Social obligations, weather changes, the ten o'clock news - nothing more needs to be listed to make the blood pressure soar! We have to find a way to cope, to bend without breaking. Are there some advantages available to make things easier?
Rather than drug the nervous system into a stupor, or escape through alcohol, how about replacing these enemies of your health with friendly nutrients? Besides increasing your general multi-vitamin/mineral supplements, certain herbs may take a special liking to you. Let's consider those that are called adaptogens.
The term adaptogen immediately tells you that it has something to do with your ability to adapt to a lot of pressure and strain. Adaptogenic herbs do this by stimulating the immune system to keep well, increasing energy and emotional stability, improving endurance and helping to harmonize all body functions down to the cellular level.
One of the reasons you may not have heard of such herbs and their adaptogenic compounds is simply because they have only recently been discovered. Also, they aren't normally found in the foods we eat.
Here are a few plants that can be called 'adaptogens':
Schisandra is a thorny, creeping bush with a berry-like fruit. It was known by the Chinese more than 4500 years ago. They found it to improve vision, muscle tone and generally accomplish what all adaptogens do best - increase the overall life of the body. This herb is found in the popular anti-stress formula, Nutricalm.
Siberian ginseng, Korean White, Chinese and American Ginsengs all contain powerful adaptogenic compounds highly valued by cultures discovering them to be effective. Now they await your discovery!
Suma is a new member of the adaptogenic family. It is a key ingredient in Suma Combination, a formula composed entirely of herbs with adaptogenic properties - Suma, astragalus, Siberian ginseng, ginkgo and gotu kola. It has been used to oxygenate the body, thus helping both the nervous and immune systems.
Another popular adaptogenic formula is GGC which contains Siberian ginseng, gotu kola and capsicum. This formula has long been used to help improve stamina and mental alertness.
In addition, certain more commonly found foods tend to have these same effects. For these really determined to power-up, these goods include chlorophyll, brewer's yeast, lecithin, the mineral germanium, garlic, barley greens, bee pollen and spirulina.
Helping you adapt to the stresses of life--that's what adaptogenic herbs are all about.
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