As a collective, stress levels have reached an all-time high. Earlier this year, a survey by the American Psychological Association reported that 84% of adults have recently felt at least one of the emotions related to occasional stress. On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 was "little to no stress" and 10 was "a great deal of stress," our population averaged 5.6. To put it mildly, it's time to start getting real about stress management. That starts with broadening our understanding of stress and incorporating daily support from herbs like ashwagandha
Signs That You’re Struggling With Chronic Fatigue
Chronic stress is not just physical but it is also mental, emotional, and even spiritual. Here are some tell-tale signs:
◆ Constant physical tiredness
◆ Loss of memory
◆ Forgetfulness
◆ Lack of concentration
◆ Muscle and joint pain
◆ Inability to exercise due to exhaustion
◆ Headaches
◆ Unrefreshing sleep
◆ Exhaustion in social situations
◆ Difficulty carrying out simple tasks (e.g. driving) due to tiredness
Going Deeper: Stress & Ashwagandha
Every time we experience stress, our adrenal glands produce cortisol, the stress hormone. When cortisol is not metabolized consistently, it starts to increase and can negatively affect important body functions, which can lead to a number of health problems, including anxiety, depression and stress.
Super Adaptogen- Ashwagandha
The ashwagandha plant is a small shrub with yellow flowers that’s native to India and North Africa. It is Sanskrit for smell of the horse, which refers to both its unique smell and ability to increase strength. Ashwagandha is considered one of the most well-studied herbs in Ayurveda, an ancient system of holistic medicine that originated in India thousands of years ago. This herb has become known as an adaptogen, a plant that helps us adapt to stress and is known for promoting relaxation, calm, and focus.
Researchers have reported that it blocked the stress pathway in the brains of rats by regulating chemical signaling in the nervous system . Also, several controlled human studies have shown that it can reduce symptoms in people with stress and anxiety disorders. In a 60-day study in 64 people with chronic stress, those in the group that supplemented with ashwagandha reported a 69% reduction in anxiety and insomnia, on average, compared with 11% in the placebo group. In another 6-week study, 88% of people who took ashwagandha reported a reduction in anxiety, compared with 50% of those who took a placebo. Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety in both animal and human studie
How to Enjoy Ashwagandha
No Stress Tonic
This is an inflammatory and stress busting tea- all in one.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon of tumeric
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamon
1/4 teaspoon of ashwagandha powder
1 cup of plant based milk
1 tablespoon of raw honey
Place all the ingredients in a blender. Enjoy!
Comments