We all lead busy lives, times are complex and even confusing - yet some people remain calm and deal with it, others not so much. Do you get stressed or are you taking life in stride?
Tieraona Low Dog, MD and herbalist, explained on Nick Polizzi's new nine-part series on herbalism, The Sacred Science that we all deal with busy lives but can only eliminate some, not all stressors. Dealing with stress is instead mostly about resilience, the better way of adapting to the busyness of modern life. Yet, some of us could use some gentle help, and not of the pharmaceutical kind.
We are discovering, or rediscovering, potent botanical remedies without side effects, that in some cases have been used for hundreds and even thousands of years, but have fallen by the wayside because they were supplanted by pharmaceuticals (that are costly and have side effects). None of the botanicals have side effects, all of them can be taken long term, none of them are exorbitantly pricey, and you do not need a prescription, although it may pay to see an herbalist in more complex cases.
Adaptogens are herbs that promote resilience and reduce cortisol levels, the fight or flight response, over time. The most well known adaptogen is perhaps ashwaganda, but there is also tulsi aka holy basil, ginseng, maca and some others. Ashwaganda root can easily be taken in capsule or tincture form, and is slow acting, so takes effect over several weeks and months.
Then there are the nervines, botanicals such as valerian, hops, skullcap and kava kava that quiet the monkey mind. Kava has been made into a milky beverage in the South Pacific islands for ceremonial purposes for hundreds of years. Now that people are discovering the beneficial and calming effects of it, kava bars are sprouting up in many places. Its preparation in tea form is a bit lengthy, hence better suited for get togethers than perhaps everyday supplementation. But it’s also available in capsule form.
The new darling CBD Oil or cannabidiol, which doesn’t have the psychoactive substance of cannabis, besides relaxing, is also used for many other ailments from anxiety to epilepsy, pain management and more. For those more complex ailments, dosage should be prescribed by a knowledgeable healthcare professional. However, to take the edge off stress or anxiety, CBD Oil can safely be taken, in order of effectiveness, vaped, under the tongue, or rubbed on the skin.
Homeopathy is another gentle and effective way to help with stress, but self-medication is not recommended. Determination of the best remedy is more complicated and should be prescribed by an experienced homeopathic practitioner, and taken in the proper dosage.