anxiety

Anti-Anxiety Natural Helpers

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Natural Help for Anxiety through the Holidays and Beyond
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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!🐂🎆🎇

Mind-Gut Health Connection

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I wanted to share this short article from New Hope Network that shows recent findings linking gut health with digestive health. This is something that has long been documented by Ayurveda, the oldest healing system in the world, by linking both to the vata dosha. There have been other studies as well, and even products aimed at optimal health for both. If you suffer from psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, OCD, and/or others, it is worthwhile looking at healing your digestive health as well. Here’s the article:

(This part of the post was provided by New Hope Network. I am a member of the New Hope Influencer Co-op, a network of health and wellness bloggers committed to spreading more health to more people.)

A Columbia University study has found that adversity early in life is associated with increased gastrointestinal symptoms that may affect children’s brains and behavior as they mature.
“It is too early to say anything conclusive, but our study indicates that adversity associated changes in the gut microbiome are related to brain function, including differences in the regions of the brain associated with emotional processing,” said Nim Tottenham, a professor of psychology at Columbia and senior author on the study.
The study, “Mind and Gut: Associations Between Mood and Gastrointestinal Distress in Children Exposed to Adversity,” was published online March 28 in the journal Development and Psychopathology.
“One common reason children show up at doctors’ offices is intestinal complaints,” said Tottenham, who is an expert in emotional development. “Our findings indicate that gastrointestinal symptoms in young children could be a red flag for future emotional health problems.”
Scientists have long noted the strong connection between the gut and brain. A history of trauma or abuse, even in the second through sixth weeks after birth, is associated with a higher risk of irritable bowel syndrome and more than one third of mental-illness diagnoses in one’s lifetime, according to previous research. This study was designed to determine when childhood adversity begins to affect the gastrointestinal system.
“The role of trauma in increasing vulnerability to both gastrointestinal and mental health symptoms is well established in adults but rarely studied in childhood,” lead author Bridget Callaghan, a post-doctoral research fellow in Columbia’s psychology department, said in a released statement. In addition, animal studies have demonstrated that adversity-induced changes in the gut microbiome—the community of bacteria in the body that regulates everything from digestion to immune system function—influence neurological development, but no human studies have done so, she said.
“Our study is among the first to link disruption of a child’s gastrointestinal microbiome triggered by early life adversity with brain activity in regions associated with emotional health,” Callaghan said.
The researchers focused on development in children who experienced extreme psychosocial deprivation due to foster or institutional care before international adoption. Separation of a child from a parent is known to be a powerful predictor
of mental health issues in humans. That experience, when modeled in rodents, induces fear and anxiety, hinders neurodevelopment and alters microbial communities across the lifespan.
The researchers drew upon data from 115 children adopted from orphanages or foster care on or before they were 2 years old and from 229 children raised by a biological caregiver. The children with past caregiving disruptions showed higher levels of symptoms that included stomach aches, constipation, vomiting and nausea.
From that sample of adoptees, the researchers then selected eight participants, ages 7 to 13, from the adversity exposed group and another eight who’d been raised by their biological parents. Tottenham and Callaghan collected behavioral information, stool samples and brain images from all the children. They used gene sequencing to identify the microbes present in the stool samples and examined the abundance and diversity of bacteria in each participant’s fecal matter.
The children with a history of early caregiving disruptions had distinctly different gut microbiomes from those raised with biological caregivers from birth. Brain scans of all the children also showed that brain activity patterns were correlated with certain bacteria. For example, the children raised by biological parents had increased gut microbiome diversity, which is linked to the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain known to help regulate emotions.
“We observed that early adversity was associated with gastrointestinal symptoms in youth aged 3-18 years (with the largest effects observed in late childhood),” the authors wrote. They also found that adverse caregiving experiences in the earliest days of life alters the gut’s biome; that variation affects how the brain’s emotion networks develop.
“The fact that early experiences of caregiving adversity increase the risk for both GI and mental health problems, as well as being associated with changes to the GI microbiome, suggests that the timing of this exposure (infancy to early childhood) coincides with the sensitive period for the maturation of each of these systems,” the authors wrote.
More research is needed, but Tottenham and Callaghan believe their study helps fill an important gap in the literature.
“Animal studies tell us that dietary interventions and probiotics can manipulate the gut microbiome and ameliorate the effects of adversity on the central nervous system, especially during the first years of life when the developing brain and
microbiome are more plastic,” Callaghan said. “It is possible that this type of research will help us to know if and how to best intervene in humans, and when.” Callaghan and Tottenham are working on a larger study with 60 children in New York City, New York, to see if their findings can be replicated. They expect the results later this year.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Mental Health, the Dana Foundation, the American Australian Association and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

(Me again) If you missed my digest blend DIY (above) a while ago, the link is here. Thank you for reading and please share with anyone who has digestive or emotional/mental issues! Best health to you and yours <3.

Current Legality of CBD

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Has there ever been a more confusing natural supplement in terms of legality than CBD? I remember when ephedra was the star of legal matters about 15 or so years ago, but CBD’s legal status has stayed questionable for even longer than any other supplement I can remember. It can be readily found where I live in western Washington, but every state is different and it varies in other countries as well. I’d love to know what the status is where you live so if you have a moment, comment on where you live and CBD’s status, or contact me with a quick status report.

The answered questions below have been provided by New Hope Network. I am a member of the New Hope Influencer Co-op, a network of health and wellness bloggers committed to spreading more health to more people. In short, we share what’s happening in the natural foods and products industry when we feel it relates to our audience, and I always get questions about CBD, so if you are curious, read on.

Federally legal, but illegal in certain states, marijuana’s cousin, hemp, is steeped in regulatory confusion. Get answers to some of the top legal-based questions about CBD.

  1. Did the 2018 farm bill make it legal to sell CBD in all 50 states?
  2. Yes … and no. The farm bill removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act. The farm bill did not, however, preempt—or bar states from regulating the production of hemp or limit them from enforcing laws that are stricter than the farm bill. So, while hemp is federally approved, states can individually prohibit production.

 

  1. Can CBD be listed on an Ingredients label?
  2. There is no law that explicitly prohibits a brand from declaring CBD as an ingredient on its product label. Nor do FDA regulations impose a requirement to disclose constituents of botanicals, such as CBD. However, such disclosure is permitted. Moreover, FDA’s position regarding CBD is not the law, but rather the agency’s interpretation of the law.

 

  1. Can CBD brands republish or share their customer testimonials?
  2. Customers of CBD products use them to treat cancer and various other ailments. They often share success stories with the CBD brands, but those brands cannot republish the testimonials. The First Amendment provides broad protections of free speech—but it doesn’t give a company unlimited rights to endorse or republish its customers’ statements without interference from the FDA. Disease treatment claims, including republished testimonials, are prohibited for supplements as per Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994.

 

  1. The farm bill legalized hemp; so, does the FDA have the right to interfere with CBD in products?
  2. Yes. The 2018 farm bill addressed problems that have plagued the hemp industry over the years, including interference by the government agency that enforces the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The 2018 farm bill does not, however, affect or limit the FDA’s authority under the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetics (FD&C) Act.

 

  1. Was CBD first studied as a drug before it was marketed as a dietary supplement or food, as FDA claims? And … CBD is found in hemp, which is in foods, so what’s the real deal?
  2. It’s complicated. The FD&C Act prevents certain articles from being sold in supplements and foods if the article was subject to a drug trial before being marketed in a food or supplement—and CBD was. This is the basis for the FDAs opinion that CBD is illegal as a dietary ingredient. Overcoming FDA’s objections is multifaceted and also includes whether drug trials were substantial and well publicized. In other words, there’s not one clear answer to these questions.

 

  1. Does the FDA’s position on CBD apply to a brand if the product label states that the product is hemp extracts?
  2. Yes. Many U.S. companies aiming to profit on the rising demand for CBD are now selling “hemp extracts” in the United States. The FDA isn’t fooled by nomenclature.

 

  1. The FDA recently accepted three GRAS (generally recognized as safe) notices for hemp seed-derived food ingredients that included CBD. This is confusing. What exactly IS the agency’s position related to CBD in food and supplements?
  2. The ingredients in question contained CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but only in “trace amounts” according to the FDA. The seeds may pick up such amounts, the FDA explained in a constituent update, “during harvesting and processing when they are in contact with other parts of the plant.” In a marijuana Q&A regarding the addition of CBD and THC to foods, the FDA said its GRAS conclusions do NOT affect the agency’s position and scrutiny.

 

  1. Are CBD-selling companies required to invest in safety studies or research?
  2. In theory, yes. Dietary ingredients introduced into the US market after October 15, 1994, are required to have a new dietary ingredient (NDI) notification—a dossier of safety and toxicity results. In reality, very few ingredient suppliers have undertaken NDI’s and the FDA has rarely gone after companies for violating this tenet of DSHEA legislation.

(End of share)

I’ve written before that I do notice a difference in my anxiety levels when I take CBD, and others have told me they really have a surprising amount of relief from using it externally on nerve damage or aches and pains. If you haven’t tried it, and you want to, I suggest doing it soon before CBD goes the way of ephedra (no longer available). Hopefully it won’t as more education circulates about the fact that CBD does not cause a ‘high’, but just to be on the safe side, try it sooner rather than later.

The legality of CBD seems like an issue that won’t have a universally applicable answer any time soon, if ever. I’ve even heard rumblings about credit card companies refusing to allow their systems to be used for CBD or legal THC purposes. I have no idea where that is headed, but it seems everyone has an opinion on these botancials. What’s yours? Have you tried CBD? What did you think? I’d love it if you comment or contact me about your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks for reading and please share with others curious about CBD. Have a lovely rest of your week!

Nervines and Other Natural Help for Stress and Anxiety

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Ahh, the holidays….nothing like high expectations and extra obligations to turn up the heat on stress and anxiety levels. It’s a shame that the most joyful, festive, family-oriented time of year also has to be one of the hardest for many people. Stress and anxiety cause problems all year long of course, but it seems like this time of year people are rushing around much more with longer to-do lists and shorter fuses. Luckily for us, the natural world has plenty of help to offer, so much so that it seems pretty clear that nature would really like to tell all of us to chill out a bit. Since there are so many options out there, I’ve limited this post to just a few herbal and natural choices that cover the range of stress and anxiety from mild to intense but it’s still rather long. If you don’t see what you are looking for, feel free to contact me.

Nervines are a class of herbs that focus on the nervous system. They share similarities with adaptogens, which I posted about earlier, which are a different class of herbs that offer help with stress and anxiety by balancing out the body overall, with specific attention paid to the endocrine system. A great, concise article about the difference between adaptogens and nervines and when to use which can be found here. Nervines are good for any kind of stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and certain types of pain. They range in their strength from gentle tonic (such as Skullcap) to powerful sedative (such as Valerian). Most fall in-between the extremes and you can find plenty of blends that allow the herbs to work in a synergistic way.

Kava Kava is one of the most popular calming herbs, but it’s also an herb that has some warnings attached to it. Although it’s been in use in the South Pacific for it’s relaxing and euphoric qualities since ancient times, there have been a couple of issues recently that could indicate Kava might be damaging to certain people’s livers. It’s all quite inconclusive but some products do come with a warning on it, and some stores just stopped selling it, although it is still readily available in capsules, tinctures, and teas both online and found at brick and mortar stores. If you have an overload of toxins in your body, or a compromised liver for any reason, you might want to stick to other calming herbs or blend of herbs. Also, if you are taking it as a tincture, be prepared for it to numb your lips at first~ that just means it’s a potent product and it is a good sign.

Valerian which is also found in tincture, pill, or tea form is deeply relaxing and often part of herbal sleep aides. If you are not familiar with the herb, be forewarned that it has a strong scent although it doesn’t taste bad at all. More than once I’ve smelled the herb near someone or in their pocket and mistakenly thought the person was ill because it is that strong (and I have an over-active nose). If you need to address insomnia, Valerian is a good place to start.

Skullcap is also found in insomnia formulas but is milder and can be used throughout the day as a tonic for the nervous system. This is a particularly good herb for you if you find that your brain gets stuck on repeating anxious thoughts or has circular patterns of negativity.  Capsules and tea forms are also available.

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Blends are a healthy option if you are not sure which herb is best for you. Herb Pharm makes one which has a unique lavender taste and also comes in capsule form.

 

For children, the line Herbs for Kids makes a couple of non-alcoholic blends, a Valerian based one and a milder Chamomile based option. Herb Pharm also makes a kid- friendly blend to help with nighttime and nap-time that is also alcohol-free.

Most people know St. John’s Wort is good for minor depression such as the kind caused by seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It takes two to three weeks to feel the benefits of this mild tonic nervine but it really does have the ability to make one’s outlook a bit sunnier. In fact, St. John’s Wort can increase one’s photo-sensitivity so if you live in a sunny climate, do be aware that your skin just might surprise you with its quicker than usual darkening  or reddening. I actually love this about the herb because SAD is related to lack of sunshine and vitamin D, so what does St. John’s Wort do? Increases your sensitivity to the sun! All the citrus essential oils act in the same way by the way~ they too increase your photo-sensitivity and they are also anti-depressants, so if you are using them in a body oil or body spray you should keep that in mind.

A word about deciding how to take your nervines. Tinctures are a great option because if you put the liquid right under your tongue you will feel the effects almost immediately. (It might burn so have some water nearby to wash the rest down your throat.) Stress and anxiety often lead to less than optimal digestion which may inhibit the results of a capsule or tablet, so if you use a tincture or tea, that alleviates the potential problem of not getting the most out of your supplement (and therefore your money). Of course, use whatever form works best for you because in the end, the best form is the form you actually take.

There are other natural products that help with stress and anxiety as well. B vitamins are important for daily stress management and are often even labeled with the word ‘stress’ right on the front them. If your daily tension levels are high then looking into a total B could prove beneficial.

As discussed earlier, vitamin D plays a role in SAD and is especially important in places where the word ‘overcast’ is in the daily forecast. Using a liquid formula is the most affective way to take D, other than getting at least a half hour of sunshine on some bare skin every day. (And that includes no sunscreen for that half hour.)

For times when your anxiety is high because of a certain event, or you are anticipating something stressful, then GABA might be your answer. GABA is a neurotransmitter already found in our brain that has anti-anxiety action. This study gives a brief explanation of one test and what the results were if you are interested. My naturopath actually first suggested GABA to me for times when I had to take my kids to get shots because of the extreme stress around those situations. (The GABA was suggested for my kids but I needed it too!) We use the chewables or lozenges because they are faster acting and personally, I feel the effects far greater than with capsules.

Essential oils are really at their prime working on stress and anxiety. They are definitely nature’s messengers telling us silly humans to relax, enjoy beauty, and quite literally to stop and smell the roses, or at least the rose oil. Neroli blossoms used to always be part of bridal bouquets because of their calming attributes and the essential oil continues that tradition of being a powerful anti-anxiety oil. Lavender is well-known as a relaxing scent and it combines beautifully with almost any other essential oil. Combining it with Neroli creates an affective anti-anxiety spray or oil, and combining Lavender with a citrus oil creates a lovely uplifting scent for diffusing or wearing. As mentioned above, all the citrus oils are anti-depressant (and also mildly stimulating), but the best ones for uplifting your mood are  Orange, Grapefruit, and Bergamot.

Clary Sage is often referred to as a ‘euphoric’ and it combines well with Bergamot for an uplifting, anti-depressant effect. I like to make body/room sprays that are half Clary Sage and half Bergamot.

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Making body oils is a great way to wear your anti-anxiety and anti-stress essential oils like a shield. You can put the oil on the bottom of your feet, all over your body, or make a stronger scented perfume oil or spray that you can reapply to your pressure points throughout the day. There are so many natural options for help with stress and anxiety that you really don’t need to just push through those moments, days, or seasons alone. Of course, always consult a medical professional if you are struggling to the point of it disrupting your daily activities, but know there are plenty of natural options to help you enjoy your life fully and with optimal health.

Peace to all of you this season and please share this with anyone who might be looking for a little natural help with stress, depression, and/or anxiety, and subscribe for more posts like this one on a weekly basis.