The Importance of Consistency When Using Herbs | A Holistic Approach to Health
- Mar 6
- 3 min read
When it comes to a holistic approach to health, we need to realize that true healing isn’t a quick fix. We’re often undoing 15+ years of stress, poor eating habits, overuse of medications, chronic inflammation, alcohol and smoking.
Western medicine has also taught us that the symptoms can be masked with medications, but it’s often overlooking the root cause of most (if not all) our issues. That’s where a holistic approach to our health comes in, but it takes time, patience, trust, consistency, and dedication.
The Goal of Herbal Medicine
Herbalism has many approaches, but the practice primarily aims to return the body to a state of homeostasis (aka, balance). Most of us are using medicinal herbs in the kitchen or in skincare products and don’t even know it. The turmeric you add to your curry is highly anti-inflammatory, the coconut oil in your moisturizer is also anti-fungal, and the oats you eat for breakfast have a tonifying effect on the nervous system.
The goal of herbal medicine is to always to get to the root cause of imbalance using mindful, everyday practices that breathe life back into the body. Nutrition, proper hydration, cleansing the body of toxins, and rebalancing the system is all part of the holistic approach to health.
How Herbs Work in The Body
Some herbs work almost immediately, while some take weeks (or even months) to properly integrate into the body to receive its full benefit. It all depends whether you’re dealing with an acute issue (which could be anything from a cold, flu, or bruise) or chronic conditions that take a more integrative approach.
Acute issues (cold, flu, etc)
If you’re fighting a cold or flu, you can take faster-acting herbs like immune stimulants (elderberry, echinacea, garlic, etc) that will kick up your immune response and help support your body recover faster. Or if you’re sleep hasn’t been the best, you can take calming nervines (chamomile, skullcap) and sedative herbs (passionflower) to help calm down your nervous system and welcome a restful nights sleep.
Chronic conditions (autoimmune, arthritis, hypertension, etc)
Chronic conditions are long-lasting health issues that usually last for over a year and inhibit some aspects of your quality of life. Medications are often prescribed for these, but usually only provide temporary relief and don’t get to the root issue.
When it comes to using herbs to address chronic conditions: time, patience, trust, consistency, and dedication is required for long-term success. For example, if you have a hormonal imbalance like PMS or infertility, an herbalist may suggest taking Chaste Tree (vitex agnus-castus). This is a powerful herb that is indicated for the female reproductive system, but often needs to be taken for a minimum of 3-6 months for it to integrate into the body and show lasting improvement.
Consistency is Truly Key
Consistency with herbal remedies is necessary because herbs don’t work fast, they’re not meant to.
They work gradually to nourish, rebuild, and rebalance the entire body, often requiring weeks/months of daily use to show impactful results. Regular usage of herbs ensures a steady, therapeutic dosage for maximum effectiveness and reveals how powerful herbs actually are.
Not only that, but herbs often don’t have severe side effects and implications like most over-the-counter medications do.
Do Your Own Research & Know thy Body
At the end of the day, always do what is best for you. Herbal remedies are highly individual, so get to know your body and pay attention to what your body is receptive to. Don’t get discouraged when you don’t see results immediately (and to be honest, sometimes symptoms may even flare up before they get better). So if you’re new to this journey, seek out an experienced herbalist or healthcare practitioner, read, study, and conduct your own research, it’s truly the most powerful way to heal thyself to take your health into your own hands!
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and not medical advice.
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