HOW TO DETERMINE DOSAGE FOR HERBS
Each of us is different and the right amount of herbs for one person is often too much or too little for someone else. You can decide the right amount of an herb for you by paying attention to the communication your body is always sending you.
The guidelines that I give here come from my experience with NEW BODY PRODUCTS. The principles are the same, whether you use another brand, buy loose generic herbs and capsulate them yourself, or even drink the herbs in a tea. Regardless of the delivery system, you need to ‘listen’ to your body and it will show you how much of an herb you need to take and how often to take it.
The key to the communication with your body is the result that you are trying to create. Are you trying to calm down, end headaches, lessen the symptoms of your menstrual cycle, have regular bowel movements, end impotence – why are you taking the herbs?
Each of us is different and the right amount of herbs for one person is often too much or too little for someone else. You can decide the right amount of an herb for you by paying attention to the communication your body is always sending you.
For most people (140 to 170 lbs), a good place to start is 3 capsules (3 of each capsule if you are using more than one herb or formula). Work on one problem at a time. Once you’ve determined the proper dosage for that, you can start determining the best dosage for another herb.
Stay with 3 capsules daily for at least one week or until there is some change in the symptoms that caused you to use the herbs. If the symptoms abate, drop to 2 capsules. If the symptoms continue to go away then you can drop to 1 capsule. If they don’t go away as quickly as needed (or the symptoms start to come back) go back up to 3 capsules. Your goal is to take the least amount possible while still controlling the condition.
If the symptoms are not effected after a week of 3 capsules daily, move to 4 a day. Continue increasing the dosage until you get consistent lessening of the symptoms at a pace that you want.
For mild, temporary problems (such as a cold or jittery nerves) continue taking the same dosage of the herb for at least a week after all the symptoms have gone away.
For serious, long term problems (such as fibroid tumors or obesity) continue taking the herbs for at least a month after there are no more symptoms. For example, you’ve reached your goal weight with the Par K Slim Pack. Lower your dosage and continue taking the herbs for a month or so. Keep your lifestyle changes in place! They allow you to keep your weight in check with no herbs at all! If your weight goes up again, you can always go back to taking your herbs in ADDITION to your lifestyle changes.
Some conditions will require continued use of the herbs, such as high blood pressure.
There are some exceptions to the guidelines described there, like the fact that Golden Seal and Uva Ursi should be taken for a week or 2 in low dosages and then NOT taken for a week or two. Continue to alternate as described in cases where you need to take these herbs over time to work with your condition.
On the same token, the herb you take for one purpose may be useful for other conditions!
Your own results guide you through the trial and error of finding the best dosage for you. Licorice Root (and the formula ART which uses it) should not be taken if you have Hypertension (High Blood Pressure). Use YUCCA for inflammation instead. Some herbs/formulas require higher dosages when you start with them and their dosage can be lowered as your condition improves. AG-7 is a good example for women, we start them with 3 or 4 capsules, 3 or 4 times daily and over time most women go to 2 to 4 capsules daily at times strategic to their symptoms, for instance - 3 before bed to control night sweats.
If you are working with controlling your blood pressure, your trial and error period with the herbs will require you to take your blood pressure daily with an accurate device - preferably at the same time daily. Keep these initial dosages the same for 2 to 3 days to see the effects of the herbs in your system before you adjust up or down. You must consistently take the herbs and monitor your blood pressure daily to make sure you are getting enough to manage the blood pressure. Take into consideration spurts caused by unusually stressful situations or poor food choices that may distort what the proper dosage should be.
Usually when increasing or decreasing the dosage you want to go up only 1 or 2 capsules, taking time in between to allow the change to be felt and reflected by your body.
If you are ‘trying out’ an herb or formula to see if it works for you, take it consistently and use up an entire bottle as some herbs work over weeks rather than days and I’ve found it takes at least a full bottle to make sure you’ve taken enough, consistently, to evaluate it. There are many different herbs and/or herbal combinations that will work on the same problem. For example, Garlic, Capsicum, Nettle, Burdock, Kelp and Ginger are all herbs that help with regulating the blood pressure. There are more, these are just some of them. While most people will find that Garlic (BP1 and BP2 have garlic as the main ingredient) works for most folks, you may have to experiment with different ones until you find the best one for you.
On the same token, the herb you take for one purpose may be useful for other conditions! For example, say you’re a student who wants to improve their brain function, you might choose Gotu Kola. You also have low energy, so you add Korean Red Ginseng. A little research in the Herbal Reference Guide will show you that GGFC has both herbs and Capsicum, a catalyst which boosts the power of any herb it is used with as well as helping maintain good blood pressure. More bang for the buck simply by investigating which herbs can help with the conditions you need to treat. Need a cleanser and a multivitamin? The Par K Slim Pack can be the very thing for you (without doing the weight loss activities which you may not need) because it has many of the main ingredients from CKLS and 4PG, New Body’s multivitamin! Adjusting the dosage to your needs changes how the herbs work for you – even though they “usually” or for most folks have a different purpose.
How the herbs work for you depend on your dosage and the lifestyle habits you use when you take them. By the way, always drink at least 12 to 16 ounces of water when you take your herbs. If you get a burning or dry or heartburn sensation, chances are you are not drinking enough water when you take your herbs. Especially if you sometimes take lots of herbs all at once, they need plenty of water to melt the vegetable capsules and get to work for you.
Listen to your body, give it what it wants. You’ll thank yourself for it. If you have difficulty finding that starting dosage, give us a call. 626 7972484.
Many herbs work very slowly but quite effectively.
Black Walnut Dosage – Some herbs are slower than others.
Many herbs work very slowly but quite effectively. The handing down of centuries of knowledge of the results achieved by such herbs is how we know things like Foti – tieng helps with longevity; Black Seed is valuable as an anti-oxidant and tonic; or Saw Palmetto Berries strengthen the prostate. Black Walnut kills fungus so let’s use that as an example.
Whether you’re treating toenails that have developed a fungus (black stuff usually under the toenail) or a child that’s picked up ringworm at school, black walnut is an excellent choice for an herbal solution that works, albeit slowly. Take low to medium dosages (1 to 3 capsules, once or twice daily) every day for about a year. Regular pedicures are important to stimulate healthy nail growth. Even after all the symptoms have cleared up, continue to take the herb (probably at a lower dosage) for up to 10% of the time that it’s taken to eliminate the symptoms.
For example, let’s say you have ringworm and after taking 3 Black Walnut twice daily for 10 months , you notice all visible evidence of the condition is gone. Continue at the same or slightly lower dosage (say 2 capsules twice daily) for another month to make sure you get rid of all vestiges of the condition.
AG-7 and an example of how to make an Herb Dosage Plan
AG-7 has a storied history. Named for Mrs. Alzona Goss, co-founder of New Body Products, it happily provides a safe solution to female hormone balancing. No more cramps for those with difficult periods; no more hot flashes for those coming into their legacy of wisdom. Dr. Goss has used his vast knowledge of herbs and the female body with some encouragement from his daughters and wife to come up with the most effective herbs for managing periods and menopause. He put them into one formula, then kick-started them with a healthy dose of capsicum, the herbal catalyst. Interestingly enough, VEGIHEAL suggests 4-PG as a companion regimen with AG-7. Yes, 4-PG is named for Dr. Paul Goss, creator of all the formulas sold by New Body Products (including CKLS). 4-PG contains all the vitamins and minerals.
The most effective dosage for AG-7 with menopause is to begin with high dosages, 3 or 4 capsules, 3 or 4 times daily until all the symptoms are under control. Reduce the dosage gradually until you take as little as possible to keep all the symptoms away. You may find that sometimes you don’t need any at all but that a few before bed will control your night sweats. This is an example of how, once you have all symptoms under control, you decide when to use AG-7 and how many to use. Expect a trial and error period when you take different amounts at different times and eventually develop a routine that keeps your symptoms at bay with a few capsules daily, usually taken at strategic times.
Expect a trial and error period when you take different amounts at different times and eventually develop a routine.
Of course if you make lifestyle changes that help the body manage menopause symptoms -like walking or other aerobic activities, drinking enough water to keep your urine clear (divide your weight by 2 and start with that many ounces daily), and/or regular meditation to help manage stress in addition to prayer or spiritual meditation that may be a part of your life- you can reduce your dosage of AG-7 even more. Every one of us is different, but this process of trial and error with the herbs and incorporating life changing lifestyle choices has the pleasant side effect of helping us lose weight and/or toning up our bodies once our weight is in balance with our physical frame and our very reasonable expectations. Part of that stubborn weight gain around our middles is hormonal, so (especially when paired with CKLS or other Aloe Vera Resin based cleanser) the menopause gut starts to melt away. (Try raw or dried fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts as an excellent addition to this regimen.)
If you’re using AG-7 for a difficult period, your dosage depends on where you are in your cycle. If you are experiencing any symptoms (whether you are having your period or not), start with 3 or 4 capsules, 3 or 4 times daily. Continue until the symptoms are under control then gradually lower the dosage until there are no symptoms. Then, daily, take 1 capsule morning and evening. Once you have had 3 periods with symptoms under control, lower to one capsule daily or every other day as needed. For symptom flare ups, take more as needed to get the symptoms under control again. Then go back to your minimal dosage.
Safe and Effective, the herbs in AG-7 work with your body to create hormonal balance. No history of stroke, heart attack or threats to the reproductive system - Celebrate!