Herbal Powder
When Chinese medicine in a formula are ground into herbal powder, they are easy to carry, take and preserve. Powder is also more economical than by decoction, because generally one bag of herbs supplying one day's consumption by decoction will supply four days of consumption in powder with the same effects. After the herbs have been ground into powder, filter the powder to make sure that it is fine enough for consumption. Here is how to take a formula in powder:
- The first thing you should do is mix up the powder thoroughly either in a jar or a bag to make sure that the powder is properly mixed, because herbal formulas contain different herbs that should be mixed up evenly.
- Put the powder in a cup and pour boiling water into the cup; then stir and drink it warm. If any residue remains at the bottom, repeat the same process and drink it again, so that you don't waste any powder.
- The quantity of powder you should take depends on how much you weigh, because the heavier you are, the more you should take. Assuming that you weigh 140 pounds, you should be taking 6 grams of powder (roughly one-third of the formula weight) each time (increase or decrease 1 gram for each 15 pounds of body weight). Therefore, if you weigh 155 pounds you should take 7 grams each time; if you weigh only 110 pounds, you should take only 4 grams each time, twice daily.
- The process of drinking Chinese herbal powder is similar to drinking instant coffee, except the powder may not dissolve in boiling water as quickly and easily as instant coffee and the powder may not taste as good as coffee. If you don't like the taste of it, you can also put it in empty capsules, which are available in health food stores. Alternatively, you can place the powder on your tongue, hold your breath and wash it down with a cup of warm water. Wash any residue down with another cup of water. This should be done twice daily.
Tablets
Herbal powder can be made into tablets, which is normally done by manufacturers. Tablets have a number of advantages: - they are easiest to take and carry;
- they are slow in absorption and therefore good for chronic and deficient diseases and,
- since some formulas are very drastic in action, when they are taken as tablets, such drastic action can be slowed down.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the quantity of tablets to take each time.
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