How Herbs Can Help Balance Mind And Body
By Anne McIntyre
Anne McIntyre
Our nervous system is a wonderful example of the intimate link between mind and body; physical imbalances can affect the way we think and feel, while every thought and emotion has a direct effect on our physical state. Negative thoughts can reduce our energy and resistance, predisposing to problems such as migraine, peptic ulcers and heart disease. Happiness and positivity directly affect the chemistry of our tissues and help to create health and joie de vivre.
Stress is part of our everyday lives; there is very little escaping it! And yet some of us are better at dealing with it than others. Our strength and resilience can be worn down by long term mental or emotional difficulties, acute trauma, over-work, lack of sleep, illness, poor diet and digestive problems. We have all experienced that tendency to be more irritable when we are tired or run down. In the same situation, if our energy is optimal, we might not feel stressed in the least.
Pic: iStockphoto
Combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle, the world of herbs offers a range of therapeutic strategies for dealing with nervous problems and increasing our resilience to stress. There are herbs such as thyme, lemon balm, wild oats and rose to lift the spirits; passionflower, California poppy, valerian and chamomile to calm anxiety and relax tense muscles; there is rosemary, mint and vervain to increase memory and concentration and valerian and hops to aid sleep. Herbs known as adaptogens like Siberian ginseng, ashwagandha, gotu kola, liquorice and Holy basil can improve energy and vitality. There are even herbs including rose and hawthorn for feeling broken hearted and for low self-esteem!
Pic: iStockphoto
It is well known that there is a connection between our nervous system and the gut. When we’re stressed, we don’t digest and absorb the food we eat properly. Partially digested food sits around in the gut and ferments, causing a range of digestive disturbances and upsetting the gut flora, which impacts the metabolism of the whole body.
Just as we have neurons in our brain, we also have them in our gut including those that produce neurotransmitters such as serotonin, the “happy hormone” and these are affected by the balance of the gut flora. Using herbs such as cat’s claw, garlic, burdock, olive leaf, and reishi mushroom to balance the gut flora may be a great strategy for treating disorders of the nervous system. You could also use oregano, thyme, dill, calendula, fennel and chamomile. Adding familiar spices like turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and long pepper to cooking can not only improve your digestion and absorption and inhibit unfriendly gut bacteria, but may be enough to change the way we feel about our everyday lives.
Anne McIntyre is a medical herbalist and author of The Complete Herbal Tutor published by AEON Books and available on Amazon priced £22.50.
Moira Chisholm
I'm the Health Editor on My Weekly and am always interested to hear what's new in this fascinating field. I also deal with the gardening, shopping pages, general features, our website content and the Ask Helen problem page. I have a special interest in Christmas content because I'm on the team for Your Best Ever Christmas Magazine, too!
