Myth, magic and manipulation!

Over recent days, I have had conversations with so many people about the potential benefits of including herbal preparations in their daily life, but the sad reality is that more than half of them were either skeptical or downright scared to try them. Why? Because they had either read some mis-information on the internet (myth), had tried some herbs from high street retailers before and not got the results they wanted (magic) or, even worse, had been told by a medical professional that "herbs don't work" (manipulation).

So let's dispel some of the myth, magic and manipulation around using herbs to support your health and wellbeing.

Myth: Herbs can replace conventional pharmaceuticals or over-the-counter medications.

Anyone that suggests you can simply stop taking your pills and start sucking herbs instead is misleading you! Herbs have been used for thousands of years and were the original source of most medicine for generations, but that doesn't mean you should think of them as replacements or substitutes for chemically manufactured drugs. It is a fact that many current pharmaceuticals were derived from research into the active constituents and effects of plants on common diseases, but herbs offer so much more than the equivalent of popping a pill.

Think of common herbs, take mint or cinnamon for example, that you have experienced in cooking. I am sure you can still remember the smell and taste of them as well as the heat that cinnamon brings to a dish and the cooling effect that mint can have in a summer drink. Unlike conventional medication, herbs are multi-dimensional and bring their own energetic signatures to any preparation, compared to the pills you have been taking which are mass produced chemicals with the sole aim of targeting and relieving a specific symptom.

So the myth that you can simply replace drugs with herbs is dangerous advice. What you can do, is integrate herbs into your existing medical protocol and, over time, it is likely that your body will strengthen and improve its own capacity to withstand illness and disease, which may ultimately result in being able to reduce reliance on some conventional drugs. Herbs work with your body to support and develop strength and resilience in your systems, whether it be cardiovascular, endocrine, digestive, respiratory, musculoskeletal, urinary, reproductive, nervous or immune system. On the other hand, drugs treat symptoms!

Magic: Herbs will treat symptoms.

One of the biggest reasons people give for not believing in herbal remedies is that they have tried them before and they didn't work. The truth is that they have either not been using the right herbs, have not being adminstering the herbs in the way their body needed, or have been far too impatient and had unrealistic expectations of how the herbs would work and what they would do.

Herbs work in an entirely different way to conventional drugs. They form part of a wider holistic approach to health and wellbeing where the emphasis is on maintaining alignment and balance within the body's systems rather than focusing on a specific symptom when something goes wrong.

• If 10 people go to a doctor with the same symptom, it is likely that the majority of them will be prescribed the same medication. This is because the drug is matched to treating the symptom rather than the root cause of the issue, and is very rarely matched to the specific individual patient.

• If 10 people talk to a herbalist about the same symptom, this will simply be viewed as one indication of an imbalance somewhere in their body. Further exploration will be required to discover where the imbalance lies (and why) and what needs to be corrected in terms of the energetic state of each individual's body tissues. Only then can appropriate herbs be considered, which potentially means that there could be 10 different herbal combinations required - a customised and personalised blend for each of the 10 individuals.

So please stop expecting herbs to work like magic! Instead of focusing on your symptoms and asking questions like "which herb do I use to lower my cholesterol?", consider your symptom as an indicator that your body needs some support. Reframe your question and start asking, "what is out of balance in my body, how is this manifesting through my cholesterol level and which systems need attention to realign and bring me back into balance?"

Manipulation: Herbs don't work!

Herbs are highly regarded in many cultures today and form the foundation of both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), both of which use plant-based remedies to restore health and balance. However, it is a sad reflection that medical practitioners in Western cultures often disregard, or even actively dispute, the potential benefits that herbs can bring to our health and wellbeing.

There is no doubt that research into herbal remedies in currently under-funded, but that doesn't mean the research doesn't exist or that there is no evidential basis for using herbs. All I would ask is that you have an open mind, do your own research and don't blindly accept herbal remedies being dismissed too quickly or easily. Also consider that every time a medication is being prescribed, someone somewhere is benefitting financially from your misfortune. Take control of your own health and wellbeing and don't be manipulated by narrow minded profit driven thinking.

My personal approach is that I now question everything and openly challenge misconceptions and prejudices. This may not make me very popular at my local GP practice, or with the medical profession in general, but I am living breathing proof that herbs can bring huge benefits.