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Daily WellnessMay 17, 2022
5 Tips for Creating an Herbal Routine, from Our Expert Herbalists
You often ask us about the best ways to add herbs into daily life – and how to make your herbal practice a routine. Making a commitment to take herbs every day is worth celebrating! It may take patience (as it often does when making lifestyle changes or creating new habits), and there may be days when your routine goes off the rails. But overcoming the challenges is part of the process. Frankly, it’s worth it when you are working to prioritize your health and live your best life. Consistency is key when you’re taking herbs, and so is being realistic about what works best for you.
Here are a few pointers that have helped Alexis Durham, one of our Herbaculture Instructors, and our expert herbalists maintain their own herbal routines:
Try storing your extracts in a location that is already part of your morning routine, like the kitchen or bathroom counter.
1. Start the day off right.
Taking herbs first thing in the morning can help set you up for success the rest of the day. Alexis likes to take liquid herbal extracts, drink a big glass of water and mist her face with rosewater shortly after waking. Then she turns her attention to other activities like yoga, meditation, journaling, and enjoying coffee or tea.
It’s comforting to start the day off on such a positive note. Then you know that no matter what the rest of the day brings, at least you took your herbs that morning!
Placing extracts near your desk or workspaces helps to keep them top of mind for long days and stressful moments.
2. Remind yourself.
It can be easy to get into the day-to-day grind and neglect your herbal routine. But the reality is that herbs work best when you remember to take them! You might find it helpful to set reminders to keep you on track throughout the day. This could be as simple as a calendar alert or a sticky note. It may also be helpful to link taking herbs to another activity.
For example, set a reminder to take your herbs AND go for a short walk or do some stretching mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
Growing herbs on your kitchen counter makes it easy to add them to cooking or teas.
3. Bring herbalism into the kitchen.
Many of your favorite culinary herbs also have a history of use in herbalism. Across the globe, people add herbs and spices to their foods for taste and added health benefits. Liven up a simple dish with flavorful additions such as Turmeric, Rosemary, Garlic, Cayenne, Thyme, Black Pepper or Fennel. In addition to their aromatic compounds, both fresh and dried herbs contain other beneficial phytochemicals.
The flavor of most fresh herbs is less intense than their dried counterparts, so you’ll want to use more when cooking; the general rule of thumb is that 1 teaspoon dried = 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) fresh.
Our Ashwagandha Apricot Cooler is a fan-favorite for warm summer days when you need to kick back and relax.*
4. Make "herbal happy hour" a thing at your house.
Spice up a monotonous afternoon with a tasty herbal beverage! Herbal mocktails are popular and simple ways to add herbs into your daily routine. It’s as easy as adding your favorite extract to sparkling water with a dash of fruit juice or simple syrup made with your favorite fruits or herbs.
Some warm-weather favorites include our Ashwagandha Apricot Cooler and Blueberry-Ginger Lime Soda. In the cooler months, curl up with a Peppermint Spirits Hot Chocolate or Black Elderberry Toddy. Share the herbal love and make these recipes with your friends, family and housemates.
Store your extracts in a “go bag” for easy travel. We love using small cosmetic bags and pencil pouches.
5. Be gentle with yourself - make it easy.
When you’re supporting whole body wellness with your herbal routine, you may feel inclined to try to “fix” everything at once. The human body is complex, with many structures and functions that can be supported with herbs.
To be the most successful in maintaining a routine, try focusing on a couple of areas of your health and well-being. This can also keep you from getting overwhelmed by the vast array of options. We typically advise taking no more than five single extracts or three compound formulas together each day.
Consider changing up your routine every three to six months (with the seasons is a helpful rule of thumb) so that you can vary the systems you’re supporting. You might have one herb that remains a constant companion in your daily life – for Alexis, that’s definitely Lemon Balm.†
What does your herbal routine look like?
Share your experiences, recipes, and herbal journey with us on Facebook or Instagram.
†We always recommend that you follow the advice of your health-care practitioner when taking on any new herbal regimen. They may also have great pointers to help you establish the herbal routine that works best for you.