How to Cook a Chinese Herbal Formula
As is the case with many aspects of traditional Chinese medicine, there are many ways to get results. When it comes to the steeping of raw herbs for medicinal teas, there are many methods that all serve to draw out the therapeutic qualities from the herbs. The following represents a few of the possible methods for cooking your Chinese herbal formula.
This article should be secondary to the advice of your herbalist. He or she can likely answer your questions better than a page on the web since each patient has different needs. However, with the following information you will, at least, be able to ask appropriate questions.
The Kind of Container
The best container is ceramic. Glass is okay. It is important that your tea pot has a lid. Materials to avoid include cast iron or metals. Chinese herbs can interact with these metals casing chemical reactions that can alter the therapeutic qualities of your herbs, or worse yet, have an unhealthy effect on whoever drinks the tea.
Stainless steel is better than the other metals. Teflon coatings are not as good as ceramic coatings.
Water
In ancient times the source of the water used in the tea was an important issue. Some teas required water from a spring, others called for water collecting during a rain. Nowadays, any drinking water is acceptable. The purity and cleanliness of the water you chose is a personal choice.
This is a fascinating concept and one that we at Acupuncture.com will research. Be watching this page for more information on the energetics of different sources of water.
Cooking
Exceptions to the above rules.
When to take your herbs.
- Generally, as a rule, it is best to take your herb tea one hour before eating, on an empty stomach. This provides the best absorption of the ingredients of the herbs.
- If the herbs cause a little stomach upset,
- drink the herb tea one hour after eating, or
- drink some fresh ginger juice before taking the formula if the tea causes nausea, or
- eat some fresh ginger before the formula. Fresh ginger is the sweet little slices of root often served with sushi.
- Tonification formulas are best taken on an empty stomach.
- Shen calming formulas (for insomnia) are best taken two hours before sleeping.
- Formulas treating ailments above the diaphragm, are best taken one hour after eating. the food in the stomach provides the energetics of the herbs a platform from which to rise up to the upper part of the body.
- Formulas treating ailments below the diaphragm are best taken one hour before eating so the energetics can descend unimpeded by contents in the stomach.
- Formulas for heat syndromes can be drunk at room temperature or chilled. If drinking an herb tea at room temperature tastes bad. It should be drunk hot. It is more important to drink the tea, than to add to its function by drinking it cold.
- Formulas for cold syndromes can be drunk warm or hot.
- Mixing herbs with Western pharmaceuticals is not something we can comment on without knowing the specifics of what you're taking and why. It is a personal choice that everyone must make on their own. Generally, it never hurts to get everybody's opinion, including your M.D., and your herbalist to better decide which therapies to mix, and which not to mix.
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