Natural Medicine and Stress: Food and Herbs that Prevent and Manage Stress.

Healthy living includes the need to do something to protect yourself from the harmful effects of stress. There is an enormous amount of research linking stress to numerous bodily malfunctions. You cannot exist without stress as it is found everywhere around you; however, it is your responsibility to understand how to prevent your body from being harmed by it. This article will explain about how natural medicine prevents and manages stress.

How does Stress Affect the Body?

Your body can adapt to a normal amount of stress. However, when it becomes chronic, it creates major disruptions in your body. Here are a few of its risks:

1. Headache: Intense tension headaches start happening
2. Heartburn: The stomach will start producing higher levels of acid leading to heartburn and ulcers
3. Rapid Breathing: Respiratory muscles will become tense and you will feel a shortness of breath
4. Heart Attacks: With time, stress leads to high blood pressure and heart rate which damage the arteries
5. Pounding Heart: The heart will start beating very fast to let the blood distribute more oxygen to the body organs
6. Depression: Emotional and mental drainage
7. Insomnia: Alertness before sleeping and waking up several times at night
8. Weak Immune System: More infections and sicknesses start happening
9. High Blood Pressure: Blood vessels will tighten
10. High Blood Glucose Levels: The liver will release more glucose in your blood and increases the risk of diabetes
11. Stomach Aches: Tummy issues, nausea and gastric issues will start appearing
12. Tense Muscles: Muscles will become tense leading to backaches and headaches
13. Low Sex Drive and Erectile Dysfunctions: Low libido and extreme fatigue occur
14. Missed Periods: Hormones start fluctuating which disrupts the normal menstrual cycle.

Natural Medicine and Stress: Everything that helps Prevent and Manage it.

There are several food, herbs and aromatic oils that can help you fight off high levels of stress encountered within a normal day. Here is the list:

Food

1. Swiss Chard: It contains high levels of Magnesium. You can find in one cup 36 percent of what you need, in a day, of this mineral. When you are overly stressed, your body will become deficient in Magnesium; so, eating food rich in it will help regulate its levels.
2. Sweet Potatoes: They lower the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. They are also very rich in Vitamin C and Potassium that are essential to regulate your body’s stress response.
3. Kimchi: This is a fermented food that can manage your stress levels due to its high levels of probiotics, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This simple food can help you get in a good mood through the gut-brain axis.
4. Artichoke: They are rich in prebiotics that helps reduce stress levels, and high in Potassium, Magnesium, and Vitamins C and K.
5. Organ Meats: Studies show that eating animal organs, like livers and hearts of cows and chickens, provides the body with high levels of vitamins B necessary for stress control. Organ meats can also help regulate your mood. One slice of beef liver gives you 50 percent of your daily need for Vitamins B6 and folate as well as 200 percent of riboflavin and 2000% percent Vitamin B 12.
6. Eggs: They play an important role in brain health and manage stress responses. Studies showed that eggs can boost your mood.
7. Shellfish: High in the amino acid taurine, mussels, clams and oysters can boost your mood and regulate how your body reacts to stress. Several studies indicate that taurine has antidepressant effects.
8. Fatty Fish: The high levels of Omega-3 in salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel improve your mood and decrease tremendously anxiety and depression risks.
9. Parsley: It is high in antioxidants that can prevent stress and anxiety. It also helps reduce inflammation that is the result of chronic stress. Parsley is one of the most powerful antioxidants.
10. Garlic: High in Sulfur, it helps increase the levels of glutathione that is the first element helping in the fight against stress. Garlic can also help you combat anxiety and depression.
11. Tahini: Made from sesame seeds that are rich in tryptophan, tahini can help regulate your mood, manage stress and help you effectively ease depression and anxiety.
12. Sunflower Seeds: Rich in Vitamin E, this is an essential food for helping you be in a good mood away from depression.
13. Broccoli: Rich in Sulforaphane, this vegetable has calming and antidepressant properties. Researches indicate its powerful effect in regulating mental health and helping you stay stress-free.
14. Chickpeas: They produce mood-regulating neurotransmitters that improve your mood and how your body reacts to stress.
15. Blueberries: This fruit can help protect your body from stress, regulate your mood and prevent depression. It regulates inflammation that can disturb your body both physically and mentally.

Herbs

1. Chamomile Tea: Since the ancient times, this herb has been used as a stress reliever. It helps you have a restful sleep while preventing depression and anxiety. Just heat water to a boil; then keep the flowers infused for 10-15 minutes.
2. Lavender: This herb can help ease down tension. You are not expected to drink it; but rather fill a container with warm water and add up to two cups of this flower. Use the mix as a foot bath.
3. Licorice: It can help regulate stress hormones that are released from the adrenal glands following stress. Boil some water and add half a teaspoon of the shredded root. You can have this herbal tea twice a day. This root has to be avoided by pregnant women as it could lead to miscarriage.
4. Astragalus: This is an immune boosting herb that can ease the effect of stress on your body. it is found as a syrup and can be taken once or twice a day.
5. Passion Flower: This beautiful flower can help promote your sleep while preventing anxiety, irritability, agitation and depression. It boosts the levels of GABA in the body that is responsible for keeping you more relaxed. You can have it as an infused herbal tea by boiling water and adding two teaspoon of the dried flower, let them steer for 15 minutes, strain the liquid and drink. You can have this tea once or twice a day.
6. Lemon Balm: This is a very powerful anti-anxiety herb that can calm you down. To benefit from it, bring water to a boil, add one teaspoon of the lemon balm, let it infuse for up to 10 minutes, strain and drink.
7. Turmeric: This is one of the most important herb for your wellbeing. It has anti-inflammatory properties and can help improve the blood flow to the brain. It fights off depression, by this controlling the effects of stress on your body. To benefit from turmeric, you can add it to your food or take 1/4th of a teaspoon a day.

Aromatic Oils

These very simple aromatic herbs play a major role in regulating stress and how your body reacts to it. Think Rose, ylang ylang and basil. Here is a simple way to use them.

1. Rose: This oil is both calming and uplifting. Add up to two teaspoon of it to a basic massaging oil and spread over your body.
2. Ylang Ylang: It helps calm and soothe your nerves. All you need is three drops in a diffuser.
3. Basil: It helps keep your body effectively fighting off stress. This effect can be seen in as little as three drops added to a diffuser.

In conclusion, preventive medicine must rely on natural medicine. When it comes to stress, studies have indicated the potent effect of herbs, food and oils in managing and preventing stress and its harmful effects. Sometimes, the solution is right in front of your eyes, you just need to know where and how to find it.