How to Use Adaptogenic Herbs to Combat Holiday Stress
What are adaptogens and how can they help you thrive through holiday stress?
Although the term is relatively new, the herbs considered to be adaptogens have been around and used for a long time. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), these types of herbs were called “Superior Medicine”. A renowned herbalist, David Winston, notes that true adaptogens work very specifically on our hormonal and nervous system's response to stress, and may work in our cells to prevent stress hormone-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.
These are an important class of herbs to consider using, as so many of us are overwhelmed! This can lead to so many problems, like being tired, poor digestion, having a hard time focusing, feeling anxious, low libido, weight gain (especially around our middle), getting sick a lot, headaches and insomnia. This stress and associated symptoms can be keenly felt during the holidays and adaptogenic supplements can be a great way to support you through these period of stress.
What adaptogenic supplement is right for me?
If you are feeling wired and having difficulty relaxing, we suggest Herbal Calm. You need to be able to calm your mind and body so that you can rest and recharge. Its foundational ingredient is ashwagandha, which is known as the most calming adaptogenic herb.
If stress has you feeling feeling burned out and low -- low energy, low motivation, low mood, we suggest Herbal Lift. Its foundational ingredient is rhodiola, which is known as the most energizing adaptogenic herb.
If you are both feeling wired and tired, you absolutely can combine the two formulas. We recommend that you use Herbal Lift in the morning and Herbal Calm later in the day or evening. It’s also important to note that adaptogenic herbs take some time to work. We recommend trying it for four weeks to decide whether it’s working or not.
What else can I do to help manage my stress?
Stress will deplete your B-vitamins like nobody’s business. That’s because your body burns through lots of B-vitamins to create stress hormones. When we’re going through a stressful moment, we proactively supplement with Nested Naturals B-Complex.
During times of stress, it’s important to “eat the rainbow” of whole, real foods to get all the nutrients your body needs. It’s also really hard to do all that food prep when we’re stretched and stressed. To make sure we get all the energy and immune boosting nutrients our bodies need, we make sure to start each day with a scoop of Nested Naturals Super Greens.
If you are having a really hard time falling and/or staying asleep, you may want to check out our naturally sourced and non-habit forming sleep aid, LUNA (available with or without melatonin). You would take Herbal Calm in the morning and LUNA before bedtime.
