<![CDATA[SACRED TRIQUETRA

<![CDATA[SACRED TRIQUETRA - Blog]]>Fri, 03 May 2024 14:31:34 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[I've tried Herbs before, but they didn't do anything for me! Here are 5 reasons WHY!]]>Mon, 30 Aug 2021 21:57:04 GMThttp://sacred-triquetra.org/blog/ive-tried-herbs-before-but-they-didnt-do-anything-for-me-here-are-5-reasons-whyIf you have tried Herbs before, but didn't get the results you were expecting, don't give up hope. There are many reasons why Herbs sometimes don't work, and I'm going to share five of those reasons with you right now!

This episode is available as a blog post, a youtube video, and a podcast. So you can get this information in your favorite format. Please make sure you subscribe so you don't miss out on future episodes.

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If you know of someone who might benefit from this information, please share this episode with them. I would like to help out as many folks as possible with this information, so if you could help me spread the word, that would be awesome.

And if this information has been helpful to you, please consider making a donation by buying me a cup of coffee. There is a link to do that in the description below, and your support is very much appreciated.

The statements made here in this episode have not been evaluated by the FDA. And this is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, recommend, or offer medical treatment. Please check with your healthcare practitioner to see if the options I've outlined in this episode may be suitable for your particular case. Your doctor knows your case. Not only can they give you a proper diagnosis, but they can also tell you if a particular herb may be harmful to you because of other medicine you are taking. My doctor, whenever I talk to her about herbs I am thinking of taking, will generally tell me "it can't hurt to try it". So please check with your doctor.

Five Reasons Why Herbs May Not Work For You

1. Wrong Diagnosis
When self-diagnosing, it's VERY easy to get it wrong. We have all been trained to think of disease like our modern Doctors do -- treat the symptoms. Although there are some Herbs that work with certain symptoms, most Herbs work on the whole body, to create balance.

As an example, I once tried taking Herbs for what I thought was excessive gas and burping. The Herbs didn't help at all. I eventually realized the gas was only a symptom of a larger picture, which turned out to be the systemic inflammation that comes with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Without curing the CAUSE of the disease, nothing would help that gas go away.

So if you are not able to make a correct diagnosis on your own, please check in with your doctor, and let them run some tests or bloodwork on you to determine what is really going on.

2. Wrong Herb
Unfortunately, there is some misinformation out there on the Internet, and some Herbs are recommended that really don't work well for what they claimed. But this again is most likely due to finding the CAUSE of the diseases.

A perfect example of this is Arthritis. Arthritis has many causes -- Uric Acid buildup, degeneration of the cartilage in the joints, autoimmune disorders, etc. You may hear that a particular Herb works great on Arthritis, but if it doesn't work on your particular CAUSE of Arthritis, then you won't see results. As a side note, most Herbs recommended for Arthritis are only pain relieving or anti-inflammatory Herbs, that do not work on the CAUSE of the Arthritis at all, but only work to reduce the symptoms of the arthritis.

3. Contaminated Herbs
Yes, this does happen, and much more frequently than it should. I subscribe to a newsletter from the American Botanical Council that provides an alert when a contaminated Herb has been discovered. Many more alerts started happening after CoVid-19 struck, because people were jumping on the bandwagon to earn big money selling Herbs that boost the Immune System.

There are so many ways Herbs can be contaminated, such as not being dried properly, so the Herbs start to mold. Also some unscrupulous companies will put fillers in their herbal capsules to save money. And those fillers can be absolutely anything. You would be very surprised to learn what kinds of things have been found in contaminated herbs and herbal capsules.

Your Herbs should always be organic. If they are not, then you are just putting more harmful toxins in your body, and your condition will get worse, instead of better. It is important to find a trusted source to buy your Herbs from, and stick with that source. Check out their manufacturing processes. Most legit companies are happy to share their manufacturing processes. If not, then it may not be a good source. or Ask for recommendations from others.

4. Wrong Dosage
Not much explanation needed here. You need to take regular and consistent dosages of the Herbs you have chosen. Yes, sometimes it's difficult to remember to take your pills. But if you don't take them, they can't help you.

Also, it is possible to be recommended a dosage that is too small, or even too big. Yes, taking too much of certain Herbs can also be bad. My favorite herbal book is "Medical Herbalism" by David Hoffman, and he also has information on the website healthy.net. This is a source I trust for dosage information on many popular Herbs.

5. Contradictory Actions
The best way to explain this is by example.
If you are taking herbs to reduce cholesterol, but still eating a high cholesterol diet, then you probably won't see much improvement.

If you are taking herbs to help clear your lungs, but you are still smoking, then you probably won't notice much improvement.

It's not that the herbs aren't doing their job. They are. But you are damaging your body at the same rate the herbs are trying to heal you, so the two opposing actions cancel each other out.

So, I hope this episode has been helpful to you. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know. And thanks so much for joining me today. Blessings and good health to you all!

]]><![CDATA[Modern Medicine considers it "NORMAL" to lose up to 50% of your Kidney Function as you get older! Are you OK with that?]]>Mon, 09 Aug 2021 04:00:00 GMThttp://sacred-triquetra.org/blog/modern-medicine-considers-it-normal-to-lose-up-to-50-of-your-kidney-function-as-you-get-older-are-you-ok-with-thatHi everybody. Today I'm going to talk to you about declining kidney function, and herbs that can help protect, strengthen and cleanse your kidneys.

This episode is available as a blog post, a YouTube video, and a podcast, so you can get this information in your favorite format. Please make sure you subscribe so you don't miss out on future episodes.

If you know of someone who might benefit from this information, please share this episode with them. I'd like to help out as many folks as possible with this information, so if you could help me spread the word, that would be awesome!

If this information is helpful to you, please consider making a donation by buying me a cup of coffee. Your support is very greatly appreciated!

The statements made here in this episode have not been evaluated by the FDA, and this is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, recommend or offer medical treatment. Please check with your healthcare practitioner to see if the options I've outlined in this episode may be suitable for your particular case. Your doctor knows your case. Not only can they give you a proper diagnosis, but they will also tell you if an herb may be harmful to you because of other medicine you are taking. My doctor, whenever I talk to her about herbs I'm thinking of taking, will generally say... it can't hurt to try it. So please check with your doctor.

Kidney function can decline as much as 30% even by the time you reach 50! Around 33 million Americans currently have Kidney Disease, and a very large percentage of additional people don't even know they have it, because symptoms don't usually show up until you are at Stage 3. And by that time, you are already VERY sick!

Kidney Disease, even in early stages, can cause cognitive impairment, such as dementia and delirium. But Kidney Disease also causes changes in motor function, depression, and mood and sleep disturbances! Recent studies have shown Kidney Disease can contribute to bone disorders, such as Osteoporosis. And even though it has been thought for many years that Diabetes can cause Kidney Disease, the opposite has recently been proven - Kidney Disease can cause Diabetes!

What do the Kidneys do?

Kidneys are responsible for filtering ALL of the blood in your body, an amazing 60 times per day! But when they are overloaded with toxins, and get damaged, they are no longer able to perform their job correctly. And the toxins just build up and make us sicker!

Our Kidneys filter out byproducts of metabolism, such as ammonia, urea, uric acid, creatinine; industrial toxins, such as heavy metals; and excess nutrients from food and vitamins that we take, such as salt, Vitamin C, and B Vitamins. Even though the kidneys are very good at purging the toxins from our blood, it may be hard for the kidneys to pass the toxins into the urine, so they start to accumulate and cause damage to the kidneys, or the toxins may be reabsorbed back into your blood!

What do Kidney Toxins do to your body?

Ammonia causes muscle weakness and fatigue. Left untreated, this can affect your brain, causing change in cognitive function, such as confusion, dementia and delirium.

Urea causes extreme fatigue, leg cramps, reduced appetite, headaches, and trouble concentrating.

Uric Acid causes urate crystals to accumulate in your joints, such as with Gout and Osteoarthritis.

Creatinine causes high blood pressure and fluid retention or swelling.

Heavy Metals such as Cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, platinum, and uranium are all nephrotoxic, meaning they cause kidney damage. Cadmium is found in high phosphate fertilizers, used for convention farming of tobacco, soybeans and rice. Mercury is found mostly in silver fillings, and in large or older fish.

New-to-Nature molecules that are damaging to the kidneys include flourinated hydrocarbons, such as Teflon. Another new-to-nature molecule, Glyphosate, is a weed killer commonly used in conventional farming, and in weed killing products used around the home, such as Roundup. Glyphosate can leach into well water that we drink.

NSAIDs, such as Acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, indomethacin, and COX-2 inhibitors have now all been shown to cause kidney damage when used chronically.

Excessive consumption of Salt and Phosphates from processed foods overloads the Kidneys, and impairs their ability to eliminate other toxins.

So... what can be done about this?

Drink more water, at least 6-8 glasses per day! I'm sure you've all heard that one before, and that's because its really important. But on the other hand, you don't want to drink too much water, because that just makes your kidneys work harder to process it all. So try to get that 6-8 glasses per day.
Be more aware of the foods we eat. Reduce consumption of processed foods which are high in salt and phosphorus. Eat organic fruits and vegetables that were not grown in kidney damaging fertilizers.
Consider changing the products we use in and around our homes. Use more natural cleaners, pesticides and weed killers, that do not contain kidney harming chemicals.

Get some help from Herbs!

Beet Root (Beta vulgaris)- Increases blood flow to the kidneys.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)- Ginger increases blood flow to the kidneys, and the rest of your body. Ginger also decreases inflammation and reduces oxidative stress on your kidneys. Ginger has been proven to offer protection to the kidneys from Cadmium.

Grape Seed (Vitis vinifera) - Also reduces oxidative stress on the kidneys, and has been shown to improve GFR (glomerular infiltration rate) and proteinuria.

Corn Silk (Zea mays) - Reduces oxidative stress on the kidneys, offers protection from toxins, and helps to repair kidney function. It has been shown to reduce urea and creatinine levels.

Marshmallow Root (Althaea officinalis) - Marshmallow Root adds mucilage to the urinary system to sooth inflammation, and adds nourishment and protection to mucous membranes. If you have kidney stones, Marshmallow Root will help them pass through your urinary tract. Marshmallow Root actually binds with toxins in the kidneys, to make them easier to flush out in the urine. It is a gentle diuretic Herb, therefore, not as irritating to the kidneys as other diuretic Herbs. But its use should be limited to no more than 3 weeks, with a long break in between uses.

WARNING: If you have received a Kidney Transplant, or are taking immune suppressing drugs for any reason, this Herbal protocol may not be right for you! Please check with your doctor to ask if any of the above mentioned Herbs may be beneficial in addition to your current medical treatment.

Herbs to NOT use for Kidneys!

Juniper Berry (any of the Juniperus species) - Juniper is an excellent Diuretic Herb, but it is also very irritating to the kidneys, and in some ways may make Kidney conditions worse.

Diuretic Herbs - Parsley, Dandelion Leaf, Goldenrod, etc. are usually included in most Kidney Cleansing formulas you see online. These are also diuretic Herbs, and are irritating to the kidneys. If used, they should be limited to only 1 week, with a long break between uses.

My own Personal Experience...

I do take Ginger Root and Grape Seed every day, and I take marshmallow root for about 2-3 weeks out of every 2-3 months. I have noticed a significant reduction in the amount of headaches I get. There had been times in the past when I would experience headaches on a daily basis, but I rarely get them now. And when I do, I know its time to start taking the marshmallow root again.

My blood pressure has also been reduced just a little bit. And I have less pain in my knees and hips now. I don't think it was actually to arthritis stage yet, but maybe just cleared up some minor deposits in my joints. So, yes, lots of benefits to taking proper care of your kidneys, and getting all those toxins flushed out.

If you are interested in learning more about the information I have outlined, I've included links to some articles below that you can check out.

I hope this information has been helpful to you. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know. And thanks so much for joining me today!

Blessings and good health to you all!

This episode is also available as a Podcast. The easiest way to find my Podcast is to search for my name (Sandy Gowland) in your favorite Podcatcher.

Or Click Here to listen to the Podcast on Spotify.

Short History of Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune Disease was first "discovered" in the 1950s, and is a condition in which the body loses its ability to differentiate between Self and non-Self and starts attacking its own tissues. Approximately 5% of the United States population suffers from an Autoimmune Disease. There are currently over 80 Autoimmune Diseases, with some of the most widespread being Addison Disease, Celiac Disease, Dermatomyositis, Graves Disease, Hashimoto Thyroiditis, Multiple Sclerosis, Myasthenia Gravis, Pernicious Anemia, Reactive Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogren Syndrome, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Type I Diabetes.

What Causes Autoimmune Diseases?

Modern medicine believes there are three factors at the root of all Autoimmune Diseases - Genetic Predisposition (heredity), status of Immune System (vitamin deficiency or hormone imbalance), and Environmental Triggers (chemicals, infection, diet and gut dysbiosis).

Alternative Medicine believes there is more to "You are your parents' child" than just genes. After all, you eat the same foods as your parents (processed foods, artificial preservatives and ingredients), and live in the same environment as your parents (mold, lead and other toxins in the house, use of hazardous chemicals and cleaners). So Herbalists tend to view Autoimmune Diseases as an overload of toxins, and in most cases, some kind of infection. And then add a nice size dollop of Stress on top!

Today's Medical Treatments

Modern medicine believes that Autoimmune Diseases are not curable. Therefore, they treat only the symptoms of each disease with drugs such as immunosuppressants, anti-inflammatories, pain killers, disease modifying drugs (for Rheumatoid Arthritis), vitamin or hormone supplements (to correct deficiencies), blood transfusions (for blood related diseases) and physical therapy (for diseases affecting bones, joints or muscles). Studies are taking place regularly to find new DRUGS that work better and have fewer SIDE EFFECTS.

Here is My Story

I am no longer affected by Autoimmune Diseases, and neither is my Husband. How did we do that? With Herbal Supplements. Below is the protocol that worked for us...

Adaptogens - For Stress Relief. Stress causes so many problems in the body, and Adaptogens can reduce your body's stress levels. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and Astragalus (Astragalus propinquus) work really great for this.
Antioxidants - To heal Leaky Gut (Intestinal Permeability), reduce Inflammation, and boost your immune system. Some of our favorites include Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), Pomegranate (Punica granatum), Grape Seed (Vitis vinifera) and Acai Berry (Euterpe oleracea). We also like Garlic (Allium sativum), Onions (Allium cepa) and Apples (Malus domestica). All of these foods help the body to increase Glutathione levels. Glutathione is naturally produced inside your cells, but production slows down after age 40. My Husband and I take capsules with a combination of Antioxidants in them, so we get the benefits of several different Herbs working together.
Prebiotic Fiber - To rebuild healthy bacteria in the Gut. Garlic, Onions and Apples also work great for this.
Immune Modulators - Where the Medical community prescribes Immune Suppressing Drugs, Herbalists substitute Immune Modulating Herbs, which in the beginning of your herbal treatment may help reduce some of your symptoms, such as inflammation and pain. These may not be needed after a short time, as your Immune System repairs itself. Schisandra Berry (Schisandra chinensis) and Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma lingzhi) are great for this.
Choleretics - To increase bile production in the Liver, which helps to wash out toxins and balance hormones. Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale) works great for this.
Alteratives - Sometimes referred to as "blood cleansers", Alteratives actually eliminate waste products of metabolism and help the body assimilate nutrients. Our favorite in this category is Burdock Root (Arctium lappa).
Anti-bacterial, Anti-Viral, Anti-Fungal and Anti-Parasitic - Since most Antioxidants have some of these properties, we didn't need to add anything else in. But if you think you need additional help with an infection, you might want to try adding in Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and/or Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum). True or Ceylon Cinnamon is preferred over Cassia Cinnamon, which is lower quality and can be toxic in larger doses. Ginger works well with Parasitic infections, and Cinnamon works well on Fungal and some Bacterial infections.

That's it? Yes, that's pretty much it! Although some Autoimmune Diseases may require a little extra help, depending on which body systems are being affected by the disease, most conditions will respond well to the same protocol we used above.

How long did it take? Although we were aware of some improvement within the first 2 weeks, it was about 3 months later when we noticed that we felt surprisingly better.

Did we change our diets or anything else? Yes, but very little. We started buying organic fruits and vegetables, whenever possible. We also made an effort to stay away from foods with High Fructose Corn Syrup in them. We did make some minor changes to cleaners and pesticides used in and around our house.

Warning: If you are currently taking Immunosuppressants as part of your current treatment, please be aware that many of the above mentioned herbs contain immune boosting qualities, which would be counterproductive to your current treatment. Please talk to your Doctor to see which herbs would be safe for you to use in conjunction with your current treatment, even if at reduced doses.

Until next time, Blessings and Good Health to all of you!

Click above for the YouTube Video

Click above for the Podcast

]]><![CDATA[There May be Hope for Children with Autism!]]>Fri, 17 Jul 2020 00:22:19 GMThttp://sacred-triquetra.org/blog/there-may-be-hope-for-children-with-autismMy husband and I recently met a couple with two children. The older boy, possibly 10-12 years old, was clearly Autistic. I had not done much research on this condition before, so decided this might be a very good time to learn more. And I was very surprised by what I found!

The statements made on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, prescribe, recommend, or offer medical advice. Please see your health care practitioner for help regarding choices and to avoid herb-drug interactions.

We have done the work for you and searched Amazon.com for what we feel are the best herbs and products. This Blog contains Affiliate Links. If you buy something from one of these links, we will get a very small commission, at no cost to you.

What is Autism?

Autism is often diagnosed based on impairment of social interactions and communication, as well as certain behavior patterns. As many as 2% of children (1 in 45) are diagnosed with Autism. Some are born with it, and some go thru a "regression" where the symptoms start showing up after birth, usually by age two.

First defined in 1943 by Leo Kanner, Autism was immediately labeled as a psychiatric disorder. And unfortunately, this condition is still treated that way even though much research has been published stating that it is actually a medical condition!

The Misconception about Autism

Many studies have been published, establishing Autism as ongoing neuroinflammation, or encephalitis (which means inflammation of the brain). This inflammation can be caused either by an infection, or by an autoimmune reaction.

For more information, please see the following medical paper.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4717322/
This is a summary of several studies about the medical pathology of Autism, and it also includes links to the actual studies.

Second Opinion

My very best friend happens to be a licensed Psychologist. When I talked to her about Autism, she replied that she had tried to treat a young girl with Autism several years ago. But in her sessions with this girl, she felt there was no basis to treat the condition as a psychological condition. And even though her colleagues strongly disagree, she also believes Autism is a medical condition.

Herbal Recommendations for Autism

While there are some wonderful herbs available that could help with infections, brain inflammation, and autoimmune responses, I am hesitant to make a blanket herbal recommendation, for the following reasons...

Herbs chosen would be dependent on the CAUSE of the inflammation. Autoimmune response would be treated differently than an infection. And only a medical doctor can perform the proper testing to determine the cause of the inflammation.
Children are very sensitive to herbs, and sometimes have a poor reaction to them that an adult may not have. If herbs were to be used for this condition, the child would need to be closely monitored for adverse reactions.

Call to Action!

Please help spread the word! If you know of someone with Autism, please pass on this information. Autism is widespread, and could have a much more favorable outcome, leading to a much happier life for the child, and the parents who care for the child.

]]><![CDATA[Making Your Own Herbal Capsules!]]>Fri, 26 Jun 2020 20:30:00 GMThttp://sacred-triquetra.org/blog/making-your-own-herbal-capsulesWhy Make Your Own Capsules?

Because it's cheaper! And because you have more control over what goes into your capsules, by growing or buying your own herbs, and choosing your own herb combinations!

The statements made on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, prescribe, recommend, or offer medical advice. Please see your health care practitioner for help regarding choices, and to avoid herb-drug interactions.

We have done the work for you and searched Amazon.com for what we feel are the best herbs and products. This Blog contains Affiliate Links. If you buy something from one of these links, we will get a very small commission, at no cost to you.

What you need to make Capsules

You will need some kind of capsule filling machine, and some empty capsules.

Both of these items are for size "0" capsules, which hold 500MG on average, and are exactly what I personally use to make all of our capsules. Other sizes of capsules and capsule machines are available on Amazon.

I have tried other brands of empty capsules, and ended up getting alot of cracked and split capsules with other brands. CapsuLine capsules work so much better!

Then you will need your powdered herbs. All of the blog posts I publish will have links to powdered herbs used in that blog post. You can also check out some of my other favorite sources for powdered herbs.

Mountain Rose Herbs is VERY popular. Their herbs are high quality, but their shipping times suffer for it. If you are able to wait 2-3 weeks for your herbs, then they are definitely the preferred seller.

Etsy also has a couple of herb sellers that I have used and had very good luck with.
Mountain Maus Remedies
Sage Hill Botanicals

And I have purchased powdered herbs from Amazon with great success. Please try to buy organic herbs whenever possible, and try to stay away from herbs that come from China, since historically they have the most contaminants in them.

Important Information About Capsule Sizes

Capsuline has this really great chart on their packaging that tells you how much herb you can get in your capsules, based on the weight of the herbs. What does this mean? Some herbs are very light and airy, like Chamomile, Artichoke and Mullein, and they don't pack down well. This means you get less herb in your capsule. Some herbs grind up grainy, like some Seaweeds, which also doesn't pack well, so less in your capsule. For the "0" size capsule, this could mean the difference between 400 MG per capsule and 800 MG per capsule. So please keep this in mind when figuring out your dosages.

NOTE: If you have found an herb that lists dosages as ML of prepared Tincture, then 1 ML = 200 MG of powdered herb in a capsule.

Prepare Your Herbs

The first step is to prepare your herbs. If you are making your capsules with only one single herb, you can skip this step.

If you are combining herbs, then I have found the easiest way to figure out measurement is by using parts. In this tutorial, I am using equal parts of 2 herbs. So it doesn't really matter what you use as your measurement, as long as that same measurement is used for each part. Here, I am using a Tablespoon. So I put into a cup 3 Tablespoons of each herb.

In this case, the two herbs I am using are different colors. So you can clearly see they are not mixed together properly.

Stir them up until you no longer see variations in the colors.

NOTE: These are powders that can poof back up into your face, so stir softly, but thoroughly. You may even want to wear a mask for this process, if your nose is sensitive to the powders. I do get some every once in awhile that make me sneeze. LOL.

Making the Capsules

The empty capsules come in the package put together, but not snapped.

They pull apart very easily.

The Capsule Machine includes all the pieces in the picture below. We will go over them one at a time, as we use them.

The largest piece in the Capsule Machine is the Base. It holds the larger part of the empty capsule.

The thicker of the remaining two plates is the top plate which holds the smaller part of the capsule. You can see that the holes are smaller on the bottom than on the top. This keeps your capsules from falling thru the bottom.

So now we take the capsules apart, put the larger part in the base, and the smaller part in the top plate, until all holes are filled.

Next we put the guard on the Base piece, so the powdered herb doesn't fall over the sides.

Then dump in your powdered herbs.

Use the scraper tool to push the powdered herbs around and into the empty capsules. I use a tapping motion to make sure the powder goes into the capsule. Just scraping it across the top sometimes doesn't work well enough.

Continue scraping and tapping until all the capsules are full and the remainder of the powder is evenly distributed across the top.

Next we use the tamping tool to press and compact the herbs into the capsules. I know it's impossible to tell where the capsules are, but you can just center it as best as you can, and it somehow finds its way into place.

Press down firmly and evenly, as hard as you are able.

Now you have new holes to fill, so grab the scraping tool and scrape and tap more powder into the capsules. Then use the tamping tool to compact everything in again. Repeat as needed.

You will get to a point where the tamping tool just doesn't look like it did much. Then you can move on to the next step. Sometimes it only takes a couple of scrapes and tamps, but other times it takes as many as 10-12 times. It just depends on the herbs you are working with.

Remove the guard that was holding the herbs onto the frame.

Dump the excess powder onto a plate. You can tap the frame lightly to help the powder fall. Tapping it too hard will cause some of the powder to come out of your capsules.

The remaining frame piece that we haven't yet used is the part that holds your capsule tops in when you turn it over. This piece on one side has flat holes (below left), and the other side has slightly curved holes (below right). You want to put the slightly curved holes down toward the other plate that holds the capsule tops.

You will hear a small snap when you put the two plates together.

Now turn the two plates over together and place them on top of the base plate which holds the capsule bottoms.

Press down firmly and evenly until the springs are fully compressed. Please be very careful and do not press harder on one side than the other, as this is generally what causes the capsules to split down the sides.

Remove the top two plates together and flip them over onto your work surface.

The two plates together will hold your capsules firmly in place while you press down on the top of them to seal the capsule together. You will hear them snap when they are sealed properly.

Now you can remove the upper plate so the completed capsules can be easily accessed.

Put the capsules into the container of your choice. I just use ziploc baggies because they don't take up alot of room. LOL.

Then you can take another baggie, or container of your choice, and pour in the leftover mixed herb. You can use this leftover herb when you make your next set of capsules.

I just put the sealed baggie right in with the capsules, so everything is in one place for the next time.

Last but not least, and actually the most important step - MAKE A LABEL! I have forgotten this on occasion, and had to throw out the entire batch because I could not remember what it was. Make sure the label has your recipe on it as well, so you can recreate the same thing next time.

Thanks so much for joining me! I really hope this blog post was helpful to you! If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments below.

If there is a subject you would like to see covered on this blog, please let me know! I am here to help as many people as I can.

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