Adaptogenic Herbs for Better Health, Younger Skin, More Energy and Overall Anti Aging
Adaptogenic herbs are substances that help our adrenal system better manage stress and regulate hormones. Adaptogenic herbs are a key part of the Practical Beautiful Lifestyle protocol. To maintain your optimal weight, feel energetic, and revive our youthful appearance, it is imperative to balance our internal systems.
As we age, our sex hormones, seem to throw us back into a reverse adolescence. Instead of a perfectly synchronized and balanced production, imbalances in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can leave us experiencing unwanted weight, headaches, fatigue, acne, low energy, brain fog, sleep disturbances, hair loss, and feelings of depression, anxiety, and irritability.
Also impacting how we feel and look is our adrenal system. The adrenals are two small glands that sit on top of the kidneys. These glands respond to stress and toxins in our body. The adrenal glands produce cortisol aka hydrocortisone, aldosterone, adrenaline, DHEA, and some sex hormones. All of these are extremely important at different times for different reasons. Cortisol, for example, controls are sleep, regulates blood pressure, and can help us generate energy from food. For women, the adrenals help us produce male sex hormones. Aldosterone helps our body regulate fluid and mineral excretions. Adrenaline, norepinephrine, and dopamine are neurotransmitters known as stress hormones. These important hormones are released as a response to perceived trauma or danger. While we may no longer have to run away from predators, our brain perceives stress as a real danger causing our adrenals to secrete these hormones, often beyond what we need. Under chronic stress, which is pretty normal in a busy woman’s life, we are at risk of adrenal fatigue and burnout. What does adrenal fatigue and burnout look like? It’s not pretty. Weight gain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, low sex drive, exhaustion, joint pain, dark circles, weakened immunity, and food cravings are some of the symptoms you might be experiencing if you have adrenal fatigue, burnout or sexual hormone imbalance.
So how do Adaptogens Help?
Adaptogens had been used in Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic practices to treat a host of conditions for thousands of years. Dr. Nikolai Lazarev defined an adaptogen as a substance that allows the body to counter adverse physical, chemical, or biological stressors. Winston and Maimes (2007) further the definition by stating that adaptogens:
- Are nontoxic.
- Produce a nonspecific response in the body that increase the power of resistance against stress.
- Create a normalizing influence on physiology, irrespective of the direction of the change.
By supporting the normalization and regulation of our bodily systems, we can experience the benefits of a body in balance. For many women, this balance means more restorative sleep, greater energy, better mental focus, enhanced appearance, increased libido and sexual pleasure, reduced signs of aging, and weight loss. Beauty from the inside out begins with internal health and balance.
How can I start using Adaptogens?
The first way you can incorporate adaptogens into your diet is through the Practical Beautiful Life Beauty Elixir. This delicious, anti aging elixir includes maca powder. Derived from the maca root cultivated in Peru, this food has been shown to improve libido, reduce osteoporosis, increase memory, enhance sexual function, alleviate PMS, perimenopause, and menopause symptoms, and even protect skin against ultraviolet radiation (Gonzales, 2012; Wang-Yali et al., 2007). It also acts as a natural source of clean energy throughout the day.
Supplementation is also an option in using adaptogens to balance hormones and improve adrenal function. Adaptocrine is a vitamin and herbal dietary supplements by Apex Energetics that I take two to three times each day. Containing ginseng, ashwagandha, holy basil, rhodiola, eleuthero extracts, pantethine and a proprietary blend of red spiderling, betaine HCI, and plant enzymes it normalizes the adrenals, blood and sugar. Ashwagandha has been shown to balance thyroid function, improve blood circulation and prevent aging. It also increases blood flow to the reproductive organs. Holy basil has been shown to improve adrenal function and decrease acne.
Chasteberry is another supplement I take for sexual hormone balance. I started taking a Chasteberry aka Vitex supplement when I discovered that I was experiencing estrogen dominance. I always assumed that as we age our estrogen decreases, therefore it would be impossible for me to have anything called estrogen dominance. I was mistaken. While it is true that estrogen decreases as we age, progesterone decreases much faster. When there is too much estrogen relative to levels of progesterone, women experience estrogen dominance. This can happen to a woman in her 30s and continue beyond menopause. Symptoms include bloating, mood swings, weight gain, hair loss, thyroid dysfunction, brain fog, fatigue, PMS, sleep disturbances headaches, and premature aging.
When combined with the Practical Beautiful Life Beauty Elixir, with Maca powder and fiber (excess estrogen in our body is eliminated through poop), the Practical Beautiful Lifestyle 21 Day Detox and Maintenance, chasteberry, and adaptocrine have enabled me to balance my hormones leaving me looking and feeling sexy, youthful and energetic.
References:
Gonzales, G. F. (2012). Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacology ofLepidium meyenii(Maca), a Plant from the Peruvian Highlands. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012, 1-10. doi:10.1155/2012/193496
Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Mcneil, B., & Harvey, L. M. (2007). Maca: An Andean crop with multi-pharmacological functions. Food Research International, 40(7), 783-792. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2007.02.005
Winston, D., & Maimes, S. (2007). Adaptogens: Herbs for strength, stamina, and stress relief. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.
