Healthy Holidays - Stress Free With Apoptogenic Herbs

How Plant Medicine Can Help Manage Holiday Stress & Get the Sleep You Need 

Stress is a part of everyone’s life. But today’s fast-paced lifestyles paired with holiday activities can 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, and we feel fatigued, anxious, and become vulnerable to infections.  

Stress management is critical for maintaining health, and plant medicine can help protect thebody 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 it 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 its resiliency to infection while restoring and calming the nervous system, alleviating anxiety. 

St. Francis Herb Farm’s Ashwagandha Capsules 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% with anolides –  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. St. Francis Herb Farm’s 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 2.66ml (~ ½ teaspoon) of Ashwagandha tincture 3 times daily in a little water, or 1 Ashwagandha Capsule twice daily on an empty stomach, can help with symptoms of stress including anxiety, mood swings, insomnia, low energy, and poor concentration. 

St. Francis Herb Farm takes great care and pride in crafting targeted herbal formulations that address common health conditions – including their 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.  
• 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. 
• https://goodnessme.ca/products/strest-2 has calming effects, aids fatigue, and relieves nervousness, stress, and anxiety. 

Take 3ml (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 as well. 

Restorative Sleep Support with Herbs 

The busyness of the season and the to-do lists can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Here, it’s key to aim to support a healthy “sleep architecture” – specific nightly sleep patterns essential for the body to rest and repair.  

Calmative and sedative herbs can help to re-establish and support these natural phases of sleep, by encouraging relaxation of the body and mind. The powerful synergy of six sleep-inducing herbs in St. Francis Herb Farm’s ValeriCalm® offers a holistic sleep-supportive tonic without addictive qualities or side effects like sluggishness that can carry over into the following day. 

The unique, natural, calming effects from each traditional herb in ValeriCalm® complement each other for a holistic sleep-supportive tonic that effectively addresses many factors that compromise quality sleep in today’s world. 

St. Francis Herb Farm’s unique plant medicines support your body around the clock, for a holistic approach that sets the stage for success in all your wellness endeavours.  

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 over the holidays, and everyday. 

• Calming, centering 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.  
• Journaling and practicing gratitude 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 and support restorative sleep doesn’t just help you feel better, calmer, and more present – it’s vital for maintaining good health and staving off sickness. Look to natural daily herbal support as a part of your stress management and sleep support routine to protect and nurture the body – and cultivate peace of mind during this hectic time of the year.