Herbal Help for Stress

Stress is a fact of life, particularly now with a bad economy and high unemployment. Stress can be caused by both bad things and good things, but it has the same effect on the body. It can raise blood pressure, change our eating habits and disrupt sleep.

Stress is not just limited to adults, children feel stress as well. Whether it’s being teased by other kids or dealing with difficult subjects in school, stress levels can be just as high.

Countering the effects of stress requires an approach from several different angles. There is no magic bullet that will resolve the problem, but there are several things that can be done to ease it.

Some of the things that can be done are simple. Playing with a pet, for instance, may lower blood pressure. Walking (or other forms of exercise) helps to reduce stress and has the added benefit of burning calories. Prayer is also useful in reducing stress.

It’s very tempting, when under stress, to give in to the desire for "comfort foods," (ice cream, high fat burgers, etc.) especially when meals have been skipped. It’s even more tempting when the stress is caused by working long hours.

Instead, keep a wide variety of healthy snacks available. You don’t have to go the "carrot and celery stick" route (unless you happen to really like carrots and celery sticks). There are many more choices now in low calorie snacks. However, be sure to read package labels, some are *very* high in sodium.

On the herbal front, there are several different ways to ease the symptoms of stress. Infusions of soothing plants such as lavender and chamomile may relax some of the tension. Garlic can help to lower blood pressure. Valerian, hops and a few other herbs may lull you to sleep.

While taking garlic tablets and other herbal tablets may be effective, it is sometimes better to prepare them yourself. For instance, the scent of the chamomile and lavender as they steep can be as soothing as the beverage itself. Lavender in particular is used in aromatherapy to help with relaxation.

Another example is hops, which is sometimes more useful in a pillow than in a cup. It is thought that the olfactory nerve may conduct the oils in the hop pillow straight to the brain. (Be careful with hops, they can cause some serious side effects due to the high amount of hormones in them.)

Rosemary can help ease symptoms of mild depression, which can accompany stress caused by negative events such as losing a job. The good thing about rosemary is that it doesn’t necessarily have to be made into a tea. Using it as a skewer for grilling foods will be as effective, and taste much better. A word of caution; rosemary can also raise blood pressure, so be careful if there is an issue with high blood pressure.

It’s important to note that stress can be a factor in other ailments by lowering resistance thus making us more susceptible. Herbs may be able to help boost the immune system, as well. The most commonly used herbs for this are Echinacea and astragulus. Both of these are best taken in prepared products.

Preparation methods differ, based on what part of the plant is used and which properties are desired. Garlic, for best effect should be eaten raw, however, its potent flavor makes it difficult to be consumed that way. The leaves of rosemary are best infused, along with flowers, like lavender and chamomile, and the fruit of hops. Valerian root should be made into a decoction.

Natural herbal remedies can help ease some of the effects of stress and improve overall health. Along with watching the diet and getting enough exercise, stress can be successfully reduced.

Herbal Help for Stress
Information on an e-book on herbal remedies