HERBS & HERBALIST

Let’s talk herbs and herbalist!!

Chinese herbs are really the heart and soul of healing in Chinese medicine. Just like our herb room is the heart and soul of our office. You can take herbs several times a day to change an unhealthy or diseased condition and the herbs will make great changes for you.

Herbalists in Chinese Medicine came about through the efforts of one man 5,000 years ago who went through all of China and tasted thousands of plants and contemplated their effect.

The herbalist determined the yin/yang of the plants/herbs. Were they hot or cold? Did they move up into his head or down into his body? Did they dry him out or did they moisten? He could feel if they affected certain organs. From these rudimentary concepts, the idea of how to use herbs to treat health problems developed.

If it was a heat disease, you’d use cool to cold herbs. If it was a damp disease, you’d use damp dissolving herbs or dry herbs. If it was a hot/dry disease, you’d have herbs that cool and moisten.

Always using the herbs to bring balance, yin/yang, just as observed in nature. Notice we always have to deal with those same elements in nature, hot/cold, dry/damp etc…

Herbs are used to regulate or balance the organ/organs being affected by hot/cold, dry/damp, etc. Herbs for the lungs, heart, kidney, liver, spleen, pancreas, bladder, brain, muscles, joints, can be part of the formula.

Chinese herbs are always used in a formula, one herb is never used. A formulation serves a few purposes. Some herbs help to bring a stronger effect on the main problem.

Some herbs are used to create balance, so a formula won’t be too hot, too cold, too drying, etc…Some herbs help with a secondary health problem. There can be as few as two to as many as 28 herbs that make up a formulation.

This alone reduces the possible sensitivities. Where we get into trouble with medicines or buying single herbs is overuse. With a formulation, there is balance. Think Goldilocks – not too cold, not too hot, it’s just right.

Now, we have volumes of research, on herbs and what they do, and how they act on the body. Most importantly we know how safe they are. Herbs that aren’t safe are not on a herbalist and practitioner’s shelf.

Contrary to urban legend, herbs are highly regulated, and there is and are tests done on the herbs to check for fungus, parasites, bacteria, pesticides, or toxic by-products. By the time they are on the shelf and sold, you will get a quality product.

As a result of research, we now know what herbs do from a modern-day standpoint. We know which herbs have anti-bacterial properties, anti-viral properties, anti-parasitic properties, or anti-fungal properties.

We know which herbs boost the immune system or suppress it. We know which herbs regulate certain hormones and which herbs regulate brain chemistry. We know which herbs help clear a bacteria or virus from the upper respiratory system or digestive tract.

Bringing Chinese medicine to modern times is where we are now. At Ali Optimal Wellness we are Herbalist Los Angeles and fortunate to have a 300 herb pharmacy to create a custom formula for your special needs.

We don’t give you a pre-made formula that may or may not help you. At Ali Optimal Wellness we diagnose and then make your formula. It’s like being a mad scientist, meets being a chef, meets being a doctor, meets being a Medical Herbalist in Los Angeles what could be more fun??!!

Ali Optimal Wellness is a Chinese herbs pharmacy Culver City and Medical Herbalist Los Angeles, we made custom made herbs for our customers.