Herbal Support in Times of Stress and Anxiety
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Herbal support in times of stress and anxiety Holly Poole-Kavana Little Red Bird Botanicals www.littleredbirdbotanicals.com IG @littleredbirdbotanicals Nervines Adaptogens Nature connection Nervines:Plants that have an effect on the nervous system Stimulants: coffee, kola nut, tea, prickly ash Relaxants: passionflower, skullcap, valerian, blue vervain, chamomile, hops, lemon balm, betony, hawthorn, lavender Tonics / neurotrophorestoratives: skullcap, milky oats, ashwagandha, St. John's Wort, holy basil, reishi, gotu kola Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis mint family Safe, gentle, and delicious Calming and mood elevating Cooling: specific for symptoms of hyperthyroidism and sympathetic excess (anxiety, heat, heart palpitations, insomnia) Antiviral: specific for herpes virus infection but also useful in upper respiratory infections Very easy to cultivate. Use in tea, tincture, glycerite. Shorter shelf life than most other dried herbs. Passionflower Passiflora incarnata passionflower family Calming, antispasmotic, anxiolytic Specific for people who think too much or have obsessive circular thoughts (incl. with insomnia) Used to ease drug/alcohol/tobacco withdrawl Use caution with barbituates and benzodiazepines-- may have an additive effect Cultivation: easy to grow, sprawling vine, prefers full sun Preparation: fresh plant tincture, dry for tea, eat fresh flowers! Skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora Mint family Calming tonic, anxiolytic, restorative Indicated in conditions involving shakes/tremors Combine with milky oats, passionflower to support drug, alcohol, and nicotine withdrawl Helpful in oversensitivity, such as waking up to small noises, movements, etc Preparation: fresh plant tincture, dry plant for tea Cultivation: cool, moist, part shade. Harvest when flowering Calming, bitter nervine Blue Vervain Verbena hastata Relieves tension Verbenaceae Useful in anxiety with a sesnation of tension in muscles, GI tract, or mind Tincture, tea, or glycerite (very bitter flavor Easy to grow in gardens-- scatter seeds in fall/winter for spring germination Rose Many Rosa species Rosaceae Support for healthy grieving Lifts the spirits Harvest petals when flowers are open and vibrant Use in tea, elixir, glycerite Milky Oats Avena sativa Neutral/warm, sweet Restorative, calming Indicated when the nerves are frayed or burnt out; supports normal function in the nervous system and adrenals Use in situations of chronic sympathetic excess (long-term fight-or-flight pattern) Cultivation: plant in early spring for June harvest; harvest unripe fruits containing white fluid Mimosa Albizia julibrissin Cooling, moistening, relaxing Bark: calming, grounding Flowers: mood elevating Helpful in emotional stress, grief, heartache Tincture bark fresh or dry; tincture flowers fresh Invasive tree: no need to cultivate! Adaptogens Help support appropriate nonspecific stress response-- adaptive energy to respond to multiple stressors Normalize function in the body by strengthening nervous system, immune, and endocrine functions Often balance or regulate HPA axis patterns (theoretical) TCM: Qi tonics; Ayurveda: Rasayanas Combine with other herbs to support or modify their effects (nervines, digestive support, etc) Ashwagandha Withania somnifera nightshade family Calming adaptogen Energetics: warming Calming to anxiety while stimulating to general energy/ metabolism Regulates cortisol Stimulates thyroid (enhances T4 concentrations) “somnifera” means sleep-bearing Specific for fatigue with anxiety and insomnia, especially in cold-bodied people and/or iron deficiency Ashwagandha Withania somnifera nightshade family Cultivation – long season (start indoors) – Allow space for digging its prolific roots Watch for grubs and beetles Part used: roots Harvest and preparation – Dig roots after first frost (with fruits on plants) – Tincture fresh or dry; dry roots for decoction – Take with fats to maximize absorption – Dosage: 1/2-1 tsp powder daily, tincture 1mL 3 times daily Holy Basil (Tulsi) Ocimum tenuiflorum Mint family Sweet, aromatic, warming Specific for people who feel overwhelmed, anxious, and exhausted Can lower blood sugar Aromatic and bitter components support good digestion Helpful in brain fog from fatigue Holy Basil (Tulsi) Cultivation – Start indoors for maximum growth – Harvest regularly when in flower – Thrives in summer heat Parts used: leaves, stems, and flowers •Preparation: Dry for tea; tincture fresh or dry Reishi Ganoderma lucidum, G. tsugae Adaptogenic mushroom Calming to the mind and heart Hypotensive (lowers blood pressure) Normalizes immune system function (low immunity, autoimmune heat, allergies) Specific for exhaustion with hypersensitivity, sympathetic excess, immune dysregulation Reishi Cultivation – On logs: oak, maple, hemlock – Common forest mushroom for wildcrafting Preparation – Must be boiled: double-extract, broth, decoction, etc. – Dosage is relatively large: ¼ oz to 1 oz per day in decoction; 4-15 mL double-extract daily Gynostemma Gynostemma pentaphylum Jiaogulan, Sweet leaf Cucumber family Cooling, calming adaptogen Contains at least four gypenosenosides identical to those in ginseng Immunosupportive, calming, antioxidant Mildly lowers blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides Gynostemma Gynostemma pentaphylum Jiaogulan, Sweet leaf Cucumber family Part used: leaves Cultivation: very easy. Spreading vine, annual or perennial depending on climate, vigorous growth Harvest through the growing season as leaves mature Preparation: tea, capsules; 1-2 tbsp of dried leaf per day as a tea Additional stress support" #onnection with plants and nature %endin& plants Cultivate a garden Volunteer at a local urban farm or garden Tend wild plants in your neighborhood Care for street trees (contact DDOT arborists or Casey Trees) Allow spaces within your influence to be wild Save and share seeds Tending the herb garden at Common Good City Farm Gratitude practices Expressing gratitude is good for your mental and physical health! People who research this have found the following benefits for people who express gratitude: Improved self-reported happiness Improved self-esteem Improved perception of physical health Facilitates relationships My favorite study title: An Upward Spiral Between Gratitude and Humility Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2014 Kruse, E., J. Chancellor, P.M. Ruberton, S. Lyubomrisky “Our results suggest that humility and gratitude are mutually reinforcing.” Ancestral connections Humans in every part of the world have had ongoing relationships with plants since before the origin of humans. Take some time to think and ask: Which plants did your ancestors have relationships with? Which plants do(es) your culture(s) Owen Taylor (@seedkeeping) have relationships with? and Chris Bolden-Newsome tell amazing stories about the seeds they Which plants are important to your save and the cultural connections people have with plants. Their podcast family and/or other communities you is called Seeds and their People are a part of? Additional stress support: non-herbal Regular eating to avoid getting hangry Regular sleep cycle Stress management, breathing techniques, meditation, yoga, and other calming practices Community, laughter, joyful activity Time spent in nature Little Red Bird Botanicals Community Apothecary ▼ Locally-grown medicinal herbs ▼ Herbal wellness appointments ▼ Acute care / Covid19 appointments ▼ Handcrafted herbal products ▼ Classes, workshops, & plant walks Open Wednesdays 4-7pm or by appointment 2437 15th St NW DC in the Josephine Butler Parks Center Contact: www.littleredbirdbotanicals.com [email protected] (202) 726 1924 (no texts) Instagram @littleredbirdbotanicals Herbal CS! May-)ovember 202+ Memberships are available for t$e coming season www.littleredbirdbotanicals.com/herbal-csa.