As we start heading into the holiday season, our stress levels often rise. So much to do! But how we handle our stress can have a major impact on both short- and long-term health.
Luckily, there are some things you can do to help support your system in this busy season.
Holy Basil
Holy basil, or tulsi, is an Ayurvedic herb traditionally used to support stress and immune function. This is a great herb as we head into the colder season with its heightened holiday stress levels. There's some scientific support for holy basil's stress management claim to fame, though more studies are needed.
Holy basil is an easy herb to take; it's available in capsules, tablets, liquid extracts, and tea. Its fairly mild tea-like flavor means that it's usually pretty easy to take as a liquid or a tea. It can be used anytime during the day, and also at night to help support relaxation at bedtime. If you haven't yet given this useful herb a try, you might want to consider adding it to your cabinet!
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a nervine herb in the mint family with a pleasant lemon aroma and flavor, from which it gets its name.
Lemon balm has a long history of use in support of calmness and good mood, and also for use as antiviral herbal support. It can be found in many formula to support stress reduction and sleep.
While lemon balm is often considered mildly sedative to the nervous system, it has also been found to support focus as well as calm.
Lemon balm has a long history of use, including in children. It can be found in capsules, mild-tasting liquid extracts, and as a tea. It's a delicious, all-purpose way to help support a healthy nervous system during this often frazzled time of year!
4-7-8 Breathing Technique
This is a breathing technique Dr. Andrew Weil has discussed repeatedly. The best thing about it is that you always have your breath with you, and that's all you need!
He goes over the technique in detail, along with how to use it, in this video. Start now and see if it helps you stay calm through the holidays this year!
The Good Nutrition blog contains the opinions of its writers, and does not reflect the position of Good Nutrition. We are not healthcare professionals, and nothing contained in this blog should be construed as medical advice. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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