fbpx
Book an Appointment
Menu
bottle of herbal medicine and empty bottles, tips on how to take western herbal medicine

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down?

It is important to take your herbal medicine at the prescribed dose - remember it doesn't work if you don't take it. Here's some tips beyond a spoonful of sugar that will help your medicine go down.

And remember, herbal medicine is medicine. It isn't meant to taste or act like a fun soft drink or lollie. Sometimes we'll add a dash of licorice or fennel or cinnamon to improve the taste, but yes - sometimes the mixes are just a bit bitter. If you're not coping well, here's our advice on how to take herbal medicine.


Medicine from the earth tastes like the earth.

If you've been prescribed liquid herbal medicine from your naturopath as part of your treatment plan and you're struggling with the taste, here's some advice on how to take herbal medicine as it can take a bit of getting used.

However sometimes, the herbs just don’t taste good, but they do your body a lot of good. We promise you will get used to the taste after a few days and hopefully when you feel the effects it will be worth knocking back a shot twice a day. Give yourself a little cheers 🥂 as you take them like it's Saturday night and you're out having some fun. But this cheers won't end in headaches and feeling unwell - it will do the exact opposite.

Advice on how to take herbal medicine

Reminder and Routine

  1. Keep the herbs visible in a place you see every day (e.g., kitchen counter, desk etc).
  2. Incorporate taking the herbs into your daily routine (e.g., right after shower or with breakfast).
  3. Set a daily alarm or reminder on your phone - some apps can help with this.

Making them taste better:

  1. Take with a small amount of water or juice (not too much liquid). Fill up the measure shot glass with water, don't try for a long diluted class of bitter - down the hatch in one.
  2. Pear juice sometimes works well with the bitter flavours - orange juice, not so much.
  3. If it's too bitter, start by taking after or between meals until you get used to the taste.
  4. Dilute the herbs in warm water to make a tea-like drink.
  5. Keep your herbs in the fridge, cold herbs sometimes taste better
  6. Consider mixing when soda water! It's like a mocktail!
  7. It's controversial BUT you obviously can blend the liquid herbs into a smoothie with fruits and vegetables - it could make the whole smoothie go terribly wrong, but you could try

Mindset and Approach

  1. Take a few deep breaths before consuming to prepare mentally.
  2. Focus on the health benefits rather than the taste.
  3. Speak to your practitioner if you find it hard
  4. Start with smaller doses and gradually increase to the full amount (always speak to your practitioner first!)

And remember - there are so many ways around the problem of your healthcare - your New Leaf practitioners are here to make our treatments work for what you need - so lets work together to get you feeling better.

crossmenu