These medicinal herbs can help lower stress levels

Spread the love

It’s natural to feel stressed and our emotions to run high during these unprecedented times. But stress can increase the release of the hormone cortisol. elevated levels of cortisol then wreak havoc with our bodies causing irregular periods, and other related women’s health issues. Treating stress and emotions naturally is the best option we can look at.

Here is a list of some medicinal herbs and natural products that will help us stay close to nature and also heal our minds.

1. Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb classified as an adaptogen, meaning it can help your body manage stress. A must herb for all young professionals who are under severe work stress, it blocks the stress pathway in the brain by regulating chemical signaling in the nervous system. Several human studies have already shown that it can reduce symptoms in people with stress and anxiety disorders.

Brand Tip: Upakarma Ayurveda’s Pure Ashwagandha Capsules for Strength, Stamina & Power is known to help people across age groups and health problems, particularly mental health.

2. Peppermint Tea

Peppermint is an important part of most of our lives; from giving our upset stomach some relief to providing our drinks a refreshing taste and aroma but many are unaware of its calmative properties that can leave you relaxed, release your stress and mental pressure. Infact, when it comes to relieving stress and anxiety, peppermint tea is one of the best allies. The menthol present in the herb is known to be a muscle relaxant and is antispasmodic in nature, helping you relax amidst mental stress.

Brand Tip: Goodwyn, The Indian Chai are some of the brands offering some great flavours for tea lovers.

3. Plant Based Products

Plant-based products have always been a significant element in the food and nutrition sector. With increasing awareness, working professionals are also opting for these products as it contains Protein, Multivitamins & Ayurvedic herbs.

Brand Tip: OZiva’s Protein & Herbs for women helps to meet their dietary needs and helps them cope up with the stress.

4. Essential Oils

Aromatherapy is one of the complementary therapies which use essential oils as the major therapeutic agents to treat several health and wellness issues. The subtle essence has an effect on the body’s chemical and energy systems thus making it a natural remedy to relieve anxiety and stress.

Brand Tip: Range of essential oils such as Lavender oil, Jasmine, Rose, Bergamot from brands like Forest essentials, Do Terra, Now, can be used to relieve your symptoms of anxiety.

Also Read 3 Essential Oils With Soothing Properties for Stress and Anxiety

Spread the love

Dr. Kamna Kakkar, an Anaesthesiologist recently shot to limelight when she shared her experience of bleeding in her PPE suit on her first day of period while attending to Covid affected patients. Taking to twitter, the doctor went on to say how her first Covid-19 ICU duty on 17 May in Rohtak will be unforgettable.

“I bled freely that day…,” she writes, “… though not out of compulsion but by choice. I belong to the privileged strata of society where I never had to think about safely managing my periods. But that day, I felt what it was like to be in the shoes of women who do not have access to sanitary napkins or tampons or clean alternatives.” She shared this post on May 21, world menstrual day and was quickly picked up by social media. She was a junior resident doctor then.

“It takes 45 minutes for us to wear the PPE in sequential steps — a process called ‘donning’. Then we follow a designated route to the Covid ICU where we work with the sickest of patients. When our shift ends, six hours later, we leave the ICU via another designated route to reach the ‘doffing’ area. ‘Doffing’, or getting out of the PPE, is another step-by-step process that also takes 45 minutes.

“In the rush and excitement to serve in the Covid ICU for the first time, I had completely forgotten that I was nearing the end of my menstrual cycle and it was time for my periods. All I could focus on was being in the midst of a pandemic and also needing to stay safe. I had completely forgotten that I had a woman’s body inside a frontline worker.

“I couldn’t risk leaving my sick patients unattended in the ICU for 45 minutes to doff plus 45 minutes to don the PPE again — a total of 1 hour 30 minutes — to just wear a sanitary napkin. Also, that would mean I would need another set of PPE, and in a pandemic, PPEs are precious and being rationed. I didn’t want to waste even one.”

So she decided to bleed freely in her PPE till the end of her shift. But while narrating her ordeal to a friend when she called her a warrior, Kamna wondered if she really was one or just another regular woman doing my job.

“Regular women menstruate while working — nothing heroic about it. However, unlike me, who bled freely by choice, if one has to menstruate without a pad or a tampon out of compulsion, it makes her a victim of social apathy.”

Just like the many women who do not have access to clean toilets or better hygiene practices and sanitary products during menstruation, the real difference between Kamna (and most of us) and these other women is the privilege of having the choice to bleed freely.

Source @drkamnakakkar on twitter