Adaptogenic Herbs: Holy Basil

Sometimes I feel like if you googled “never a dull moment” or “you can’t make this sh!t up” there would be a picture of my mug first thing in the results. But, I know that I am not the only one rolling with the punches in life so I thought it might be a good opportunity to share about an herb I love that helps offset the negative effects that this stress inevitably has on our bodies.

I do all kinds of things to try and deal with my stress – exercise, connecting with my breath, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, etc. But, for the past few years I’ve been taking an herb called Holy Basil and I really feel like it has helped me roll with the punches more and decrease the times it feels like my body is internalizing outside stresses. I still have my moments, don’t get me wrong, but it feels good to give my body something natural to help support it.

In Natural Medicine, Holy Basil, is known as an adaptogenic herb. These types of herbs help the body deal with the negative effects of stress. They are also immune-stimulating and have been reported to increase a persons overall sense of well-being.

Stress is bad for all types of reasons. It creates an environment in your body that promotes a sluggish metabolism,
chronic inflammation and abnormal immunity. Cortisol, a hormone released during stress, creates digestive problems, leaky gut syndrome, increased appetite, weight gain, thyroid disorders and accelerated brain degeneration.

Do you have any of these issues? It might be because of stress!

It’s good to double check with your doctor before taking any new supplement. If you get clearance and start taking Holy Basil, I am curious to know if you see any results. Are you already taking Holy Basil? Please share in comments!