Fwd: herbtime.pdf

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This is a more advanced article on the ITM website that deals with the time

of day herbs are taken.

 

>

>http://www.itmonline.org/pdf/herbtime.pdf

 

The article starts out with an example from acupuncture. The day is divided

into 12 2-hour periods. The effectiveness of acupuncture can vary according

to what time of day it is performed. In most cases it won't matter, but in

a few cases the only way for the acupuncture to be successful is to perform

it at a certain time of the day. Unfortunately some of these times are in

the middle of the night.

 

Basically, the best time to take tonic herbs (Qi tonic, Blood tonic, Yin

tonic, Yang tonic) is on an empty stomach. Certain dispersing herbs are

best taken after one eats. This is a general rule because sometimes - like

in the case of the person being both Qi Deficient and Qi Stagnant - the best

treatment is to give both herbs at the same time.

 

Timing is something that is going to vary quite a bit based on the

uniqueness of the individual situation.

 

A general rule that usually holds true is treat Excess before Deficiency.

This can be especially important in the case of infections because tonic

herbs can feed the pathogens and make them stronger. BUT, there will be a

few cases where both the Excess and the Deficiency will need to be treated

at the same time, and even a few cases where the Deficiency will need to be

treated first. It varies. BTW, Qi Stagnation is classified as an Excess

condition.

 

This article plays down the importance of herbs (and foods) that affect the

direction of energy flow in the body, but this can be very important. Each

meridian (channel) has a proper direction of flow for energy. In the

Stoamach meridian the flow is supposed to be descending. Problems like

burping, nausea, and vomiting can arise when Stomach Qi Rebels (ascends

instead of descends). In cases like this the herbalist will include at

least one herb to encourage Stomach Qi to descend. The proper flow of

energy for the Spleen is ascending. Problems like prolapsed stomach,

prolapsed anus, prolapsed uterus, etc. arise when Spleen Qi Sinks. In these

cases an herb is needed that will cause Spleen Qi to ascend like it should.

BTW, on of the properties of astragalus (in addition to it primarily being a

Qi tonic, somewhat tonic to Blood too) is that it raises Qi. This makes it

a great herb to use when both Qi Deficiency and Spleen Qi Sinking are

present.

 

BTW, Spleen Qi Sinking is classified as a Deficiency disorder. Rebellious

Qi (Qi that rises when it should be descending) is classified as an Excess

condition. This concern with Excess and Deficiency won't mean a lot to

readers new to TCM, but later on when you're fine-tuning treatment in order

to get the very best results, knowing rather a condtion is Deficiency or

Excess will enable you to be more efficient at healing.

 

This article talks about mixing food with herbs diminishing the

effectiveness of some herbs. There are some herbs that actually work better

for some conditions when mixed with food and used in cooking. Cayenne often

is an example of this.

 

Victoria

 

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