Natural Stress & Anxiety Relievers

Stress can have numurous side effects on our overall health and wellbeing. Find out the many health benefits of adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms - and how incorporating them into your selfcare routine can help to naturally relieve stress and anxiety. 

Picture this, you find yourself enjoying a good night’s sleep when all of a sudden you begin to become suspicious about how much sleep you’re getting. You wake up, grab your phone and stare at the clock--you’ve slept through your alarm. The stress begins to set in as you realize that you have 30 minutes to get to work and a 40 minute commute. You get up in a frenzy and rush towards the washroom and begin to brush your teeth. You decide to look through your closet simultaneously only to discover that you left all your work clothes in the washing machine. You run towards the washing machine and pull out your wet clothes, put them on and figure that you’ll just blast the heat in the car to get your clothes to dry. You finish brushing your teeth, grab your belongings and rush out the door. You start the car, you have 20 minutes left to get to work. You step on the gas and manage to arrive at your workplace with 1 minute to spare. You reach for the building door and notice that it’s locked. Then, you reach towards your pocket to call security to let you into the building. You glance at your phone and notice...it’s Saturday. You were stressed out for no reason.

Now, you may be wondering why we told you this story. And, the reason is that although this story was fictional, it was inspired by real events. Sadly, this is a recurring reality for many of us. We live in a go-go-go world, where time is short and stress is high. And, since we’re constantly stressed out, our bodies and minds are suffering. Luckily, we have a secret weapon to combat this constant stress...adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms! Adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms are an absolute powerhouse when it comes to naturally combating stress and anxiety, and improving our overall health. Keep reading to find out what adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms can do for you!

What Are Adaptogens & Medicinal Mushrooms?

Adaptogens are special types of plants that help your mind and body adapt to life’s challenges. In general, adaptogens contain compounds which help the body and mind combat stress. Similarly, medicinal mushrooms are fungi that also have special compounds that work to help you manage stress and anxiety. Adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms are all natural stress and anxiety relievers. These natural remedies bulletproof the body against stress or help the body to recovery from stressful situations, but they have more up their sleeves than we give them credit for. Whether it's a physical stress like an intense workout or a mental test like your university exams or your kid/partner is taking you for a whirl, adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms can help to lighten your troubles.

How Do Adaptogens & Medicinal Mushrooms Work?

When we experience stress we put our minds and bodies through three stages: alarm, fight, and exhaustion. In order to avoid feeling the effects of stress (i.e. entering the exhaustion phase), we need to fight and try to get the “W”. Essentially, adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms step in and help you to create a high quality army. You can think of adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms similar to the sergeants in an army boot camp. The sergeants put the soldiers (your stress-fighting cells) through intense training, so that when the big event comes around (stress/anxiety) the soldiers can conquer. Essentially, with these natural remedies you’re getting the same benefit of going to army boot camp but without all the yelling, sweating and chanting.

What Are The Types of Adaptogens & Medicinal Mushrooms?

There are plenty of adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms in the world, each with unique characteristics. Here are some of the most common ones and what they can do for you at a glance:

• Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is the top-dog adaptogen when it comes to relieving stress and anxiety.
• Lion’s Mane: This mushroom is excellent for relieving mild symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression and for helping you to quickly recover from injury.
• Chaga: This mushroom can lend a helping hand when it comes to stress recovery.
• Reishi: This mushroom is essential for when you’re not feeling your best or for when you’re physically or mentally marathoning through life. It can help combat fatigue and symptoms of depression.
• Turkey Tail: This powerful mushroom can help you recover from inflammation-related stress and handle prolonged periods of stress.
• Cordyceps: These handy mushrooms may come in handy for when you have a long and exhausting day ahead of you. Cordyceps are more suitable for the physical or mental marathoner as it can improve your mental and physical endurance.

What Are The Other Health Benefits of Adaptogens & Medicinal Mushrooms?

Since stress and anxiety can cause a ripple effect in our bodies we may get a lot of accompanying symptoms or healthy conditions with chronic stress and anxiety. Lucky for us, aside from helping us to manage stress and anxiety, these magical herbs and fungi can also help to tackle the associated symptoms and health conditions. Here are other ways that adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms can benefit your health:

• Prevent Weight Gain: If your lower pooch has been on your mind lately you may want to consider pointing the finger at your stress/anxiety levels. When we experience stress or anxiety our bodies produce cortisol. And, although we need some cortisol, too much cortisol can cause your body to hold on to unnecessary weight, especially in the lower belly. And since these natural healers help to reduce stress and anxiety, you may be able to lose the lower pooch for good.
• Natural Immune Boosters: Many of these adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms can give your immune system the kick it needs to fight off disease and keep you healthy and well. Many of these are packed with antioxidants that can fight anything that comes its way! Additionally, some of these herbs and medicinal mushrooms also contain antibacterial properties that may prevent infections such as staph, and salmonella.
• Reduce Inflammation: As you might suspect, the underlying culprit to many of our pains is inflammation. Many of these adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms may stop harmful inflammation from occurring and prevent inflammation-related diseases like heart disease and dementia.
• Improve Blood Sugar Levels: If you suffer from high or low blood sugar, or diabetes then these herbs and mushrooms may help you get a grasp on your blood sugar levels. These natural remedies can help prevent insulin resistance and help you manage the sugar in your body better.
• Improve Gut Health: These gnarly herbs and mushrooms may prevent ulcers along the digestive tract and promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria.
• Reduce Recovery Time: We know that time is money, so we want to get you back on your feet A.S.A.P. and with these adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms, you’ll be up and running in no time. Whether it is a sports-related, illness-related injury, or your recovering from an accident, these mighty remedies can cut your recovery time.
• Reduce Cholesterol: If one thing is for sure, it is that these adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms are not heartbreakers. In fact, with these natural remedies you may be able to reduce your bad cholesterol levels and improve your heart health.
• Fight Cancer: These herbs and mushrooms show some promise when it comes to killing cancer cells, stopping the spread of tumours and preventing this disease from progressing. However, more research is needed to confirm its use in cancer-therapy.
• Improve Athletic Performance: Since some of these herbs and medicinal mushrooms help fight fatigue and improve recovery, these natural remedies could come in handy for marathon runners and those that constantly endure hard workouts.

How To Use Adaptogens & Medicinal Mushrooms?

Adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms are easy to incorporate into your self-care routine. From infused teas to lattes to powders, there are many options available when it comes to natural stress and anxiety remedies. Most commonly, individuals incorporate them into drinks like coffee, hot chocolate, tea and smoothies. Nonetheless, you can feel free to bake or cook with it too! The possibilities are endless!

Key Takeaways:

Stress is a normal part of life, however too much stress can harm our mental and physical health. Teaching our bodies to adapt to stress through adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms can help us feel better and avoid the cascade of symptoms and conditions. In conclusion, adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms can improve our overall health and should be a part of our regular self-care routine. Get yours here!