February 14, 2025 • 26 mins
Unlock the secrets of nature's pharmacy as I, Demetria Clark, guide you through the calming world of herbal remedies for anxiety. Imagine sipping a warm cup of chamomile tea or enjoying the soothing scent of lavender oil diffusing in your room, all while knowing you're tapping into centuries-old traditions for modern relief. Explore the gentle yet powerful effects of apigenin and linalool, the active components in chamomile and lavender, and learn how these accessible herbs can seamlessly integrate into your daily rituals. Whether you're brewing a calming cup of tea or winding down with the scent of lavender, discover how these natural wonders can support your journey to mental well-being.
In this episode, we also embark on a fascinating exploration of valerian root, a potent herb known for its anxiety-reducing properties. Uncover the best ways to incorporate valerian into your routine, with tips on preparing it safely as a tea or tincture, while understanding the essential precautions needed when using it. I share a delightful personal story about valerian's amusing effect on cats and stress the importance of consulting healthcare professionals before adding any herb to your wellness arsenal. Emphasizing quality and safety, we dive into the critical aspects of sourcing your herbs from reputable suppliers. Join us in embracing these natural solutions that beautifully complement other anxiety management methods, creating a holistic approach to alleviating stress and fostering inner peace.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, this is Demetria Clark, the director of Heart of
Herbs Herbal School, and todayI'm going to be talking about
some great herbs for anxiety.
So, look, anxiety is somethingwe hear about all the time.
It is something that isbecoming almost an epidemic in
(00:20):
our country and in our cultureand the way that we live our
lives.
There's so many anxietyinducing events and activities
and just even if you look at theway we talk to ourselves and
how we talk to each other, thoseare all anxiety inducing.
I always tell people look,nobody could say anything meaner
(00:44):
about me than I could say toand about myself.
As human beings, we arenaturally already geared up to
be as nasty to ourselves astimes as possible.
Unfortunately, we also seem tobe using that behavior to be
nasty to one another, especiallyjust commenting about things
(01:06):
that really don't have anythingto do with us.
But we definitely all want tobe armchair experts and no, I'm
not being negative against thearmchair expert podcast or
anything like that.
I'm just saying likeindividuals really really find a
way to be nasty to each other.
Even if you look at the waypeople talk about each other
(01:29):
online or talk about people whoare famous, and when push comes
to shove in the back of ourheads, we're thinking is that
how people talk about us?
Is that how my friends aretalking about me, or the people
that I think love me?
Are they talking nasty about mefirst?
You know, there used to be this, this saying used to be like oh
, she's nasty, nice, and that isnot a compliment.
(01:50):
So, while professional help iscrucial for managing anxiety and
anxiety disorders, manyindividuals find relief through
natural remedies, includingherbs.
So obviously, at Heart of HerbsHerbal School, we believe in
the power of nature to supportmental wellbeing, but that does
(02:10):
not mean that, if you needprofessional or pharmacological
or other kinds of help to getthrough your anxiety, that you
shouldn't take it.
Look, the goal, I think, foreveryone is for everyone to be
well and for people to besupported in the way that they
(02:31):
need to be supported.
So I'm going to talk about somewonderful herbs that are
effective for anxiety relief,but I also want you to remember
that there's other things youcan do too.
There's breathing exercises,there's physical exercises,
there's talk therapy, there'sart therapy, there's music.
(02:51):
There's all kinds of thingsthat you can do to help you with
your anxiety.
These herbs are lovely becausethese herbs can also help.
So we're going to go over sixherbs that are commonly used for
anxiety and I'll tell you alittle bit more about each one.
(03:14):
Okay, the first step we're goingto talk about is chamomile,
matricaria chamomilla.
So chamomile contains apigenin,a flavonoid that binds to
benzodiazepine receptors in thebrain, producing a calming
effect.
It also has mild sedativeproperties, which can help with
sleep disturbances linked toanxiety.
(03:35):
It's often best consumed as atea.
You can also get it in capsuleor tincture form, but a tea is
really super easy it's one totwo teaspoons of dried flowers
steeped in hot water for about15 to 20 minutes.
It can also be taken in otherforms, and you'll want to follow
(03:55):
the dosage guidelines on that.
A study published inphytomedicine found that
chamomile extract significantlyreduced symptoms of generalized
anxiety disorder compared to aplacebo, and this was in 2009.
If you're allergic to plants inthe estuary family, you will
want to avoid chamomile, becausechamomile is from that family.
(04:19):
The next one is lavender,lavender and gustafolia.
So the mechanism by whichlavender works is its primary
active components.
Linalool and linalool acetatehave been found to show that
they influence theparasympathetic nervous system,
reducing stress and anxiety bylowering heart rate and blood
(04:42):
pressure.
So lavender is known.
It has a long history of beingcalming, soothing,
sleep-inducing, offeringrelaxation, antispasmodic, like
it's just known for being really, really calming and effective,
and this is as an herb and as anessential oil.
(05:03):
So lavender essential oil in adiffuser five to ten drops.
Add a few drops to carrier oilfor topical application, or
dried flowers for tea or to addto bath water is a very, very
common way for it to be used.
You can find lavender in allkinds of topical applications
lotions, creams, salves.
(05:26):
It's great to make a dreampillow out of.
For little children you caneven put some lavender flower in
, just like a tube sock withsome rice, and they can sleep,
you know, have that under theirpillow.
I used to sprinkle lavenderflower under our bed sheets.
We all slept together as afamily, so I would put that
(05:47):
under, like I would have a sheetprotector and then I had uh, I
would sprinkle lavender flowersevery time I changed the sheets
and so they would just kind ofslightly crush when we would
roll around and would just makethe bedroom smell very slightly
of lavender.
But my boys really liked it andit really worked for them.
(06:09):
It really helped them calm downand relax at night.
A systematic review in mentalhealth clinician in 2017
concluded that lavender oilcapsules significantly reduced
anxiety symptoms, and this wasin multiple clinical trials and
(06:30):
some were done in 2014.
You're not going to want toingest the essential oil.
Many, many places or manydifferent kinds of companies and
I'm not going to name nameswill be like drink essential oil
.
You don't want to do that.
Don't listen to that.
If you want to intake lavenderdirectly, use it in the format
(06:52):
of a tea or a tincture.
You want to make sure that youuse all essential oils and herbs
safely and do not drinkessential oils.
That is just good blanketadvice.
The next one is passionflowerPassiflora incarnata.
The mechanism by which it worksis passionflower increases
(07:17):
gamma-amnio-butyric acid levels,so GABA levels.
You'll see GABA everywhere.
Now listen, don't come at mefor pronouncing things wrong.
I have been doing this workliterally for a gazillion years,
like since I was a teenager.
I've been working with plantsin one way or another and I
(07:40):
still stumble over the differentLatin names and other kinds of
names.
Listen, nobody's speech isperfect, so let that go If it
bothers you.
I'm sorry.
I always try to be better, butdon't stress out about me
pronouncing a name wrong.
So this works by reducingoveractivity and promoting
(08:02):
relaxation.
So passionflower has a longhistory of being helpful with
stress and anxiety issues anddisorders.
You can use as a tincture so oneto two mils up to three times a
day, or as a tea one teaspoondried herbs steeped in hot water
(08:23):
for 10 to 15 minutes.
I usually like to do mine alittle bit longer.
I always kind of like I alwaysdo 20 minutes minimum, but
that's really up to you.
This is a common number, youknow 10 to 15 minutes.
Obviously, look, we're notdoctors.
We're just passing oninformation.
(08:43):
You'll need to find what worksfor you.
We're not telling you how toyou know.
This isn't a prescription.
This isn't any of that stuff.
This is just really trying tohelp connect you with
information.
A study in the Journal ofClinical Pharmacy and
Therapeutics showed thatpassionflower was as effective
(09:03):
as oxazepam, a prescription foranti-anxiety, for managing
generalized anxiety disorders,with fewer side effects.
I know that a lot of parentsthat I've worked with over the
years have found that a littlebit of passion flower can really
assist their children withanxiety disorders.
(09:25):
It works really good at the endof the day.
So if you want to use it fortomorrow.
You would use it before bedtoday because it can cause some
drowsiness and you should notuse it with sedatives or alcohol
.
The next is lemon balm, andlemon balm is great, right?
(09:47):
Lemon balm besides the factthat it's generally safe and it
can interact with thyroidmedications usually I wait till
the end to tell you the cautionsCan interact with thyroid
medications.
Usually I wait till the end totell you the cautions.
But if you have a thyroid issue, I don't want you to get too
excited over lemon balm, becauselemon balm is awesome.
It is so generally like easy touse.
(10:07):
It works so good by modulatingGABA receptors and enhancing the
calming effects ofneurotransmitters.
I mean, I would use lemon balmleaves fresh.
I would just give a few to mykids to just like calm them down
.
Right, and that was just themholding it in the hand and
crushing it and releasing theessential oil as a tea.
(10:29):
It works fabulous and the goodthing is is it tastes absolutely
delicious.
So people who are not likereally tea people or they don't
like, oh, I don't want it.
That's gross.
I'm not going to take any mudbrew, or that was what a client
said her kids used to call theirstuff a mud brew, anything like
that.
It isn't like that.
(10:50):
Lemon balm is not like that.
Lemon balm can also be madeinto like a mocktail.
It just has such a great taste,all right.
So you would want to rememberthat.
It is calming and gentle and ithas a calming effect on
(11:14):
neurotransmitters in the brain.
It also contains rosminaricacid, which may have mild
sedative effects.
So you really want to try touse lemon balm leaves as fresh
as possible, because they dohave such high essential oil
content that if they're not likemade into a tincture, you will
(11:40):
find that as they dry, it reallyisn't as strong.
It just really doesn't have thesame benefit.
Now, pro tip, go to the grocerystore.
You can get it fresh, usuallyin the areas that have fresh
herbs.
You can often find lemon balmeven in the little salad size
(12:01):
containers.
So that could give you enoughfor a few glasses of tea a week,
or growing it inside.
It grows really well.
It just likes being around you,if that makes any sense.
So you can make a tea with thefresh leaves I would steep it
(12:21):
for 20-25 minutes or you cantake it as a tincture or a
capsule.
Now, that being said, I'm not ahuge fan of this in capsule
format because it just loses somuch of its potency as it dries
and the essential oils evaporate.
So if you have a freeze dryer,that could be like an excellent
(12:45):
way to preserve it for a longtime.
Use A randomized and controlledtrial published in Nutrients
found that lemon balm extractsignificantly reduced anxiety
and improved mood inparticipants.
So lemon balm is, as I'llrepeat, is generally safe, but
it may interact with thyroidmedications, not medifications,
(13:10):
all right.
Ashwagandha so ashwagandha is anadaptogen and you've probably
been hearing about Ashwagandha.
So ashwagandha is an adaptogenand you've probably been hearing
about ashwagandha.
It's like one of the hot, hotherbs of the years.
It regulates cortisol levels,reducing stress and improving
the body's resistance tostressors.
So let's just repeat that ithelps improve the butt is
(13:35):
resistance to stressors.
So there are some herbs that Ilike to think of like as action
herbs and herbs that really likedo stuff, and they're
supportive when I kind of thinkof like ashwagandha as your
lineman.
So if you're playing football,you need your lineman to like
hold the wall, to take it to thenext end, to make a hole to
(13:57):
fill in.
You know where there is a needand a necessary, and so I really
feel like ashwagandha is one ofthose things that just really
helps regulate cortisol levels,reduces stress and improves the
body's resistance to stress, andit also supports adrenal,
(14:19):
overall adrenal health.
So one of the great things withthis herb is that it just
really I feel like this herb isworking to help you.
You know what I mean.
Like it's like all right,what's my job?
Okay, I'm going to do it.
It's typically taken in capsuleor powder form.
(14:41):
You could do it as a tincture.
You can.
You know you can take it in alot, you know any of the herbal
formats, but most people take itin as a tincture or capsule and
it's the extract of the rootthat you would be taking.
A study in the Journal ofClinical Psychopharmacology
(15:04):
found that ashwagandhasignificantly reduced cortisol
levels and symptoms of stressand anxiety in participants.
So the thing is is that a lotof people who suffer from you
know, just fight or flightconstantly or you know they
always feel like you knowthey're being chased by a tiger.
(15:24):
They can't seem to regulate andbring themselves down.
This herb can be an excellentherb for them, though I will say
it's not recommended duringpregnancy or for individuals
with autoimmune diseases.
So if you have an autoimmunedisease, you're probably going
to find that this herb is notgood for you at all.
(15:46):
It can work in a way that canmake that almost worse.
So you really want to make surethat, if you're using
ashwagandha, that you understandwhy you're using it and what
you want it to do, and you needto make sure, obviously, that
you're not pregnant or that youhave an autoimmune disease.
(16:08):
So the next one is valerian, andand valerian is great.
Valerian root increases GABAlevels in the brain, promoting
relaxation and reducing anxiety.
It's often commonly used forinsomnia and associated with
anxiety.
Okay, note to all the parentsout there it's great for
(16:31):
promoting sleep.
But in some children,especially children who maybe
are a little bit morerambunctious or maybe have some
ADD or ADHD, valerian mayactually make them a lot more
hyper, and I'm finding that thisis true in adults who have this
similar types of personalities.
(16:51):
So if you are an ADD adult, yougive it a try, you know, but
you may find that it actuallymay make you a little bit more,
you know, moving around and lessable to settle, and the point
of this is to help you relax andreduce anxiety.
(17:11):
So you'll want to make surethat you feel like you're a good
candidate for valerian Now.
Valerian can be excellent.
It can really really work forpeople who are suffering from
different kinds of insomnia.
It's a lot of people like it,especially going through
menopause, who are dealing withinsomnia and anxiety.
(17:35):
Um, those are things that canincrease during menopause and
perimenopause.
So, definitely, like if thoseare things that you're dealing
with, you may want to give thisa try.
You use the dried root in a teaor tincture capsule.
You brew it as a tea.
(17:56):
Most roots are brewed as adecoction, and a decoction means
that you add the herb tosimmering water and you allow it
to simmer for 20 minutes or so.
Simmer for 20 minutes or so.
An infusion means that you brew, you boil the water or simmer
(18:19):
the water and pour it over theplant material like you're
making a tea.
Valerian is not usually becauseit often is just so rich with
volatile oils that it doesn'tneed to be, and it works really
(18:40):
well this way.
It is often taken as a tea ortincture capsules.
I have even put valerian insalves after I have infused the
root and oil, because it's agreat pain relieving mechanism
too.
Meta-analysis published in theJournal of Evidence-Based
(19:05):
Complementary and AlternativeMedicine found valerian
effective in reducing anxietysymptoms, though more research
was called for in that study.
Now, valerian can causedrowsiness.
It's not really suggested to beused if you're going to be
(19:25):
operating heavy machinery.
You're not supposed to use itwith sedatives or alcohol.
Not supposed to use it withsedatives or alcohol.
For some people, valerian cancause them to like get to sleep
pretty quickly.
So you definitely you know,look, you're not going to be
like falling asleep like you'reunder the influence of a drug,
necessarily, but you want tomake sure that when you take it
(19:47):
you're ready for bed.
Now, valerian is interesting.
Depending upon how old the rootis, it can have a variety of
scents, and so one of the scentsis often described as dirty
feet.
Now, if you have cats, mycautionary tale to heart Picture
(20:19):
this Vermont, after a snowstorm, needing to go to the grocery
store.
Ding dong, the door opens andit's a delivery from your
favorite herbal company.
Oh my gosh, my delivery ofherbs is coming in, but I have
two children in snowsuits readyto go to the grocery store with
me in the freezing cold, becausethe roads have been cleared and
we need to go get food.
(20:39):
And so what do I do?
I put the box by the pantrydoor.
I don't bother to unpack it,I'll get it later.
Upon coming home, my two catshad chewed through the box to
get to the valerian root insideand my whole house was covered
(21:04):
with the scattering.
Okay, to be fair, it wasn't theupstairs, it was just the
downstairs.
You know where all my softfurnishing is, with about a
pound of dried valerian root, itwas spread everywhere.
My whole house smelled likevalerian and I had the world's
(21:28):
highest cats.
Now, once they went to valerian, catnip never did the job for
them again.
Cats love valerian.
If you have it growing in thegarden, they they went to
Valerian.
Catnip never did the job forthem again.
Cats love Valerian.
If you have it growing in thegarden, they're going to go dig
it up.
I mean, cats love Valerian.
So just take my cautionary taleto heart and understand that
you may not want to have yourliving room furniture covered
(21:50):
with Valerian roots.
So if it comes in, put it upwhere they can't get it.
Get it in a glass jar rightaway, because cats do truly,
truly love valerian.
And it's so funny.
I will often tell students thisand I'll tell people this and
they're just kind of like, okay,okay, until they have their
valerian experience, and thenthey're like, oh my gosh, I
should have listened to you.
(22:12):
So some general notes on herbaluse.
Understand that this is apodcast.
We're not telling you how to doanything with your health or
your well-being.
We're just sharing information.
Anything you do with yourhealth and your well-being is up
to you and under your purview.
If you want to do something,talk to your health care
provider.
I am not your health careprovider.
I am just sharing information.
(22:32):
Use herbs under the guidance ofa qualified herbalist or
healthcare provider, especiallyif you're pregnant, nursing,
taking medications or have amedical condition.
Combine herbal approaches withother stress management
techniques, such as mindfulnesstherapy and other kinds of
movement and activity.
(22:52):
Don't act like herbs are goingto have the same effect as drugs
, because guess what?
They don't.
They work differently.
You may need to take an herbfor a while before you start
getting its overall effects, buthere listen to this If an herb
makes you feel bad, don't takeit.
(23:14):
There's no such thing as ahealing crisis If you are doing
something with an herb and itcauses some kind of rash, or it
causes your throat to itch or itmakes you feel bad, or it gives
you some kind of outcome youdon't like.
Don't take it.
That means it's not meant foryou.
Always make sure that you knowwhat you're taking to.
(23:35):
If you are going to buy aproduct and it doesn't have the
Latin name listed and you can'tverify what that plant is by the
common name, don't buy it.
We need to have better labeling, and how we get better labeling
is by you shopping with yourdollar, and if you buy herbs in
bulk, buy them from places thatyou trust, places that can give
(23:58):
you a source for your drugs oryour herbs.
Sorry, where does it come from?
And the only reason why I saiddrugs is that we have a huge
problem in our country withbeing able to source where our
pharmaceutical drugs come fromand where their ingredients come
from.
And often where theiringredients come from, and often
where their ingredients comefrom is not places that you
(24:18):
necessarily want to getingredients from, because of
this, as we've seen this latelywith recalls and all this kind
of stuff.
Well, same can happen with herbs, and so you want to make sure
that you're purchasing fromcompanies that work really,
really hard to have good sources, clean sources and that they
can follow things back to thesource.
So definitely pay attention tothat and definitely try to do
(24:44):
your very best.
If you can't grow herbsyourself, don't worry, there's
plenty of good people out thereselling herbs.
Just make it an effort toconnect with them and make sure
that you understand what you'rebuying from the beginning, so
you know with all confidencethat this chamomile that I'm
buying is actually chamomile.
(25:05):
Thank you so much for listeningand have a wonderful, wonderful
day.
Hi, this is Demetria Clark, the director of Heart of
Herbs Herbal School, and todayI'm going to be talking about
some great herbs for anxiety.
So, look, anxiety is somethingwe hear about all the time.
It is something that isbecoming almost an epidemic in
(00:20):
our country and in our cultureand the way that we live our
lives.
There's so many anxietyinducing events and activities
and just even if you look at theway we talk to ourselves and
how we talk to each other, thoseare all anxiety inducing.
I always tell people look,nobody could say anything meaner
(00:44):
about me than I could say toand about myself.
As human beings, we arenaturally already geared up to
be as nasty to ourselves astimes as possible.
Unfortunately, we also seem tobe using that behavior to be
nasty to one another, especiallyjust commenting about things
(01:06):
that really don't have anythingto do with us.
But we definitely all want tobe armchair experts and no, I'm
not being negative against thearmchair expert podcast or
anything like that.
I'm just saying likeindividuals really really find a
way to be nasty to each other.
Even if you look at the waypeople talk about each other
(01:29):
online or talk about people whoare famous, and when push comes
to shove in the back of ourheads, we're thinking is that
how people talk about us?
Is that how my friends aretalking about me, or the people
that I think love me?
Are they talking nasty about mefirst?
You know, there used to be this, this saying used to be like oh
, she's nasty, nice, and that isnot a compliment.
(01:50):
So, while professional help iscrucial for managing anxiety and
anxiety disorders, manyindividuals find relief through
natural remedies, includingherbs.
So obviously, at Heart of HerbsHerbal School, we believe in
the power of nature to supportmental wellbeing, but that does
(02:10):
not mean that, if you needprofessional or pharmacological
or other kinds of help to getthrough your anxiety, that you
shouldn't take it.
Look, the goal, I think, foreveryone is for everyone to be
well and for people to besupported in the way that they
(02:31):
need to be supported.
So I'm going to talk about somewonderful herbs that are
effective for anxiety relief,but I also want you to remember
that there's other things youcan do too.
There's breathing exercises,there's physical exercises,
there's talk therapy, there'sart therapy, there's music.
(02:51):
There's all kinds of thingsthat you can do to help you with
your anxiety.
These herbs are lovely becausethese herbs can also help.
So we're going to go over sixherbs that are commonly used for
anxiety and I'll tell you alittle bit more about each one.
(03:14):
Okay, the first step we're goingto talk about is chamomile,
matricaria chamomilla.
So chamomile contains apigenin,a flavonoid that binds to
benzodiazepine receptors in thebrain, producing a calming
effect.
It also has mild sedativeproperties, which can help with
sleep disturbances linked toanxiety.
(03:35):
It's often best consumed as atea.
You can also get it in capsuleor tincture form, but a tea is
really super easy it's one totwo teaspoons of dried flowers
steeped in hot water for about15 to 20 minutes.
It can also be taken in otherforms, and you'll want to follow
(03:55):
the dosage guidelines on that.
A study published inphytomedicine found that
chamomile extract significantlyreduced symptoms of generalized
anxiety disorder compared to aplacebo, and this was in 2009.
If you're allergic to plants inthe estuary family, you will
want to avoid chamomile, becausechamomile is from that family.
(04:19):
The next one is lavender,lavender and gustafolia.
So the mechanism by whichlavender works is its primary
active components.
Linalool and linalool acetatehave been found to show that
they influence theparasympathetic nervous system,
reducing stress and anxiety bylowering heart rate and blood
(04:42):
pressure.
So lavender is known.
It has a long history of beingcalming, soothing,
sleep-inducing, offeringrelaxation, antispasmodic, like
it's just known for being really, really calming and effective,
and this is as an herb and as anessential oil.
(05:03):
So lavender essential oil in adiffuser five to ten drops.
Add a few drops to carrier oilfor topical application, or
dried flowers for tea or to addto bath water is a very, very
common way for it to be used.
You can find lavender in allkinds of topical applications
lotions, creams, salves.
(05:26):
It's great to make a dreampillow out of.
For little children you caneven put some lavender flower in
, just like a tube sock withsome rice, and they can sleep,
you know, have that under theirpillow.
I used to sprinkle lavenderflower under our bed sheets.
We all slept together as afamily, so I would put that
(05:47):
under, like I would have a sheetprotector and then I had uh, I
would sprinkle lavender flowersevery time I changed the sheets
and so they would just kind ofslightly crush when we would
roll around and would just makethe bedroom smell very slightly
of lavender.
But my boys really liked it andit really worked for them.
(06:09):
It really helped them calm downand relax at night.
A systematic review in mentalhealth clinician in 2017
concluded that lavender oilcapsules significantly reduced
anxiety symptoms, and this wasin multiple clinical trials and
(06:30):
some were done in 2014.
You're not going to want toingest the essential oil.
Many, many places or manydifferent kinds of companies and
I'm not going to name nameswill be like drink essential oil
.
You don't want to do that.
Don't listen to that.
If you want to intake lavenderdirectly, use it in the format
(06:52):
of a tea or a tincture.
You want to make sure that youuse all essential oils and herbs
safely and do not drinkessential oils.
That is just good blanketadvice.
The next one is passionflowerPassiflora incarnata.
The mechanism by which it worksis passionflower increases
(07:17):
gamma-amnio-butyric acid levels,so GABA levels.
You'll see GABA everywhere.
Now listen, don't come at mefor pronouncing things wrong.
I have been doing this workliterally for a gazillion years,
like since I was a teenager.
I've been working with plantsin one way or another and I
(07:40):
still stumble over the differentLatin names and other kinds of
names.
Listen, nobody's speech isperfect, so let that go If it
bothers you.
I'm sorry.
I always try to be better, butdon't stress out about me
pronouncing a name wrong.
So this works by reducingoveractivity and promoting
(08:02):
relaxation.
So passionflower has a longhistory of being helpful with
stress and anxiety issues anddisorders.
You can use as a tincture so oneto two mils up to three times a
day, or as a tea one teaspoondried herbs steeped in hot water
(08:23):
for 10 to 15 minutes.
I usually like to do mine alittle bit longer.
I always kind of like I alwaysdo 20 minutes minimum, but
that's really up to you.
This is a common number, youknow 10 to 15 minutes.
Obviously, look, we're notdoctors.
We're just passing oninformation.
(08:43):
You'll need to find what worksfor you.
We're not telling you how toyou know.
This isn't a prescription.
This isn't any of that stuff.
This is just really trying tohelp connect you with
information.
A study in the Journal ofClinical Pharmacy and
Therapeutics showed thatpassionflower was as effective
(09:03):
as oxazepam, a prescription foranti-anxiety, for managing
generalized anxiety disorders,with fewer side effects.
I know that a lot of parentsthat I've worked with over the
years have found that a littlebit of passion flower can really
assist their children withanxiety disorders.
(09:25):
It works really good at the endof the day.
So if you want to use it fortomorrow.
You would use it before bedtoday because it can cause some
drowsiness and you should notuse it with sedatives or alcohol
.
The next is lemon balm, andlemon balm is great, right?
(09:47):
Lemon balm besides the factthat it's generally safe and it
can interact with thyroidmedications usually I wait till
the end to tell you the cautionsCan interact with thyroid
medications.
Usually I wait till the end totell you the cautions.
But if you have a thyroid issue, I don't want you to get too
excited over lemon balm, becauselemon balm is awesome.
It is so generally like easy touse.
(10:07):
It works so good by modulatingGABA receptors and enhancing the
calming effects ofneurotransmitters.
I mean, I would use lemon balmleaves fresh.
I would just give a few to mykids to just like calm them down
.
Right, and that was just themholding it in the hand and
crushing it and releasing theessential oil as a tea.
(10:29):
It works fabulous and the goodthing is is it tastes absolutely
delicious.
So people who are not likereally tea people or they don't
like, oh, I don't want it.
That's gross.
I'm not going to take any mudbrew, or that was what a client
said her kids used to call theirstuff a mud brew, anything like
that.
It isn't like that.
(10:50):
Lemon balm is not like that.
Lemon balm can also be madeinto like a mocktail.
It just has such a great taste,all right.
So you would want to rememberthat.
It is calming and gentle and ithas a calming effect on
(11:14):
neurotransmitters in the brain.
It also contains rosminaricacid, which may have mild
sedative effects.
So you really want to try touse lemon balm leaves as fresh
as possible, because they dohave such high essential oil
content that if they're not likemade into a tincture, you will
(11:40):
find that as they dry, it reallyisn't as strong.
It just really doesn't have thesame benefit.
Now, pro tip, go to the grocerystore.
You can get it fresh, usuallyin the areas that have fresh
herbs.
You can often find lemon balmeven in the little salad size
(12:01):
containers.
So that could give you enoughfor a few glasses of tea a week,
or growing it inside.
It grows really well.
It just likes being around you,if that makes any sense.
So you can make a tea with thefresh leaves I would steep it
(12:21):
for 20-25 minutes or you cantake it as a tincture or a
capsule.
Now, that being said, I'm not ahuge fan of this in capsule
format because it just loses somuch of its potency as it dries
and the essential oils evaporate.
So if you have a freeze dryer,that could be like an excellent
(12:45):
way to preserve it for a longtime.
Use A randomized and controlledtrial published in Nutrients
found that lemon balm extractsignificantly reduced anxiety
and improved mood inparticipants.
So lemon balm is, as I'llrepeat, is generally safe, but
it may interact with thyroidmedications, not medifications,
(13:10):
all right.
Ashwagandha so ashwagandha is anadaptogen and you've probably
been hearing about Ashwagandha.
So ashwagandha is an adaptogenand you've probably been hearing
about ashwagandha.
It's like one of the hot, hotherbs of the years.
It regulates cortisol levels,reducing stress and improving
the body's resistance tostressors.
So let's just repeat that ithelps improve the butt is
(13:35):
resistance to stressors.
So there are some herbs that Ilike to think of like as action
herbs and herbs that really likedo stuff, and they're
supportive when I kind of thinkof like ashwagandha as your
lineman.
So if you're playing football,you need your lineman to like
hold the wall, to take it to thenext end, to make a hole to
(13:57):
fill in.
You know where there is a needand a necessary, and so I really
feel like ashwagandha is one ofthose things that just really
helps regulate cortisol levels,reduces stress and improves the
body's resistance to stress, andit also supports adrenal,
(14:19):
overall adrenal health.
So one of the great things withthis herb is that it just
really I feel like this herb isworking to help you.
You know what I mean.
Like it's like all right,what's my job?
Okay, I'm going to do it.
It's typically taken in capsuleor powder form.
(14:41):
You could do it as a tincture.
You can.
You know you can take it in alot, you know any of the herbal
formats, but most people take itin as a tincture or capsule and
it's the extract of the rootthat you would be taking.
A study in the Journal ofClinical Psychopharmacology
(15:04):
found that ashwagandhasignificantly reduced cortisol
levels and symptoms of stressand anxiety in participants.
So the thing is is that a lotof people who suffer from you
know, just fight or flightconstantly or you know they
always feel like you knowthey're being chased by a tiger.
(15:24):
They can't seem to regulate andbring themselves down.
This herb can be an excellentherb for them, though I will say
it's not recommended duringpregnancy or for individuals
with autoimmune diseases.
So if you have an autoimmunedisease, you're probably going
to find that this herb is notgood for you at all.
(15:46):
It can work in a way that canmake that almost worse.
So you really want to make surethat, if you're using
ashwagandha, that you understandwhy you're using it and what
you want it to do, and you needto make sure, obviously, that
you're not pregnant or that youhave an autoimmune disease.
(16:08):
So the next one is valerian, andand valerian is great.
Valerian root increases GABAlevels in the brain, promoting
relaxation and reducing anxiety.
It's often commonly used forinsomnia and associated with
anxiety.
Okay, note to all the parentsout there it's great for
(16:31):
promoting sleep.
But in some children,especially children who maybe
are a little bit morerambunctious or maybe have some
ADD or ADHD, valerian mayactually make them a lot more
hyper, and I'm finding that thisis true in adults who have this
similar types of personalities.
(16:51):
So if you are an ADD adult, yougive it a try, you know, but
you may find that it actuallymay make you a little bit more,
you know, moving around and lessable to settle, and the point
of this is to help you relax andreduce anxiety.
(17:11):
So you'll want to make surethat you feel like you're a good
candidate for valerian Now.
Valerian can be excellent.
It can really really work forpeople who are suffering from
different kinds of insomnia.
It's a lot of people like it,especially going through
menopause, who are dealing withinsomnia and anxiety.
(17:35):
Um, those are things that canincrease during menopause and
perimenopause.
So, definitely, like if thoseare things that you're dealing
with, you may want to give thisa try.
You use the dried root in a teaor tincture capsule.
You brew it as a tea.
(17:56):
Most roots are brewed as adecoction, and a decoction means
that you add the herb tosimmering water and you allow it
to simmer for 20 minutes or so.
Simmer for 20 minutes or so.
An infusion means that you brew, you boil the water or simmer
(18:19):
the water and pour it over theplant material like you're
making a tea.
Valerian is not usually becauseit often is just so rich with
volatile oils that it doesn'tneed to be, and it works really
(18:40):
well this way.
It is often taken as a tea ortincture capsules.
I have even put valerian insalves after I have infused the
root and oil, because it's agreat pain relieving mechanism
too.
Meta-analysis published in theJournal of Evidence-Based
(19:05):
Complementary and AlternativeMedicine found valerian
effective in reducing anxietysymptoms, though more research
was called for in that study.
Now, valerian can causedrowsiness.
It's not really suggested to beused if you're going to be
(19:25):
operating heavy machinery.
You're not supposed to use itwith sedatives or alcohol.
Not supposed to use it withsedatives or alcohol.
For some people, valerian cancause them to like get to sleep
pretty quickly.
So you definitely you know,look, you're not going to be
like falling asleep like you'reunder the influence of a drug,
necessarily, but you want tomake sure that when you take it
(19:47):
you're ready for bed.
Now, valerian is interesting.
Depending upon how old the rootis, it can have a variety of
scents, and so one of the scentsis often described as dirty
feet.
Now, if you have cats, mycautionary tale to heart Picture
(20:19):
this Vermont, after a snowstorm, needing to go to the grocery
store.
Ding dong, the door opens andit's a delivery from your
favorite herbal company.
Oh my gosh, my delivery ofherbs is coming in, but I have
two children in snowsuits readyto go to the grocery store with
me in the freezing cold, becausethe roads have been cleared and
we need to go get food.
(20:39):
And so what do I do?
I put the box by the pantrydoor.
I don't bother to unpack it,I'll get it later.
Upon coming home, my two catshad chewed through the box to
get to the valerian root insideand my whole house was covered
(21:04):
with the scattering.
Okay, to be fair, it wasn't theupstairs, it was just the
downstairs.
You know where all my softfurnishing is, with about a
pound of dried valerian root, itwas spread everywhere.
My whole house smelled likevalerian and I had the world's
(21:28):
highest cats.
Now, once they went to valerian, catnip never did the job for
them again.
Cats love valerian.
If you have it growing in thegarden, they they went to
Valerian.
Catnip never did the job forthem again.
Cats love Valerian.
If you have it growing in thegarden, they're going to go dig
it up.
I mean, cats love Valerian.
So just take my cautionary taleto heart and understand that
you may not want to have yourliving room furniture covered
(21:50):
with Valerian roots.
So if it comes in, put it upwhere they can't get it.
Get it in a glass jar rightaway, because cats do truly,
truly love valerian.
And it's so funny.
I will often tell students thisand I'll tell people this and
they're just kind of like, okay,okay, until they have their
valerian experience, and thenthey're like, oh my gosh, I
should have listened to you.
(22:12):
So some general notes on herbaluse.
Understand that this is apodcast.
We're not telling you how to doanything with your health or
your well-being.
We're just sharing information.
Anything you do with yourhealth and your well-being is up
to you and under your purview.
If you want to do something,talk to your health care
provider.
I am not your health careprovider.
I am just sharing information.
(22:32):
Use herbs under the guidance ofa qualified herbalist or
healthcare provider, especiallyif you're pregnant, nursing,
taking medications or have amedical condition.
Combine herbal approaches withother stress management
techniques, such as mindfulnesstherapy and other kinds of
movement and activity.
(22:52):
Don't act like herbs are goingto have the same effect as drugs
, because guess what?
They don't.
They work differently.
You may need to take an herbfor a while before you start
getting its overall effects, buthere listen to this If an herb
makes you feel bad, don't takeit.
(23:14):
There's no such thing as ahealing crisis If you are doing
something with an herb and itcauses some kind of rash, or it
causes your throat to itch or itmakes you feel bad, or it gives
you some kind of outcome youdon't like.
Don't take it.
That means it's not meant foryou.
Always make sure that you knowwhat you're taking to.
(23:35):
If you are going to buy aproduct and it doesn't have the
Latin name listed and you can'tverify what that plant is by the
common name, don't buy it.
We need to have better labeling, and how we get better labeling
is by you shopping with yourdollar, and if you buy herbs in
bulk, buy them from places thatyou trust, places that can give
(23:58):
you a source for your drugs oryour herbs.
Sorry, where does it come from?
And the only reason why I saiddrugs is that we have a huge
problem in our country withbeing able to source where our
pharmaceutical drugs come fromand where their ingredients come
from.
And often where theiringredients come from, and often
where their ingredients comefrom is not places that you
(24:18):
necessarily want to getingredients from, because of
this, as we've seen this latelywith recalls and all this kind
of stuff.
Well, same can happen with herbs, and so you want to make sure
that you're purchasing fromcompanies that work really,
really hard to have good sources, clean sources and that they
can follow things back to thesource.
So definitely pay attention tothat and definitely try to do
(24:44):
your very best.
If you can't grow herbsyourself, don't worry, there's
plenty of good people out thereselling herbs.
Just make it an effort toconnect with them and make sure
that you understand what you'rebuying from the beginning, so
you know with all confidencethat this chamomile that I'm
buying is actually chamomile.
(25:05):
Thank you so much for listeningand have a wonderful, wonderful
day.
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