All About Adaptogens

By Belinda McCall, Founder of WomanBeeWell.com

All About Adaptogens

Every year, right around the holiday season, stress is often at its highest levels. Whether it was the hustle and bustle of trying to find presents for loved ones, figuring out travel plans, or mourning the loss of those that are no longer with us to celebrate the holidays, it’s all stressful.

Of course, this past holiday season everyone in the world was feeling the extra mental squeeze of dealing with a pandemic. Mega stress!

Now, our bodies are equipped to deal with short bouts of stress. Fight or flight, right? Your body will do what it has to do to get through a stressful event. Often, you don’t feel the effects of stress until after the event has actually happened.

For example, the WomanBeeWell website broke and I (as a one-woman show at the moment) needed to fix it.

After spending 2 days and many frustrating hours with 3 different help desk people, troubleshooting by turning things off and on, and toggling this and that, it was clear that I needed to completely redesign my website from scratch. :: face palm ::

So I expedited the redesign. I got it back up in three days. Three mega stress-filled days right in the middle of the holiday season with an active toddler running circles around me. But here’s the thing…

The effects of all that stress didn’t hit me until the day after the new website launched. The mental and physical fatigue hit me like a ton of bricks. For the next 3 days, my body was playing catch-up on sleep and brain power.

Don’t worry, I’m OK now thanks to extra sleep (napping when my toddler did), unplugging my computer for a couple days, and adaptogens to help deal with higher-than-normal levels of stress.

Plants like adaptogens remind the body how to heal itself.

What Are Adaptogens Anyway?

Adaptogenic herbs have been enjoying the limelight for a while now, but they are far from "new". These are plants that may grow in survive of the harshest conditions, so they are fully equipped to deal with stress 24/7. By consuming them, we take in their stress-coping "adaptogenic" capabilities.

Some adaptogens can be energy boosters, while others can provide a more balancing or calming effect.

According to Maria Noël Groves, author of "Body into Balance: An Herbal Guide to Holistic Self-Care", adaptogens are categorized and defined by their actions:

Adaptogens are relatively nontoxic and safe to consume. They benefit a range of body systems. They often have a modulating effect. For example, depending on whether levels of a particular hormone are low or high, an adaptogen may increase or decrease the body’s production of that hormone. They seem to work by affecting the stress response and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of the nervous-endocrine system.

About Balancing/Calming Adaptogens

Balancing/calming adaptogens can provide stress support for a broad spectrum of conditions. They can provide both energy and a sense of calm. They are usually well-tolerated, which can make them very useful as an addition to herbal formulas.

If you're experiencing fatigue and jitters from stress, these gentle adaptogens can help you feel more energized while also calming the nervous system.

Caffeine is not an adaptogen.

Now that I'm a mom, I tend to lean on balancing adaptogens more. They provide me with calm and steady energy. They are perfect for my needs.

Balancing adaptogens include: reishi, schizandra, ashwagandha, gotu kola, holy basil, bacopa, shatavari, and chaga mushroom.

About Stimulating Adaptogens

If your body is feeling depleted, deficient, dragging, or you are feeling depressed, these adaptogens may be helpful. Many of these adaptogens grow in harsh climates, like Siberia or mountain ranges, so they know what it's like to deal with real stress regularly.

It's best to take stimulating adaptogens in the morning; otherwise, you might find it difficult to sleep. I'm speaking from experience here! Also know that more is not always more. Use caution if you are already feeling overstimulated. These adaptogens can actually worsen anxiety, insomnia, mania, hypertension, and heart palpitations.

Stimulating adaptogens include: ginseng species, eleuthero, rhodiola, codonopsis, jiaogulan, and cordyceps.

BALANCING ASHWAGANDHA

Ashwagandha root can give you strength and vitality. It can also nourish and strengthen nervous, adrenal, thyroid, and immune functions. And if that's not enough, it can also decrease inflammation.

Be cautious with ashwagandha if you are allergic or sensitive to nightshade plants like potatoes or tomatoes. It is a nightshade relative.

ENERGIZING RHODIOLA

Rhodiola rosea is known for improving energy, focus, and vitality. It has been shown to help the body make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides energy on a cellular level. It has also been shown to improve cognitive function and reduce mental fatigue.

Because of rhodiola's neuroprotective and restorative effects, it can be helpful for the brain and nervous system.

CALMING SCHIZANDRA

Like ashwagandha, schizandra can be used to promote healthy sleep and pleasant dreams as well as energy, cognition, mood, and libido.

Research suggests that schizandra helps to increase liver detoxification and protect and heal the liver itself. It also supports immune function.

Adaptogens are growing in popularity for all of the reasons we've discussed here. But you don't have to go foraging for them, they are available from many online retailers.

WAYS TO INCORPORATE ADAPTOGENS INTO YOUR WELLNESS ROUTINE

My favorite ways to incorporate adaptogens into my wellness routine are with beverages like Rasa adaptogen coffee alternative (www.wearerasa.com) and Droplet sparkling adaptogenic beverages (www.drinkdroplet.com).

Additionally, my two favorite online apothecaries are Anima Mundi (http://animamundi.com/) and Apothekary (https://apothekary.co/)

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Be sure to check out the Super Woman Spotlight from this issue! It features an enlightening interview with Lopa van der Mersch, Founder and CEO of Rasa.