Stress is a part of everyone’s life. But today’s fast-paced lifestyles paired with current events have us feeling full of anxiety!
A healthy stress response is essential to survival: when we perceive threats, the body “adapts” with a series of physiological changes to reduce the impact. With constant, extreme, or long-term stress the body’s resilience is reduced, sleep can be disrupted, and we feel fatigued, anxious, and become vulnerable to infections.
Stress management is critical for maintaining health, and plant medicine can help protect the body from its effects!
Adaptogens for Stress Management
Adaptogens are specific plant medicines that have been used for centuries in herbal healing traditions across the globe. These unique herbs work to support and balance the body to diminish the negative impacts of physical, emotional, and mental stress.
Stress is not just perceived stress (like “feeling tense”), it is the body’s reaction to any change that requires your body to respond or adjust. Adaptogens function in the body like a thermostat, constantly working to return the body to a state of balance to increase its resiliency and optimize its functioning – also supporting the major body systems and organs.
Some adaptogens are specifically effective for stress, notably, ashwagandha – a tonic herb renowned for improving overall health and mental function.
Ashwagandha has been used for thousands of years to strengthen the body’s vitality and fortify the body’s resiliency to infection while restoring and calming the nervous system, alleviating anxiety.
Our Ashwagandha Caps are prepared from a proprietary Certified Organic ashwagandha root – KSM-66® – a clean, sustainably sourced ashwagandha backed by clinical studies supporting its positive effects on stress and anxiety. This root is dried into a concentrated full-spectrum 12:1 extract (each capsule contains the equivalent of 3600mg of ashwagandha root) with a minimum of 5% withanolides – providing enhanced potency and absorption in the convenience of a vegetarian capsule.
Tinctures offer high absorption, dependable potency, customized dosages, and versatility in how you take them. Our Certified Organic Ashwagandha tincture offers a traditionally crafted format of this revered stress-relieving herb made with time-honoured extraction methods held to the highest quality standards.
Taking 2.66 ml (~ ½ teaspoon) of Ashwagandha tincture 3 times daily in a little water, or 1 Ashwaghandha Cap twice daily on an empty stomach, can help with symptoms of stress including anxiety, mood swings, insomnia, low energy, and poor concentration.
We take great care and pride in crafting targeted herbal formulations that address common health conditions – including our award winning Strest® formula, that contains not only ashwagandha, but 5 other revered adaptogenic and stress-relieving herbs, including:
- Holy basil also known as Tulsi, effectively reduces anxiety and improves mental focus.
- Rhodiola boosts brain function and memory, balances mood and alleviates fatigue.
- Siberian Ginseng (Eleuthero) an adaptogen that improves mental and physical performance, especially after exertion and builds resistance to environmental stress.
- Schisandra is a premier adaptogen in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its abilities to push back against mental and physical fatigue and normalize the stress response.
- Milky Oat Seed has calming effects, aids fatigue, and relieves nervousness, stress, and anxiety.
Take 3 ml (3/4 teaspoon) of Strest® twice daily in a little water on an empty stomach (not right before bedtime) to help promote a sense of calm and manage and prevent symptoms of adrenal fatigue and stress.
If you prefer the convenience of a capsule, Strest® is available in convenient veggie caps.
Single herb or formula? Which is right for me?
Single adaptogenic herbs are often more appropriate than formulas for those with sensitivities or for whom certain herbal ingredients are contraindicated. In this case we would recommend Ashwagandha tincture or capsules as part of your daily herbal stress management routine.
Multi-herb formulas can be more suitable for those experiencing a variety of stress symptoms, or more intense anxiety and are looking to benefit from a combination of herbal ingredients. Strest® contains 6 stress-supportive herbs and the benefits of their synergy – resulting in a formula where the effect of the combination of herbs is greater than the sum of its parts.
Of course, lifestyle factors contribute greatly to an effective stress management approach, and there are activities and habits that can easily be integrated into your daily routine to help reduce the impact of stress.
- Calming, centring activities like practicing yoga, meditation, deep breathing, and exercise.
- Restorative sleep and a healthy diet both nourish the body, so it is best equipped to handle stress. Check out our blog: Why Quality Sleep Is Vital for Health – And How to Get It.
- Journaling and practicing gratitudes cultivates feeling present and helps reduce anxieties.
- Regular exposure to nature and green spaces all have positive effects on the body and mind.
Taking steps to ease stress doesn’t just help you feel better, calmer, and more present – it’s vital for maintaining good health, getting restorative sleep, and staving off sickness. Look to natural daily herbal support as a part of your stress management routine to protect and nurture the body – and cultivate peace of mind in a stressful world.
Learn more about how a healthy stress management approach can also support better quality sleep, helping to restore the body’s natural rhythms in our Sleep More- Stress Less… Naturally! blog.
You can also learn more about how stress management plays an important part in supporting healthy immunity in our Holistic Approach to Building Immunity.
References available upon request.
