Adaptogenic Herbs

If you've been reading my blogs lately, you know I've been really into finding natural solutions to the problems our bodies face, from trouble falling asleep to intense PMS symptoms. And the good news is that these fixes totally exist!

Look, sometimes you legitimately do need prescription medication. I should know, with my hypothyroidism! But if you can give your body what it needs without turning to something synthetic or chemical-y or whatever, I definitely recommend you take that route.

There are so many amazing natural remedies, and we live in a time where science is literally proving how effective these things are. So before you reach for the Tylenol PM or the Midol, try something natural!

One thing I've really been blown away by is adaptogenic herbs. I started getting into adaptogens a few years ago, and I've been making them a bigger and bigger part of my life ever since!

Adaptogens 101

The name is pretty telling here. Adaptogens help your body adapt. They basically step in to help you recalibrate anytime something would throw your system off, helping you maintain what scientists call homeostasis. If it's been a while since you studied human biology, homeostasis is pretty much your body staying stable and in balance.

When your body's in homeostasis, it's able to work its best. It can keep your body temp and fluid levels stable, regulate your hormones, and basically do what it's supposed to do to keep you feeling good. And adaptogenic herbs are so awesome because they help you stay in that sweet spot!

There are a ton of adaptogens out there, but there are five I'm really happy I incorporated into my routine. They're all in our new Miss Congeniality boost, so if you want to take them for a spin, add this boost to your life!

Meet the lineup:

Velvet bean (mucuna pruriens)

Nicknamed the " dopa bean," this adaptogen can help to boost your dopamine levels because it naturally contains a ton of L-dopa. Dopamine - the "Happy Hormone" is a super-important neurotransmitter that plays a role in everything from our blood pressure to our mood. Dopamine literally helps us feel pleasure.

Basically, mucuna pruriens can:

• Lower our stress levels
• Help us focus
• Boost our libido (it's actually an aphrodisiac)
• Improves our mood & overall feeling of happiness

Basically, it's a powerful little adaptogen that can go a long way toward helping your body work its best.

That's why we included mucuna pruriens in Miss Congeniality. As a key ingredient in there, it helps Miss Congeniality do her stress-busting, mood-boosting work.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is a little evergreen shrub that has been used for centuries to treat a ton of different health problems. Some of the notable benefits of ashwagandha include its ability to:

• Fight stress (it reduces levels of cortisol, your body's stress response hormone)
• Reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Improve fertility
• Support and even boost brain function
• Regulate blood sugar levels
• Reduce inflammation
• Lower unhealthy cholesterol levels
• Help with muscle mass and muscular strength

Pretty impressive lineup, right? So you know we had to include ashwagandha in our LSF boosts. You'll find it in Miss Congeniality, delivering mental and physical health benefits to help you feel your best.

Lion's mane

Lion's mane is a pretty crazy-looking mushroom that Chinese medicine practitioners have used for a long time. That's because lion's mane mushroom can:

• Support a healthy heart
• Reduce inflammation
• Fight oxidative stress (in other words, it's an antioxidant)
• Help your nervous system bounce back from injury
• Defend against ulcers
• Manage diabetes
• Fight cancer
• Reduce your risk of dementia
• Alleviate mild symptoms of depression and anxiety

So, are you starting to see why I'm so excited about adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms? They are seriously SUCH powerful natural remedies, and Lion's Mane is def no exception — which is why we blended it into Miss Congeniality.

Reishi mushroom

This is another adaptogen with centuries of use. This little mushroom packs a punch with incredible benefits Including:

• Fighting stress and fatigue
• Helping you feel more energized
• Decrease anxiety and stress
• Treating cancer and pulmonary diseases
• Moderating your blood sugar levels
• Fighting oxidative stress in your cells
• Helping with high blood pressure and high cholesterol
• Delivering mental health benefits, including reduced depression symptoms

No surprise here: with such a wow-worthy lineup of benefits, Miss Congeniality needed some reishi mushroom in her!

Magnesium

Okay, magnesium isn't technically an adaptogenic herb, it's a mineral. But I still wanted to include it here because it functions similarly in your body.

Basically, magnesium helps your body regulate a whole bunch of important processes, including your blood pressure, the way your nerves and muscles function, and your blood sugar levels. Heck, it even helps your body straight-up make everything from protein to your DNA.

Oh, and it can help you sleep better and feel less fatigued during the day, too! That's why, in addition to putting plenty of magnesium in Miss Congeniality, we also added it to our sleep-supporting boost, Slumber Party.

Adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms, along with nutrients like magnesium, give you an impressive toolbox for giving your body what it needs. They're such an important part of my daily routine and I'm so happy you can have an easy, fun, and affordable way to add them to your routine too!