #2 you need to be aware of when thinking about how effective your natural remedies can be:
Before I explain this one, let me hit you with something you probably already know. You drink a lot of alcohol one night, get toasted, have fun, dance on tables, the whole 9-yards. You feel like crap the next morning and you need to suck down glass after glass of water along with a few aspirin just to regain your composure.
We've all been there!
But, you're older and hopefully wiser the next time you go out. You hydrate all afternoon. You drink glass after glass of water making sure you're going to the bathroom every so often because you're so hydrated.
Now, you go out that evening and drink the same amount of alcohol. You get toasted, but you maintain your composure. There's no dancing on tables. You might even be straight enough to drive yourself home.
So, what was the difference? All the water in your body before you started pouring in the alcohol.
So, yeah, the second thing to consider when taking herbal supplements is:
What Are You Adding to the Herbal Supplements?
I take a lot of natural supplements. I have to limit myself each day to 5 or 6 because I live this stuff. Hell, somedays I don't really need to eat a meal because I've pumped in so many nutrients. Okay, that's a stretch, but you get my point. Anyway.....
If I take say 5 different supplements a day and some require twice a day servings, that can be easily 10 different servings I take on a given day. But, I can't just get up, drink coffee and dump 2 capsules each of 5 supplements and expect them to be effective. 10 capsules hitting my stomach at once would cause a lot of this to get eaten up by stomach acid, then pumped into my intestines in such a rich composition, I'd only be able to uptake about 20-30% of what passes through. So, I'd be losing a lot of the supplements because they'd be passed right out in my poop.
And, that's the joke in my circle...we gotta make sure we're not just making super healthy poop.
So, what do we do?
Rule #2: We plan on what's the best way to get the most out of our natural supplements. If you're a coffee or hot tea drinker and want to take supplements...PERFECT! Having hot, especially caffeinated, liquids in your belly when you start putting these capsules and powders in is ideal. The hot, caffeinated liquid tends to move the supplements past your stomach acid and into your intestines quicker. The intestines are where things get absorbed. So, this is ideal.
Yeah, drink your morning drink.
But, also, before you just start pumping capsules, plan what you're doing for the day.
Ideally, give yourself about 30 minutes in between servings. And, try to limit yourself to no more than 4 capsules per serving. So, drink your morning drink. Take 2-4 capsules, wait 30 minutes. If you have a second cup, have it in there, then have 2-4 capsules more. 30 minutes later, have any others you have to take for the morning.
And, figure out when is the best time for you to have breakfast. If it's before or with your morning drink, then give more than 30 minutes after eating for that to move through your intestines a bit. Give at least an hour after eating before taking any herbal supplements.
Consider the same approach at the end of the day when you have a second round of supplements to take. And, again, if you have a meal coming down, figure that in somewhere, too.
Tip: If you need to, take a couple of supplements just before lunch or an hour or two after, if that helps with your schedule.
The next topic to consider when trying to determine the effectiveness of herbal supplements is:
How Long Before I See Benefits of Taking Herbal Supplements?
So, yeah, we gotta be fair here. Let's say you were to go to a medical doctor and they give you a prescription. It doesn't matter whether it's for diabetes, an infection, blood thinner, or whatever. Most likely they're going to give you more than 1 pill to take. You're going to have to take the pill or medication over some amount of time. This is usually because it takes time for things to build up in your body to a point where they can be effective.
Herbal supplements are no different. We generally can't just take one dose or serving of a natural supplement and expect to be 100% better in a matter of 60 minutes.
So, how long does it take for supplements to build up and become effective? Well, everyone is different. And, the other things I've covered on this page need to be considered, too. How strong of a serving are you taking? How fresh is it? What else do you have in your body? So, the best general answer I give everyone is "Give it 30 days". If you don't notice an appreciable difference within 1 month's time, don't take it anymore. You've given it a fair chance.
So, Rule 3: Give your herbal supplements time to work. You may go 1 to 2 weeks of your daily herbal regimen and not notice anything. But, perhaps week 3 hits and all of a sudden you feel like a new person. So, again, be fair. Be patient. Just like you would with a prescription.
And, finally, also just like with a prescription, consider the intent you put on the capsules when you take them. For instance, when you take your prescription, you "expect" it to work, right?
Ask yourself: What Do I Expect These Natural Treatments to Do For ME?
I'm not suggesting we do an entire ceremonial ritual with each capsule. But, if you know anything at all about Physics, you know that everything is energy. Our thoughts and intentions are energy. The capsules we're about to put into our body are energy. What we want is energy. Everything is energy.
And, yeah, while we don't have to burn incense over each capsule before we
take it, we SHOULD have a general thought or intention about what we're wanting or "asking" the natural treatment to do for us.
Whether it be weight loss, stronger immunity or whatever, think about the result you're seeking before you mindlessly swallow powdery shit into your body. There's a reason you're doing all this and spending all this money. Intend to get a result....AND GET IT!
Rule #4: Be mindful about what we're expecting from the natural treatments and herbal remedies we're taking. Think about it. Appreciate it. Imagine it.
If it is to be, it will come.