The holidays are an action-packed time. Usually, every aspect of our lives get ramped up; at work with deadlines and parties as the year comes to a close, activities, and feasts with family and friends, Christmas shopping, … and reflecting on all the things we want to create for ourselves in the next year. Usually, the mind is busy, stress is high, and energy is at an all-time low. For all these reasons, our nervous, digestive, and immune systems can all use a little extra love and support.
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Some of my favorites in festive times:
St. Francis- Deep Immune. No one likes to be sick, and it can be very stressful worrying about getting sick. For that reason, I love this tincture by St Francis. It's an incredible blend of herbs that help to both stimulate the immune system, as well as strengthen it. Often when we get sick, our immune systems are overburdened and are therefore unable to fight off certain pathogens. Beyond just stimulating the immune system to wage a stronger response, it is important to also help to build our immune systems back up and leave them better off. How do you know if your immune system is a bit off? Do you seem to catch everything? Are you becoming more and more sensitive to certain foods, or environmental stressors (dust, your friend’s cat, etc)? Are you experiencing more skin issues? Is your eczema acting up? Are you waking up with puffy eyes or dark circles under them? These are all signs that the immune system is stressed.
NEUROPAS® balance. I love this one. This is a homeopathic blend of passion flower, valerian, and St. John’s wort, that helps to calm the nervous system and brings a very settling quality! Do events incite a bit of social anxiety? Or do you have some big presentations coming up at work? Or do you have trouble winding down, and settling into relaxation mode? This product is not at all sedating, just a very calming supplement to have at your disposal when feeling a bit overwhelmed.
GABA. If you find your mind is overactive, or if your anxiousness leads to irritable bowel symptoms, this can be really helpful. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, that inhibits the stress response. There are GABA receptors in the brain as well as in the gastrointestinal tract. So, for people that often feel their anxiety in the gut, GABA is an excellent choice. It can be taken as needed during the day, or nightly to help relax the mind and improve sleep quality.
Digestive Bitters. The holiday season is filled with many amazing feasts and indulgences, as it should be. Unfortunately, this doesn't always go over so well with the digestive system. Luckily there are things we can do to help. #1. Don't stress about what you are or are not eating…. It's no good for your digestion! #2. When you need some added support, go for some digestive bitters. Bitter constituents, extracted from specific plants, stimulate our body’s ability to secrete digestive enzymes and greatly improve digestion. Improved digestion means less bloating, less discomfort, and normal bowel movements.
Fun holiday fact: Jagermeister was traditionally used as a digestive aid, and still is in many European homes! It contains plants with carminative and bitter properties, such as angelica (Angelica archangelica), calamus (Acorus calamus), clove, wormwood (Artemia absinthium), licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), and mint (Mentha piperita). The sugar content in Jagermeister is much higher than in a herbal bitters tincture formula though. BUT, in a pinch… it could do wonders! Just a handy FYI ;)
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With all of these little helpers, none of them should be leaned on all year round. If you have symptoms that persist on a daily basis, it is important to figure out the root cause. It's normal to feel anxious, and overwhelmed, sick, bloated, etc from time to time. Our body is constantly trying to adapt to different situations, and it isn’t always a perfect system. If we feel this way constantly though, there could be other things going on that merit further investigation as well as long-term solutions.
That being said, these are some great helpers when used properly, and can relieve temporary discomforts. They can help to get your through some uncomfortable times, and gives you time to make the necessary changes where needed going forward! I hope that some of these solutions may help with a smooth sailing, enjoyable holiday season!
Wishing you a relaxed and happy holiday with family and friends!