5 Herbal STRESS Busters To the Rescue

Published by FoodTrients

Stress might stimulate us and help us get through our day, but too much stress can have the opposite effect on you. It can cause muscle tension, high blood pressure, anxiety, irritability, and contribute to lack of sleep. It can also contribute to overeating, drinking, and smoking as a means to relieve stressful pressures. All this can have a bad effect on your health and your heart.

macro detail of passion flower stigma Longevity and anti-aging expert, Dr. Mark Rosenberg says, “When stress gets out of control, your adrenal glands pump out too much adrenaline that causes a feeling of anxiety. You may become restless and unable to sleep, much like the feeling you get when you’ve had too much caffeine. It can cause irregular heart rhythms as well as gastric upsets and inflammation that can set the stage for sudden, as well as chronic illness.”

Instead of stressing out, de-stress with these five herbs:

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomila) is rich in calcium and magnesium, making it a natural nervine, useful for calming nerves and upset stomachs and promoting sleep. Avoid if you’re allergic to ragweed.
Kava (Piper methysticum) can relieve anxiety and agitation, according to Germany’s Commission E. Kava’s muscle-relaxing effects also make it good for alleviating tension headaches. Avoid if you’re pregnant, nursing or taking sedatives.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) acts as a gentle natural tranquilizer. Combine with chamomile tea or tinctures to relieve nervousness and enhance sleep.
Motherwort (Leonorus cardiaca) is a sedative, nervine and antispasmotic, which is useful for nervousness and hysteria. A strong uterine stimulant, it should be avoided during preganancy.
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is used to reduce anxiety, calm nervous stomachs and treat insomnia. May exaggerate the effects of sedative medications.

Note: This isn’t intended as medical advice.

SOURCE: The herb list is posted by permission Delicious Living (and its parent company New Hope Network), a trusted voice in the natural living community for 30 years.

Sources: The Herbs of Life: Health & Healing Using Western & Chinese Medicine (The Crossing Press) by Lesley Tierra, LAc; Natural Health Bible (Prima) by Steven Bratman, MD, and David Kroll, PhD

FoodTrients

Combining her passion for food and a lifelong commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle, Grace O has created FoodTrients, a unique program for optimizing wellness. Grace O is a fusion chef with a mission: to cook up recipes for sustaining a long and joyful life that are built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her work in the health care industry. Mixing foods and unique flavors culled from a lifetime of travels from Asia to Europe and America, Grace O encourages young and old to celebrate a full life that embraces diversity. Lifestyle tips, age-defying recipes, and secrets of the healing properties of food are the centerpiece of FoodTrients-–all available through cookbooks, e-newsletters, and this website.