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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Hombre on October 3, 2010, at 0:31:50
I'm going to take a 1-2 week break from my Chinese tonic herb formulas. I've been taking them pretty continuously for about 4 months now. They might be slightly less effective now. I also want to focus more on non-med, non-herb antidepressant methods, such as working out, meditation and eating well.
I will still be taking a couple of herbs for energy, but I'll lay off the codonopsis, astragalus, rehmannia, angelica, atractylodes, etc. in the Chinese formulas so I can see what happens a) during the break and b) when I start taking them again. I may also try my hand at making tonic herbal treats by mixing ground herbs with honey or molasses and maybe nut butter or ground sesame seeds.
Found this great article on tonic herbalism from a Western herbal perspective. It describes the major types of tonic herbs as well as tonic foods.
It's long and well worth talking the time to read:
http://www.planetherbs.com/case-studies/tonic-herb-theory-for-the-western-herbalist.html
Posted by Hombre on October 10, 2010, at 20:55:47
In reply to Taking a Short Break From Tonic Herbs, posted by Hombre on October 3, 2010, at 0:31:50
After taking a week off of the tonic herbs, I decided to try taking the again. To back up, I had started to feel sluggish, a bit tired, and I had put on some weight over the past month or so, maybe 2-3kg.
I started my break from the herbs last weekend. I also started back up with the regular exercise, including swimming, running, and bodyweight strength exercises. The exercise did help in a major way, increasing my energy levels and decreasing any caffeine-induced anxiety. I dropped the morning coffee because I decided it was affecting my energy levels overall.
I was able to shed some water and fat by exercising, but I still felt a bit sluggish and bloated. I started the herbs back up Friday evening. Wow. Saturday morning I had so much energy and a positive mood. My libido, which had started to flag, was back up too. My body looked very lean and the pot belly I'd been cultivating was nearly gone. It's also possible that my digestion was slowing down and food and waste was accumulating in the abdomen.
Spent the whole day Sunday out and about, visiting a museum and going swimming in the evening. My endurance while swimming was great. I could not get winded no matter how hard I tried. Just a week previous, I was breathing hard after doing laps freestyle.
I am also taking 500mg Rhodiola rosea extract in the mornings. To be honest, the Rhodiola was not giving me the mental sharpness and focus it did when I first starting taking it. After increasing my exercise and getting back on the herbs, the rhodiola gives a definite boost. For me, this herbs really speeds up my thinking and sharpens my focus.
I believe it may be good to take a break from tonic herbs, maybe every 2-3 months or so. One week off was enough for me to respond robustly again. More than that, I can feel my meds working as they should. This strengthens my experience that the meds will not work as well if the body itself is out of balance or out of shape. There is no getting around the fundamentals of energy metabolism. For me, the herbs cancel out the side-effects of the meds and improve the *potential* for generating energy if I am eating well and exercising. These three elements, diet, exercise and herbs, form a platform upon which the meds can act. Take one element out, and things can start to slow down, weight starts to accumulate, the mind becomes sluggish and energy and mood start to wane.
The tonic herbs I take focus on improving digestion and raising metabolism, detoxifying, freeing the flow of energy in the body, and supporting hormone balance.
This is the end of the thread.
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