While stress is a normal part of life, with the holiday season under wraps, many of us are still reeling from the weight of the holidays. However, stressors are everywhere. They can come in the form of your neighbor’s dog insentiently barking, rush hour traffic, being late, and from life in general. While some may think that conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, and fatigue are modern problems, they are far from it. Stress is not a new concept, and unfortunately, it comes with a slew of side effects. When we continually feel stressed, it can make us depressed, anxious, cause indigestion, make one feel fatigued, reduce immunity, elevate cholesterol, and even disrupt hormonal balance. However, even though the effects of high anxiety and pressure is damaging, there are natural ways to help defend stress and its detrimental impact on the human body.
Turning to nature, we find herbal adaptogens, or adaptogenic herbs, nature’s way of helping our body’s ability to cope with stress. Herbs that act as an “adaptogen” have been used therapeutically for thousands of years in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. Adaptogenic herbs help boost our ability to deal with stress and helps keep us balanced, restoring harmony in the body.
Here’s a look into some of nature’s top adaptogens, so you can learn more about how you can benefit from the use of these amazing adaptogenic herbs.
Tulsi AKA Holy Basil
Considered to be one of India’s most potent herbs, holy basil is a member of the mint family and is excellent for treating depression, bronchitis, allergies, indigestion, nausea, and can help with the recovery from head trauma. Holy basil also offers protection from cold or noise-induced stress, as well as from exposure to environmental toxins.
Ashwagandha
This amazing herb has the ability to help calm the central nervous system, lower anxiety, help with insomnia, improve balance, and rejuvenate the immune system. Excellent at relieving inflammation, ashwagandha can help ease arthritis, improve one’s memory, their general debility, reduce fatigue, as well as help regulate the body’s metabolic processes.
Maca
A Peruvian root vegetable, this adaptogen is excellent for balancing hormones, increasing libido, relieving depression, enhancing strength and endurance, as well as lowering blood pressure. Also known as the Peruvian ginseng, in Peru, maca is eaten as a vegetable, but you can purchase maca in the United States in its dried and powdered form.
Amla
Rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants, amla is also known as Indian gooseberry or amalaki. Besides being high in antioxidants, amla has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and mild laxative properties. Amla can help nourish the blood, increase your resistance to disease, improve your memory, and can help support the overall health of your body by helping to reverse the effects of many chronic diseases.
