Stress is the body’s way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet that challenging situation or emergency with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness. While we don’t want to turn off the stress response, for our health’s sake we don’t want to keep ourselves in a continual state of stress. Problems develop when you become over-stressed and it starts to affect how you cope with day to day living, but don’t despair, natural help is now available.
Everyone reacts to stress differently. Each of us has a different level of pressure and anxiety that we can handle without a negative outcome. Fortunately there are effective herbal remedies and nutrients with an impressive array of credentials to soothe stress, ease anxiety and help you better cope each day.
Cope With StressTulsi is regarded as a sacred plant in Hindu culture, valued for centuries because of its benefits for the mind, body and spirit which may explain its common English name of Holy or Sacred Basil. Modern science and research has provided us with compelling findings, suggesting Sacred Basil possesses great potential in the areas of stress relief and relaxation through its adaptogenic activity. By helping the body function optimally during stressful times, an adaptogen enhances the body’s natural response to emotional and physical stress. This reduces the damaging effects that on-going stress can have on other aspects of your health. Supplementation with Sacred Basil has shown it dramatically reduces cortisol levels (a stress hormone) in turn helping the body cope with stress and improving mental clarity.
Ancient Herb Boosts Energy
Withania somnifera has been clinically used for over 5000 years in the Ayurvedic system of medicine for debility and nervous exhaustion, providing fresh energy and vigour for a body and mind worn out. To support this traditional clinical use, results of pharmacological studies reveal Withania to be a powerful adaptogen (there’s that stress-busting word again!), demonstrated by significant anti-stress activity, increased endurance and improved memory related performance. These actions may explain why Withania is now often referred to as ‘Indian Ginseng’. And for those of you who battle with the low energy that accompanies anaemia caused by low iron levels, Withania can help. Along with iron, Withania increases red blood cell count, haemoglobin and serum iron to keep energy levels at their peak.
Withania somnifera has been clinically used for over 5000 years in the Ayurvedic system of medicine for debility and nervous exhaustion, providing fresh energy and vigour for a body and mind worn out. To support this traditional clinical use, results of pharmacological studies reveal Withania to be a powerful adaptogen (there’s that stress-busting word again!), demonstrated by significant anti-stress activity, increased endurance and improved memory related performance. These actions may explain why Withania is now often referred to as ‘Indian Ginseng’. And for those of you who battle with the low energy that accompanies anaemia caused by low iron levels, Withania can help. Along with iron, Withania increases red blood cell count, haemoglobin and serum iron to keep energy levels at their peak.
Help Your Body Relax
In western herbal medicine St John’s Wort is used primarily for the nervous system, providing long-lasting effects.
In western herbal medicine St John’s Wort is used primarily for the nervous system, providing long-lasting effects.
Helping the body to relax and particularly indicated for anxiety, mild depression and irritability, St John’s Wort is regarded as a sedative and a remedy that nurtures the nervous system, helping to restore normal function to an out of balance system. A dose of between three to four grams per day of a standardised St John’s Wort extract is recommended. If you break out in cold sores at the drop of a hat when stressed, or if you suffer recurrent cold sores, St John’s Wort’s antiviral activity can be useful against the Herpes type virus that causes those unsightly cold sores to appear. Couple that with St John’s Wort’s nerve-strengthening activity and you have a serious remedy to help prevent and treat cold sores bought on by stress. St John’s Wort can affect the way some prescription medicines work, so before supplementing with the herbal remedy, always check with your health care professional for potential interactions with any medicines you might be taking.
While the underlying cause of chronic stress should be examined, herbal medicines like Sacred Basil, Withania and St John’s Wort, along with others like Magnolia and Korean Ginseng are an effective way to both combat and prevent the damaging effects of persistent stress.
Products containing herbal adaptogens are useful during stressful times and preparations that can help ease anxiety are available at your Healthy Life store.
Source: Tracey Hayes, ND
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