a little extra help when you are feeling overwhelmed...

I have been getting some requests for blog posts (well, advice requests followed by "you should blog about that, I bet a lot of people would love to hear what you have to say..."). I absolutely LOVE getting asked for advice about wellness, and getting asked to write about specific topics on the blog- it really makes me feel like I am doing the right thing with my life, and really reaching people. I dropped the ball a little bit with getting some of said posts written, because my dear husband got sidelined with the flu (and if you know him, you know he NEVER gets sick, so when he does it's usually a doozy- this is the second time in our 8 year relationship that he has been sick, and the only other time was Pneumonia, so that tells you a lot right there). My last post on Elderberry syrup was a timely one, and by giving him a teaspoon of Elderberry syrup every 3 hours for two days we were able to knock out the 102 degree fever pretty quickly, along with plenty of rest and homemade chicken soup (with cilantro and tumeric, yum). BUT this is not a post about the flu, I think I have covered that pretty well in previous posts.

A dear friend asked me last week about using herbs to help deal with stress- she knows quite well about my struggles with stress, and she herself has been feeling pretty bogged down by it lately. Now, here is my disclaimer- I am NOT a Doctor, Naturopath, Herbalist, etc, and all of the knowledge presented here stems ONLY from my personal experience with using herbs for support during times of stress, and my own personal research into said herbs. I STRONGLY encourage everyone to do their own research, talk with their Doctor/Therapist/Naturopath/Acupuncturist, etc, when adding herbs to their lives- herbs are very powerful and should be respected. Take a moment and do some digging to find out what you think will be best for you. I will try to lay this out in a concise way- there is SO MUCH information out there about herbs, and it can be hard to understand and find the right formula that works for you (that's why I really encourage people to go see a Naturopath or Acupuncturist- it takes the work out of it). Everyone's stress manifests differently, and some herbs are more helpful in certain situations then others. Without further ado:

-If you are feeling fatigued, anxious, and have symptoms of stress induced insomnia (racing thoughts, waking up and can't go back to sleep, etc), then ASHWAGANDHA could be for you. Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb (also known as Indian ginseng) that is a potent stress fighter, and is good for long term use as an adrenal tonic in cases of adrenal fatigue. I have used this herb over periods of months (I am still recovering from adrenal fatigue), when I was dealing with large amounts of stress and having anxiety, and I really feel like it helped keep me centered in the storm, and helped me to sleep. Important note: if you are allergic to nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, peppers), do not take Ashwagandha because it is a nightshade.

-If your menstrual cycle is making you a crazy emotional person, and you can't seem to get a grip, VITEX (also known as Chaste Berry) might work for you. Vitex works to balance your hormones, specifically helping to regulate and balance the pituitary gland, the effect of which cascades to the other hormone regulating glands in your body, therefore helping with PMS and other cycle issues, which in turn helps to alleviate stress. Important note: do not take Vitex if you are using hormonal birth control, it will mess with you more- get off those artificial hormones (reasons why for another post) and get your hormones back to optimal without the use of artificial hormones that have long term negative effects on your body.

-If you are feeling low energy, need more vitality and stamina, (maybe you need lots of caffeine to get through the day) then MACA may be right for you. Maca is a root from South America that is an adaptogen, meaning it doesn't "add" anything to your body, but helps your own system adapt by balancing your hormones and giving you energy. My husband swears by Maca (it regulates hormones, helps naturally boost energy, and can be an especially good tonic for men), and has really noticed a difference in his energy and vitality since he has been taking it (for about a year now). It is said that Peruvian warriors took Maca to help with endurance and vitality on long arduous journeys, and as that I have amazing Peruvian family members, I can attest that these people know their shit, and they have known what's up for a very very long time. Important note: Maca may cause some people to feel jittery (myself included) and if you are dealing with anxiety specifically, this may not be the best choice for you.

-if you are feeling emotionally unbalanced (things that would not normally stress you out make you emotional and overwhelmed), your well-being just feels out of whack, or you are feeling exhausted by normal life, REISHI mushroom might work for you. I take a mushroom tonic (multiple types of medicinal mushrooms in one formula) through most of the fall and winter, for emotional support and because specific phytochemicals in the mushrooms are potent immune boosters. I have personally noticed an improvement in my well being while taking a mushroom tonic, and while I can't say it's totally due to the mushrooms, I do think that they really help me to stay balanced.

These are the herbs I have tried on my own (I have had a few other formulas given to me by my kick ass acupuncturist, but have no grasp on Traditional Chinese Medicine, so would not even try to recommend their formulas), and have had great success with some of them. I think it is (again) super important to do your research, and of course try them only one at a time, and give yourself enough time on them (most need months of daily use to have observable results). Remember that herbs are potent, but they are not a magic pill- they take time to work, and we must take other steps as well to deal with stress (ex. exercise, diet changes, therapy, journaling, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, massage). Herbs are there to support us, gently, as we learn to really take care of ourselves along the path of wellness.

If you are dealing with overwhelming (crushing) stress, please please PLEASE see a Therapist, Naturopath, or Acupuncturist (in my case all three!) who can really help you and tailor a path back to thriving for you. If you just need a little help, try one of these herbs (and maybe some deep breathing!) and see if things improve.

I hope that helped, and please let me know if you try any of these, have used any of these, and if it helps! Wishing everyone a stress free existence!

Scoff at flu season with Elderberry Syrup!

Alright pumpkins, the height of Flu season is officially upon us, and it seems people are dropping like flies. I spent about 4 months of last year (Thanksgiving through March) battling bouts of the flu/colds (at one point, I thought I might need to go to the hospital, which, if you know me, means I was REALLY sick). My immune system was super low (years of gluten reaction will do that to ya), I was having major emotional issues with some of my family (depression doesn't help your immune system) and my hormones were still going crazy from coming off birth control (it takes SOOOO long to get your normal hormonal system back up and running after a long time on artificial hormones- but it is possible!) So the last 6 months have been me focusing on getting well, period. It's my main life focus. And I vowed that this year, I WOULD NOT GET SICK. So far, since last March, I haven't had even a sniffle (which I cannot take all the credit for- my therapist, my acupuncturist and my chiropractor have been major players in keeping me well). Long story short, we are heading into the thick of flu season, and this morning my facebook news feed was full of "I /my spouse /my child have the flu what can I do??!!" posts, so I figured it was a good time to post about my favorite flu fighter, that pretty much anyone can use (kids, babies, pregnant women, all humans really)... drum roll please...

... Enter Elderberry Syrup. My husband tells me stories of his great grandmother keeping an elderberry bush, and making syrup out of the beautiful purple berries to give to the kids (he just thought it tasted good, he didn't know it was also a potent flu fighter). Alas, I do not have an elderberry bush to make homemade syrup with (it is on my list of things to do when we have our farm) but luckily I live in Santa Cruz, where there is a health food store on nearly every corner, and we have access to a huge amount of herbal medicines. Elderberry syrup is a super easy way to prevent the flu- when taken as a preventative during flu season (1 teaspoon a day works for me) it ups the amount of T cells (white blood cell immune system Navy Seals) and works to prevent the flu from taking hold in your body. When taken after a known exposure to the flu, I up the dose to a few teaspoons a day. The recommendation for taking it when already sick is generally a teaspoon about every hour or so, but do your research on that one- I haven't had to take it yet so I am not positive on the dosing for already sick people. Elderberry is very high in vitamin C, and that may be the key to it's flu fighting ability, along with all those purple plant pigments (antioxidants) that are oh so good for you.

I use Gaia Herbs Black Elderberry Syrup, I really trust the company and have used many of their supplements. They have a nighttime formula as well, with passion flower and valerian root in it if you need a little bit of support to help you sleep as well. My hubs and I take it when we think we may have been exposed and when we know we're going to be around a sick person. In the height of flu season, because my husband is a paramedic and is exposed to stuff constantly, we take it everyday.

If you haven't gotten sick and don't want to, if you have kids (little ones are germ factories- and I mean that in the most loving way!) or if you are feeling a tickle in the back of your throat, I highly recommend picking up a bottle of Elderberry Syrup. It tastes yummy and is an easy way of coasting through flu season. Sending you all healthy flu free thought! Let me know if you try it!