How Nature Can Help Us Beat Stress

Stress is a serious problem in America. 70% of American adults say they experience stress daily and if it goes unchecked,then it can lead to a whole host of severeconditions ranging from insomnia to anxiety to heart disease and ultimately death if it goes untreated.

Thankfully, nature knows just how stressful our world can be, and as such, it’s given us the tools to help relieve and cope with stress. There are a whole host of herbs, plants, vitamins and minerals out there that can provide natural remedies to the stress that most of us feel on a daily basis.

Here are some of hownature can help us beat stress.

Fresh foods

Nature has given us certain foods with properties that can help beat stress. Nutritionists have long hailed the health benefits of eating fishdue to the omega-3 fatty acids that many fish contain and it is this omega-3 which can help fight stress. One study showed that students who received omega-3 supplements experienced up to a 20% drop in anxiety symptoms. Hot peppers can also play their role. Kava kava is one such member of the pepper family which has long been usedas a sedative in the South Pacific. North America and Europe have finally cottoned on to its advantages, andit is increasingly being used to treat mild stress and anxiety.

Herbs and spices

There are a whole host of herbs and spices out there which can help us cope with stress. Lemon balm is a member of the mint family which has been studied for its de-stressing effects, and valerian root contains valerenic acid which has been shown to alter the bodies gamma-Amino bu try icacid receptors to lower anxiety. Ashwagandha is a herb used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat stress and anxiety, and some studies suggest that cannabidiol can reduce anxiety. If CBD as treatment concerns you due to it’s close links to marijuana, then this article can compare the two to try and help you understand the difference.

Hot drinks

Your hot drink of choice can either increase your stress level or lower it. Let’s start with the bad stuff first – coffee. If you get through an unhealthy amount of coffee per day– four cups or more is generally considered the maximum a person should have – then you are going to be introducing too much caffeine into your system and being a stimulant, caffeine can increase anxiety. If you were to replace coffee with a natural tea such as green, chamomile or peppermint tea, then you could instead reduce your anxiety levels by increasing your serotonin levels. All three also work as antioxidants, flushing the bad stuff out of your body and making you feel healthier in general.

Smells

There are many natural smells which can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. You can bring those into the home by picking up some scented candles. Some of the most calming scents include lavender, rose, frankincense, neroli, bergamot, geranium and orange blossom. This use of scents to try and control your mood is called aromatherapy, and several studies show that not only does it decrease anxiety, but it can also help you sleep at night.