adaptogens

Stress Management with Teas

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Traditional Medicinals Teas

Summer season brings to mind frolicking in the sun, days at the beach, vacations, staycations, and…stress…? This year is bringing about more stress than usual if you are remotely paying attention to world events, and I for one am not finding my usual summertime easy cadence. I was just starting to acknowledge this fact to myself and consider if I needed to add some adaptogens or nervines to my daily herbal routine, when I happened to get an email from Traditional Medicinals asking if I would be interested in trying one of their teas, including one for stress. I happily agreed to the stress related one because that tea features skullcap, an herb that is somewhat hard to find in teas and supplements. Skullcap is one of those herbs that other plants can be mistaken for, so it tends to be avoided in formulations, but it has a somewhat unique traditional use as an herb that can calm repeating thoughts. It is a nervine that is generally used for calming purposes, and it can provide added support for those who tend to lie down at night and suddenly get hit with circular thoughts, or those who have OCD related patterns of thinking. (It’s obviously not a cure for anything and if circular or repeating thoughts is a problem for you, please talk to a medical professional about it.)

The tea with skullcap is Stress Ease Tension Relief and has other supportive herbs in it that combine in a pleasant, lightly minty taste. If you drink from a big mug like I tend to do, two tea bags at a time gives a stronger taste and more of a calming feel.

Stress Ease with Skullcap
Organic ingredients

They sent me two other teas in their Stress Ease line which I wasn’t expecting but already I’m taking one of them, Stress Ease Focus, with me to work everyday. It’s a flavor profile I would not have normally bought for myself because I don’t like fruity teas and this one includes apple, but it does not taste fruity at all. It tastes lightly minty and pleasant and I really appreciate the ginseng in this formula for focus and non-caffeinated energy support. It’s actually the adaptogen I was considering adding to my routine before I received these teas so it seems the universe agreed that it’s just what I needed! I like two teabags of this Focus tea as well because my travel mug is large and a stronger taste suits me.

I have to say that I am really impressed with these teas. If you know their legendary herbal tea, Smooth Move, then you know how long this company has been around. When I worked at a natural foods store over 25 years ago, Smooth Move was our best selling tea by far, and I asked Traditional Medicinals if it is still a best selling tea and they confirmed that it is. I see that they now even have capsules of it as well as a couple of different blends, so if you have issues with occasional constipation, you probably already buy this tea, but if not, you might want to have it on hand. One nice thing about tea packets is you can slip a few into your luggage when traveling or stash them in your desk at work and they don’t take up too much room.

Another thing I like about these teas is that all the ingredients, at least in the teas that they sent me, are all certified organic. That is truly rare and is a testament to not only their values but also shows they are a reputable company that has been around a long time. When it comes to herbs, that really is something to keep in mind when making buying choices.

I’ll be leaning on these teas and other stress reduction techniques for the remainder of the summer and beyond. Honestly, in today’s world, it takes a lot to achieve a balanced sense of well-being so do what you can to prioritize finding yours. The world needs you.

Stay well and let me know if you try any Traditional Medicinals Teas.☀️🌿✨

Anti-Anxiety Natural Helpers

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Natural Help for Anxiety through the Holidays and Beyond
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This is the post that has all the same information in it.

5 Ways to Incorporate More Herbs into Your Daily Life

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Herbs host powerful health boosting nutrients. At the very least they all have vitamins, minerals, and fiber that support optimum health. Additionally, each herb has unique affinities for specific areas and/or systems of the body which it supports, and they can contain ingredients that aid digestion, fight viruses, bacteria, and other toxins, boost immunity and even support beauty and healthy aging.  

Herbs can be placed on a continuum from food to medicine, and fall anywhere on it depending on how much is taken, how often, and for how long. For example, let’s look at turmeric. If you drink golden milk once, it’ll probably be a pleasurable food experience with possibly some immediately felt benefits. If you drink it every day, that moves it a bit towards the medicine end of the scale because the opportunity for long-term benefits is there in terms of anti-inflammatory actions, digestive aid, and joint pain. If you have it everyday plus take in turmeric through curries a few times per week, and maybe add in some turmeric supplements, then there is potential for even more pronounced affects which nudges the turmeric even further towards medicine. The more we incorporate herbs into our lives, the more benefits we will notice in our health and wellbeing.

Here are some ways to add these health boosters to your day that can be easily incorporated into what you already do.

  1. Add tinctures, syrups, and/or glycerites to the drinks you already consume. Hot teas, coffee, smoothies, cocktails, juice, all can handle tinctures. For example, if you want to boost immunity you can add elderberry syrup or astragalus tincture to a drink.
  2. Add powdered herbs to your smoothies or other drinks. Smoothies are a great way to incorporate powdered herbs and tinctures both, and you don’t have to choose between them. I always switch my adaptogen mixes every month or two, and add digestive spices to the mixes as well. Powdered tulsi is a great herb to add to tea or coffee. Try 1/2 teaspoon per cup.
  3. Add fresh herbs to your salads and sandwiches. Do you love basil? Use the fresh leaves in your salad or as part of your greens mix on a sandwich. Are you team cilantro? (I know it’s either you love it or hate it and I’m a big fan myself.) Add the fresh leaves to your rice noodle soups or on tacos. When you think of herbs as ‘greens’ you can start to find ways to use them along with your lettuces and spinach.
  4. Add dried or fresh herbs to soups, sauces, stir-fries, etc, including the foods you aren’t making from scratch. Just because you are using canned or frozen food, doesn’t mean you can’t add some thyme and oregano! A bouquet garni is an option for using fresh herbs in soups, or if you are roasting or steaming veggies, add an herb or two along with the salt and pepper.
  5. Drink at least one herbal tea (a tisane) per day. This is easily done with yogi teas or traditional medicinals, or a plethora of other herbal teas companies out there, or you can make your own. I tend to drink a digestive, detox, or relaxation tea in the evenings after dinner. It’s a ritual that settles me down and I usually put a teaspoon of a tincture or glycerite in the cup as well.

When we incorporate herbs into our daily habits, we move closer to holistic health. Ideally, these herbal additions will help prioritize health and taste on a daily level and move us out of thinking in modern medicine terms of ‘take this herb for that problem” which is how many people first approach herbs. (Totally understandable! It’s the paradigm we live in.) Herbs don’t work that way though, or at least that is not how they work best. They are part of a holistic paradigm and it takes time to understand the subtle shift in thinking that is required to make the most of herbs in your life. The effort in exploring that shift is more than worth it though, and quite tasty and pleasurable too!

Herbally Yours,

Kristen🌿

Evening tea and me

Herbs and Essential Oils for Love

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Happy Valentine’s weekend! If you are snowed in and worried about not having a gift yet, my post about making your gifts might come in handy. Love is a full time preoccupation though so this information is hopefully for the long-term, not just on special occasions. This won’t be a NSFW post btw, it’s more of a look at how health affects our love life, especially our mental/emotional health, and what we can do to help ourselves be healthier. I was thinking along these lines for two reasons, the first being that I wanted to recommend an herb to someone who is still a teenager and I knew that particular herb was also recommended for adult men for sexual health, so I had to do a bit of research to see if it would be a problem. (I’ll give more info about that herb in a moment.) The second reason is because I’m starting to do some marketing around my book about essential oil perfumes and the topic of which essential oils are aphrodisiacs often comes up, especially this time of year. (More on that below as well.)

When it comes to herbs, although there are some recommended for aiding sexual pleasure, such as damiana (more specific to women but either gender can get benefits) and Horny Goat Weed, subtle name, I know, this one is more specific to men but again, both genders can benefit from it. The herbs that are going to provide more long-term sexual health are the ones that are going to work deeply on our stress response, anxiety, and hormones. Which herbs do that? The class of herbs that are adaptogens are the ones that will have the most long-lasting health giving affects in terms of sexual health and I’d argue, even love. Adaptogens, such as ashwagandha, eulthero, and rhodiola work on our endocrine system which houses our organs which make and transport hormones. Hormones are involved with our entire body and are responsible for our stress responses. Most people have heard of cortisol, which is the fight or flight stress hormone that is activated more than ever in our modern world, and most have heard of ‘adrenal fatigue’ from too much stress responders firing at all times. Stress plays a huge role in not only our health, but also our relationships. Any bartender can attest to the aphrodisiac affects of lowering stress through having a drink or two, and this is often the go-to way to socialize and date. Taking adaptogenic herbs can help the body have more moderate and healthy stress responses and also recover from stress more quickly, and by stress I mean all kinds, such as physical, mental, emotional, financial, environmental, relationship, and on and on. It’s no wonder we could use some extra herbal support and rely on alcohol as much as we do! I’m not knocking alcohol by the way, but the more we can do for ourselves on a daily basis that has multiple bonus benefits, then we won’t need alcohol quite so much which has multiple negative side effects.

The herb I was talking about above that I questioned if a teen should take is ashwagandha, and the conclusion I came to was yes, teens can take it. (Though if you have a teen with a high libido already, choose a different adaptogen.) This is an herb traditionally used to balance emotions and moods, improve well-being, reduce stress, improve focus and dispel brain fog. It is often also used in men’s ED herbal products and can increase libido. Ashwagandha should be avoided by those with hyperthryoidism. To learn more about adaptogens, I have a free mini-class about them that you can access through the classes tab on the top of the page.

This is getting to be a rather long read so I might make a video as a companion, but in the meantime I’ll just bullet point other herbs to consider:

For women~ Raspberry leaf is overall reproductive health tonic, as is shatavari which roughly translates to “having many husbands”. Damiana was mentioned above, and having the tea of it with cinnamon can be a great way to try it out.

For men~ Saw Palmetto (remember this was the hot herb for prostate cancer for a while) is an overall sexual health tonic. Gingko Biloba can help with ED. Horny Goat Weed has already been mentioned but bears repeating. Pine has traditionally been used to help with low testosterone.

For everyone~ Eleuthero can strengthen the reproductive system and is another adaptogen. Ginseng is only recommended for adults and in Asian countries it often only given to adults over 60. (I’ve also read over the age of 40 so it depends, I assume, on what country we are talking about.) It is known as a libido and energy enhancer but is not to be taken long term nor by those with high blood pressure. Two months on, one month off, is a traditional way to take it, but listen to your body. Cacao is a relaxing mood booster which is often included in aphrodisiac concoctions.

Essential oils:

The focus should be on what relaxes you and makes you feel good. There are some that are traditional aphrodisiacs, but, just as above where the focus is on stress relief, essential oils can aid in relaxation and help fight anxiety which, let’s face it, is often involved in dating and relationships. The more you can take anxiety out of the equation, the more open you are to your intuition, to the other person, and to the reality of what is taking place. If you are operating in a state of stress and anxiety, you are not going to be your authentic self and will instead be either performing in hopes of being chosen, or so focused on being chosen that you hide your true self and ignore red flags. Being relaxed and in a state of authenticity is how to best connect without losing yourself. Essential oils can help you do that by diffusing them or wearing them as perfume, and I mean all the essential oils. Whatever resonates for you will be supportive to you, and will help you show up ready for the connection in front of you and not creating a false storyline due to stress and anxiety. Notice I said supportive, not a cure-all. If you have chronic anxiety or other mental/emotional issues, please seek the advice of a therapist and/or doctor.

Traditional Aphrodisiac essential oils:

Vanilla, although not a true essential oil, has been rated the number one aphrodisiac scent and is also known as a relaxing scent. I use it by making the base of my perfumes either vanilla extract or vanilla oil, and add vanilla absolute to the oil based perfumes. Rose essential oil is known for supporting all kinds of love and heart chakra health. Jasmine is a scent associated with romance, and the spicy essential oils like cinnamon and nutmeg can indeed add spice to your love life.

Thank you for reading and Happy Lunar New Year too!🐂🎆🎇

How to Use Powdered Herbs

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There are many ways to take herbs or use them externally: pills, teas, tinctures, syrups, honeys, oils, extracts, and more. Using powdered herbs is another way to work with herbs and I like to use certain types of herbs this way for several reasons that I’ll discuss below, but first, which classifications of herbs work as powders? I’ve found digestive blends and adaptogens to be especially easy to use when they are ground into powders and often, blended together. Herbs in powdered form means you can use the whole herb with no fillers nor additives, which is sometimes preferable, plus you are not discarding any part of the herb whatsoever so you really do get all the nutrition. With teas and tinctures and other extraction methods you always end up throwing away (or hopefully composting) some of the benefits with the discarded herbs. With powders you get the full benefits of the herbs with nothing else added.

You can make your own powders by using an old coffee grinder and dried herbs, or a food processor, or if you are more patient than I am, a mortar and pestle. You can also buy herbal powders, but if you are interested in using herbs from your own backyard, simply pick them, dry them, pick a method above for grinding them into powder, then store them in a clean glass container with a tight fitting lid. I generally use 1/2 teaspoon at a time in a warm beverage, and anywhere from 1/2 t to 2.5 teaspoons in smoothies. I use less for the kids (up to 1.5 teaspoons in a smoothie) and have worked my way up to the bigger amounts through the day. I also sometimes add powdered herbs to yogurt and/or granola.

When you take a powdered herb you get the fiber as well as all the vitamins, minerals, and other properties of the herb, so if you add to much to your daily diet too soon, the fiber can cause digestive problems. Also, not all adaptogenic herbs are suitable for kids. A couple of common adaptogens that are suitable for kids are astragalus and tulsi. Ginseng is one adaptogen that is definitely not for people who are pre-pubescent or currently going through puberty, and ashwagandha is also one to use long-term only after puberty, although it can be utilized for short term use on kids.

The reason I like digestive blends and adaptogens in powder form so much is because they are so easy to add to the daily smoothies I make for my sons and myself. The digestive blend I make helps the digestive system to work properly, and it also is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, so it’s a potent dose of nutrition without any fillers (like a gel capsule) nor any additives like an alcohol base. The body doesn’t have to work as hard to get the benefits of the herbs since they are free and clean and already in a tiny form. The adaptogens are also herbs I use daily for both the kids and myself and they go right into our smoothies too. I continue to use adaptogens  all day long in my coffee and teas. The warm drinks make a great delivery system and I like beefing up my drinks with potent herbs. Powdered herbs can even be added to matcha, which really is a powdered herb itself. I know I’m very late to the matcha craze and that is because I already drink a lot of coffee and teas throughout the day so I didn’t have a burning desire to add another tea to my life, but oh my goodness, if you haven’t tried it, try it, at least once. It’s so darn good and so full of health promoting properties that I think I’ve found a new love in my life. The place I feel it most is in my eyes (which I realize may sound strange) and in this article on organicfacts.net it verifies that one of the health benefits is for the eyes, plus it gives a nice overview of all the health promoting properties of matcha. I can seriously feel it benefiting my eyes, just like I can literally feel sweet potatoes benefiting my skin. (Is that odd? It’s kind of a tingling sensation. Anyone else??) I’m especially excited about matcha because it’s a powder and I intend to add tulsi powder to my matcha teas which is a powerful adaptogenic herb with so many beautiful benefits and is so revered that it’s also known as Holy Basil. Here’s just a few of the traditional attributes of tulsi:

  • Calming to the nervous system
  • Healing to digestive and respiratory systems
  • Protective to cardiovascular system
  • Potent anti-inflammatory and anti-aging
  • Prevents hypoglycemia and migraines
  • Lowers cholesterol levels
  • Repairs skin damage and eases fevers

Plus I just love the grassy taste of it. Usually I use blends of adaptogens, but tulsi is one that I like to put a half teaspoon of alone in my coffee and tea.

You can also turn herbal powders into pills if you wish. There are capsules you can buy, often found in the bulk sections of natural food stores but if not, definitely online. You can also add honey, ghee, agave nectar, or maple syrup to your powdered herbs and mix it all together to form a paste. Make balls with the concoction, let them harden up a bit in the refrigerator, then add them to hot drinks or pop them in your mouth like a lozenge that you somewhat chew on and somewhat just let melt. Don’t swallow these~ they will not go down smoothly. Here’s a quick video on how to do this:

Thank you for reading and please share with anyone looking to incorporate more herbs into their life.

 

Online Courses and Immune Supporting Herbs

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I hope everyone is staying well as the cold and flu season kicks in. I’ve increased my astragalus intake and echinacea is on my list to buy to have on hand, just in case. Astragalus is an adaptogenic herb that is best known for its immune boosting properties. It is the kind of herb that works best long-term, so taken in smallish amounts over the course of the winter months for example, or anytime of year where you find yourself fighting a disease, bacteria, or virus. It is safe for kids too and can be found in kids’ formulas. Echinacea on the other hand is not for long term use. It is best used when you feel yourself getting sick with a cold or flu, and helping you to fight it for the duration of the cold/flu, but then you stop taking it when you have recovered. Using astragalus in a larger amount than the maintenance protocol can also help you during a viral or bacterial situation, but that is not traditionally its best use. Another immune boosting option is a medicinal mushroom such as reishi. I’m going to make a crystal ball prediction that medicinal mushrooms will be the next group of herbs to climb the trendiness ladder which the adaptogens currently dominate. I see they are already increasing in popularity lately as people search for immune support through cold and flu season, as well as for support through serious illnesses such as cancer. These mushrooms just might be my next mini-course.

Speaking of my courses, I wanted to give everyone a head’s up that this is the last week that my online courses will be completely free. I am still working out how to best get the ingredients for the classes out to students so the courses will soon include an option to purchase kits with the classes so people don’t have to go searching for the herbs, essential oils, and other ingredients. All the materials will instead arrive at their door and the classes will truly be hands-on and time-friendly then. In the meantime, you can go through the classes for free with all the information presented first, then (usually) a demo video after the information. I say usually because the adaptogens mini-course is purely informational at this point, though that might change in the future. The courses do include links so you can order the ingredients as you go through them, but I want to make kits readily available so you aren’t buying more than you need and everything comes at one time. So far I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback on the courses and been able to make some improvements thanks to the many comments. The most popular course so far has been How to Make Natural Perfumes with Essential Oils and it was actually the first one I made. It covers the basics of essential oils vs. fragrances and how essential oils are made, how to blend for scent and/or emotional and mental support, and how to actually make alcohol or oil based perfume and solid perfume, and more. The adaptogens one was next because as popular as adaptogenic herbs have become, there still seems to be a lot of confusion on them. The mini-course covers why adaptogens are so popular now (hint~ it has to do with chronic stress in the modern age), what systems in the body are effected directly and indirectly, and five popular adaptogens with their traditional uses. The Art and Craft of Herbalism is the latest one I finished (I’m working on more to be released soon!) and has recipes and instructions on how to make herbal concoctions at home, including infusions, extracts, oils, syrups, and more. It’s a real DIYer’s herbal handbook.

Here are the promos for each course:

How to Make Natural Perfumes with Essential Oils:

Adaptogens:

The Art and Craft of Herbalism:

Take care of yourselves in every single way that fills you up. Keep in mind self-care should include mind, body, and spirit. Please share this with anyone who might be interested, and if you haven’t already, please subscribe for weekly wellness delivered to your inbox.

Herbs and Essential Oils for High Blood Pressure

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High blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, is extremely common, and it’s no surprise considering this is one health issue where stress and anxiety can have immediate, measurable affects on a diagnostic reading. This is also a health issue that tends to build, with warning signs well in advance of having a situation that requires medication, which makes it an ideal sort of issue to tend to with herbs and other natural remedies such as diet and exercise, when there are warning signs in the very beginnings of impending imbalance. Warning signs can be occasional higher than normal blood pressure readings, aging with a family history of hypertension, a new life situation that involves a lot of stress, or habits that can lead to hypertension such as smoking. This is the time when herbs work best, when there is an imbalance beginning and the gentle nudges of herbs can help correct the situation if diet, exercise, and overall lifestyle are also supportive. If you are already at a point where you are on pharmaceuticals for any issue, including hypertension, then the herbs can still help, but it will take longer and you will have to be very careful and very communicative with your doctor. Don’t go off your medicines without consulting your doctor, and if your doctor doesn’t want you to supplement with herbs, you might need to get the support of a naturopath, TCM practitioner, or clinical herbalist to talk with your doc. (Or get a new doctor who is curious and open-minded enough to explore all options that might be best for his/her patients.) I must say that I’ve generally found the physicians in my life quite open to whatever health issue I wanted to explore through natural means, but not everyone has been so lucky.

Herbal allies~ Our old familiar friends, adaptogens, can support optimal health concerning blood pressure as well as many other things. To learn more about adaptogens and their many beneficial attributes, check out my free mini-course about them. This is a class of herbs that you take small amounts of for a long period of time, so this is not a quick fix, but instead a deep, fundamental shift toward healing and balancing. Adaptogens have both the ability to adapt to what a person needs and therefore are known to ‘not cause harm’, and also the ability to help the person adapt to stress of all kinds~ environmental, emotional, physical, mental, etc. The name pretty much says it all. Specific adaptogens that are especially good choices for regulating blood pressure according to David Winston and Steven Maimes are: tulsi (holy basil), astragalus, cordyceps, reishi, and jiaogulan. And just fyi, all those except for astragalus are also adaptogens that can help lower cholesterol. Astragalus is a great immune booster though and is traditionally viewed as an overall cardio-protective herb, so any of these herbs would be great additions to a daily health regimen. Another adaptogen that have a normalizing affect on blood pressure is schisandra which can help raise blood pressure when it is too low as well as lower high blood pressure.

Adaptogen mix
Tulsi in coffe~ yum!

One familiar herb that can help hypertension is hibiscus. Drinking two or three cups of high quality hibiscus tea, either warm or iced, can have a lowering effect on blood pressure. Garlic is another old favorite herb that can help with blood pressure as well as many other things such as lowering cholesterol, warding off bacteria, fighting fungal infections, and it is high in antioxidants. Including fresh or cooked garlic in meals is the best way to take in this medicinal superfood, but there are capsules for those who can’t quite fit a few garlic cloves into their meals on a daily basis.

Hawthorn berry is the classic Western tradition cardio-tonic herb. It is an herb that is taken for general cardiovascular health, including all heart specific issues, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It has also been traditionally used for anxiety and sleep disorders. It has always been very well regarded and often used in Europe, and that remains the case, although the leaves and flowers have grown in popularity and are now included in herbal supplements, along with the berries, as in this supplement by Gaia Herbs. Hawthorn and hibiscus are combined in this tea if you are looking for a way to get both into your system at the same time. Hawthorn is a potent herb that should not be taken lightly for heart related ailments, especially if on any pharmaceutical drugs. Talk with your naturopath or other natural health advisor to see if this is a good herb for you.

A tea blend for lowering blood pressure from the Western Tradition by David Hoffman is the following: 2 parts Hawthorn berries, 2 parts Lime blossom, 2 parts Yarrow, and 1 part Mistletoe. The tea should be drunk three times a day, and can be modified for the specific person. For example, if it’s night time, valerian might be helpful for sleeping, or if anxiety during the day is a problem, you can add skullcap.

If you want to add essential oils into the healing mix, Valerie Ann Worwood sites four specifically for lowering blood pressure. They are: clary sage, hyssop, lavender, and marjoram. You can diffuse these in a room, make a room spray any combination of the four, wear them in an alcohol or oil based perfume, or add them to a bath.

Diffusers
Base oil in first
Add essential oils
Alcohol based perfumes

Don’t forget the healing power of getting out into nature, doing physical activities you sincerely enjoy, and relieving stress in any healthy way that resonates with you. As always, please share with anyone who might benefit from it, and subscribe for weekly posts similar to this one. Best health to you and yours!

Adaptogens Mini-Course

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To be considered an adaptogen an herb must have the quality of not causing harm. Adaptogens are said to have plant intelligence in the way they support what each individual needs. To learn more about this quality, click the play button on the video below, and to learn more about adaptogens in general, check out my mini-course:

https://botanical-alchemy-and-apothecary.teachable.com/p/adaptogens

Thank you! Be well and please subscribe for weekly posts about herbs, natural health, and green beauty, and please share with anyone who might benefit from this mini-course.

 

Sleep Help

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It feels funny to write about natural sleep aids because that’s the last thing on my mind right now. I just got back from South Carolina and thought the jet lag was causing me to be so fatigued but then my nose started running, my throat started hurting, and a headache joined in the party. I wasn’t too surprised because my husband is so sick he had to get antibiotics on our trip so the germs were in the air, and I didn’t have my arsenal of essential oils, herbs, and homeopathy along with me. For the record, I took Boiron’s oscillococcinum for two days (three doses per day) and have also been taking Herb Pharm’s Rapid Immune Boost plus some extra vitamin C. I’m also making up a batch of kitchari as I type this. Is it just me or do these colds and flues get worse every single year?

But, like so many people, I do have sleep issues from time to time, and have many friends who suffer from insomnia on a regular basis. We’ve all heard the advice of going to bed at the same time every night, only using the bedroom for sleeping, not watching TV right before sleep, avoiding caffeine in the evening, etc, but those efforts can be enhanced with herbs, essential oils, and other natural supplements. It’s important to look at what exactly the sleep issue is, whether it’s falling asleep, waking in the night and having trouble going back to sleep, or simply not feeling rested in the morning with no clear understanding of why. If there is an underlying medical reason, such as sleep apnea or prescription medication, then a doctor needs to help, so be sure to discuss sleep at a doctor visit even if it seems unrelated. Here are some things to try for general sleep problems.

First of all, take your calcium/magnesium supplement at night. Vitamins are best taken right after breakfast, but minerals, especially cal/mag, should be taken right before bedtime because they aid muscle relaxation and sleep, which is why they can be found in many sleep formulas that combine herbs and minerals. One of my herbal teachers said that in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), calcium and magnesium are the first things given to patients seeking help for their sleep.

Adaptogens help regulate sleep just as they help regulate energy throughout the day. Ashwagandha is the adaptogenic herb most commonly used in sleep preparations that help with sleeping through the night. It is not necessarily an herb to help you relax like nervines, Kava, Passionflower, or Valerian, (more about those below), but it will help with overall energy levels being regulated correctly with sustained energy throughout the day, and deep sleep throughout the night. Adaptogens in general help regulate the adrenal system and therefore hormones, and also aid in easing stress, depression, and anxiety, all of which can cause sleep problems. Tulsi is my personal favorite adaptogen right now and I’ve been taking it by putting a 1/2 teaspoon in my cup of coffee. I also put a combination of adaptogens in my breakfast smoothie, but I like the grassy taste of the Tulsi so much that I take it separately.

For help with relaxing before bedtime, nervines are the class of herbs that assist with body and mind relaxation. Skullcap can help turn off racing and repetitive thoughts, while Valerian is the most sedative of the group. Passionflower and Hops are good relaxers as well, and Kava is known to not only relax but to also impart feelings of euphoria. There are plenty of bedtime teas, tinctures, and pills with mixtures of these herbs, so finding the right herb or herbal combination for you can be looked at as an experimental challenge. If one herb or combination leaves you feeling cloudy or sleepy in the morning, try something a little less sedative and more regulating, such as an adaptogen based supplement.

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Fun herbal sleep fact~ Mugwort has traditionally been used to increase the vividness of dreams, and even can help with lucid dreaming. Taking it as a tea before bed, burning it as an incense, or making Mugwort pillows are all ways that the herb has been used for enhanced dreaming. (Please don’t fall asleep with anything actively burning.)

Melatonin should not leave anyone feeling ‘foggy’ in the morning because it really just helps one fall asleep, not stay asleep. It helps with jet lag as well and is most effective in a liquid or lozenge form. In fact, any time you can bypass your digestive system by taking any supplement in a liquid or sublingual form of any sort, the more likely you are to get all the benefits of the supplement, because most of us do not have digestive systems in optimal condition, plus those systems are often already busy with meals and such. This is one reason why herbal products are so commonly made in tea and extract forms. Melatonin is not an herb, but it is the same idea.

GABA can help relax the mind before bed if anxiety is causing sleeplessness. It is sometimes found in sleep supplements that have combinations of herbs and other helpful ingredients such as Utzzz’s Stay Asleep formula.

Working from the outside, essential oils can be a big help in relaxing the mind and preparing the body for a restful sleep. Lavender is the most used essential oil and it has relaxing qualities, but it is not the only relaxing essential oil by a long shot. Any herb that is traditionally used for its sedative qualities, such as Chamomile or Hops, will also have those qualities in the essential oil. Neroli has strong anti-anxiety qualities, so much so that the blossoms used to be in bridal bouquets for that very reason. The various wood essential oils, such as Cedar and Sandalwood are grounding, which is a good thing for sleep time. Aura Cacia has nice blends to help you relax, such as Pillow Potion and Tranquility. You can drop a couple of drops of essential oil on your pillow or if you bathe or shower at night, drop about 7 drops of essential oils into the bath or fling a few drops to the back of your shower wall. If you have a diffuser, adding a few drops of essential oil in your bedroom before bed works wonders.

You can also make an oil to rub on your body before bed, or it could be used in a bath 772A2685-3271-4BC2-8E93-7643A6C44649[1]instead of the straight essential oils. Rubbing perfumed oil on your body after a bath or shower is the best time to seal in moisture and get the most from the scents used. Relaxing essential oils can also be made into a body and/or room spray for a lighter touch to the scenting.

There is no reason to suffer through sleep problems without looking at all the natural options out there. Take care of your sleep, just as you take care of your diet and exercise, for optimal health and wellness. Sweet Dreams and please subscribe for weekly posts about herbs, natural health, and green beauty, and please share with anyone who might benefit from this article.

 

New Supplements for Self Love

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s falls on ‘Wellness Wednesday’ this year, so this is a great day to think about showing yourself some love. The #NewHopeBloggerBox happens to be full of supplements this time around that can definitely improve your health and beauty, and even your breath! Valentine’s isn’t supposed to be only about self-love after all. So let’s start there~

At first I thought this package from Lively Up Your Breath was gum, but it is actually a capsule full of liquid that you break open in your mouth, then chew or discard the capsule. (I discarded mine.) It has powerful ingredients such as peppermint oil and menthol crystals, as well as chlorophyll to provide both instant and long-lasting results. They are free of refined sugar, artificial colors and flavors, gluten, aspartame, and no preservatives.

Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder, but great skin never hurts. Neocell’s Super Ceramindes helps hydrate the skin from the inside out, which is helpful any season but especially in winter.

This is where self-love is important because if you are unhappy with the quality of your skin, especially when it comes to aging, there are different supplements out there that can offer help. Neocell also makes great collagen powders and supplements that I swear have kept my skin from getting the grey cast it always has by this time of year. I’ve been drinking a glass of the powder mixed in water first thing in the morning for a couple of months and it has helped my skin look alive in the dead of winter. It’s really just a matter of figuring out what works best for you, and no one is going to give you permission to take care of yourself, you just have to commit to doing it. (Trust me, I know it isn’t easy.)

That goes for weight issues too. If you have a problem with sugar cravings, you are certainly not alone, and you don’t have to fight them alone. Redd Remedies’ Crave Stop uses the herb Gymnema Sylvestra and the mineral Chromium along with other ingredients to help balance the blood sugar peaks and dips which helps control cravings.

CBD oil has been getting a lot of press lately for, well, just about everything. It seems to have an endless list of benefits from fighting inflammation, to balancing hormones, to reducing anxiety and much more. This one from CV Sciences is made with non-GMO ingredients, is gluten-free, and vegetarian.

Whether you are the type of person who has problems falling asleep or if you are the type that wakes up in the middle of the night to stare at the ceiling for hours on end, Utzy Naturals’ Utzzz’s Stay Asleep Natural Sleep Aid can help. This formula has great ingredients such as Ashwagandha, Chamomile, GABA, Calcium and Magnesium, and more, plus it does not have gluten, yeast, nor artificial colors or flavors. I’ve taken this already for a couple of nights in a row and it really has helped me fall asleep, and stay asleep through the night instead of waking up at 2:30 for one to two hours. I don’t feel any kind of residue upon waking like I have in the past with some other natural sleep aids, and in fact have awoken fairly bright and ready for the day. Well, ready for the walk to the coffeemaker anyway.

In the “Welcome to the Modern World” category, Source Naturals stays at the cutting age with their Screen Time Stamina, helping us collectively adapt to the age of technology. This may be a modern formula, but it’s chock full of time-tested traditional adaptogens, and plenty of other herbs, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to support brain and eye function as well as stamina. Gutenberg would be proud.

Speaking of adaptogens, Oregon’s Wild Harvest Ashwagandha is organic and is simply the herb in a vegetarian capsule with no fillers. Ashwagandha is a classic adaptogenic herb that is best known for increasing stamina by balancing energy levels, which includes helping with sleep. (It is in both Utzy’s sleep formula and in the Screen Time Stamina above.) Adaptogens are popular right now and it’s not surprising considering they help our bodies, minds, and emotions manage stress and adrenal fatigue, and are known to have a very low likelihood to causing harm.

Another herb with adaptogenic qualities is Turmeric, and it is also anti-inflammatory with high anti-oxident activity. Natural Factors has paired Turmeric with L-glutamine for a post-workout recovery powder. These two ingredients are also highly helpful for the digestive system and I’m excited to try it as part of my quest to completely heal my food intolerances.

May your heart be full and healthy on this Valentine’s day and every day. Please subscribe for weekly posts about herbs, natural health, and green beauty, and please share this with anyone who might be interested. XOXOXO