Supplements are not Herbalism

Now, before you go sucking your teeth at me for poo-pooing your supplements, hold that thought. Remember that I am an herbalist. Herbs. Plants. Nature. 

You may be thinking, Well, this lady sure is a hypocrite! And I can see how that might seem the case considering I have a place on this website where you can order supplements (Fullscript), have recommended them to clients, and use them myself. However, aside from being an integrative practitioner who believes there is a time and place for many things, there is a difference between supplementing Magnesium (which is challenging to get through diet alone now due to poor- quality growing practices) and popping pill after pill for all your nutritional and herbal needs. 

There are two main reasons (and a third personal vendetta) why I am not a supplement fan:

 1. Lack of quality.

2. They don't fit into a holistic practice. 

3. Personal vendetta: you are a host to the parasitic 'health industry.'

Quality

I'm sure you're aware of the array of supplement companies out there today. Unfortunately, not all supplements are crafted with quality. To be honest, all these powders and capsules look the same. There's no way you'll be able to tell if you're getting what you think you're getting. And are you actually going to be able to tell if it's 'working' or not? You won't know until you shell out the money for a month's worth of a bottle of something which- let's be honest- is probably going to be sitting in the back of your cabinet at some point. Plus, a lot of these supplements are so concentrated that they contain way more of that substance than your body can even absorb at one time! In the end, your body will need to work harder to flush out the excess.

 When we can, instead, include foods which contain that substance, your body will be happier and healthier; it knows what to do with whole foods. Choosing foods with a purpose also helps you be more mindful about what you put in your mouth, rather than mindlessly popping a pill so you don't have to do the work. Focusing on your diet provides more benefits overall, so you'll not only get the supplementation you're looking for, but other necessary vitamins and minerals found in whole foods.

Individual Needs

When it comes to herbs as supplements, there are few times I think they are the right choice. I would say most herbalists, especially clinical herbalists, would rather not rely on supplements instead of our typical mode of administration: teas, tinctures, and powders.

The main reason for this is because herbalists create FORMULATIONS, and most herbalists (good ones, anyway) are going to create different herbal formulas based on the person they're working with. It isn't a one size fits all approach, because that's not how human bodies work. Herbal formulations made just for YOU take into consideration all the other issues going on in your body, and herbs are chosen to address these areas. In my practice, I also choose herbs based on my client's constitution or dosha, so the herbs I choose both support their own personal health condition and their energetics. 

There are times when I do use standardized herbal supplements, for instance when I want to know exactly the strength I am using for something therapeutically, or because I don't make my own capsules (which I could). But when we use real  herbs to support our bodies, as opposed to a supplement which has extracted out a specific phytochemical, we are able to benefit from the synergistic effect of the plant. One leaf contains many phytochemicals, which all work together to enhance the healing.

Our bodies coevolved with plants.

It knows how to use plants to heal itself.

This is both true in science AND folk tradition. 

Personal Issue

You are a consumer. You need help. Companies know that. Hell, health care professionals know that. They will sell you products that sound good but don't work, packages that will magically fix everything in your life if you take their supplement protocol, and have no problem profiting off of you while they sell you snake oil. I have a MAJOR issue with 'holistic' or 'wellness' professionals that do this. If something worked that well for the general public- don't you think it would be widespread!? No one is keeping some special secret formula just for you. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen folks taking a laundry list of supplements daily who are spending hundreds of dollars a month and not seeing results. And yet they're quick to try the next new and cool supplement trending on TikTok.

While there are, undoubtedly, times when supplements have a role to play, I'd like to clear up one thing: 

Supplements are not herbalism

because

capitalism is not part of herbalism. 

Beautiful Tea Blend