Sue Hardman

Nourish + Rejuvenate

insomnia

Bittersweet Chamomile – Medicine for the ‘brain & gut’

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chamomile for stress and digestion

Chamomile – Why it’s way more than a calming tea

 

What is Chamomile used for?

The combination of essential oils and the bitter taste together make for a powerful ability to:-

– reduce any inflammation and promote healing, especially in your gut.

– a mild relaxant for the smooth muscles of your gut, uterus, bladder and respiratory tract

– excels at treating “nervous stomach”, which generally implies digestive upset alongside anxiety and nervous tension.

 

What makes Chamomile so effective?

Chamomile’s has a high essential oil content, that has a specific relaxing, calming effect on your nervous system.

These aromatic oils are also responsible for Chamomile’s actions as a digestive – relieving stagnation in the form of gas, gu

t cramping and mild constipation.

Herbalists – call it the ‘Mother of the gut’ as its bitter flavour gives it the distinct effect, it has one’s digestive system, increases the secretion of digestive juices and enzymes, also providing calming properties.

Why should you keep Chamomile in your herbal first aid cabinet?

A simple cup of chamomile tea is a wonderful healing tool use it to:

  • reduce gut inflammation, pain and cramping. It will promote healing of your gut lining and improving overall digestion.
  • And of course, reducing any anxiety that may be aggravating or triggering the gut issues in the first place.

I recommend you always have a box of chamomile tea as it’s an essential tool in your home’s ‘Natural First Aid Kit’ and you can use it for when you (or anyone in your family) has:-

  • Stress or anxiety
  • Nerves or a nervous stomach
  • Stomach ache
  • Upset tummy
  • Constipation
  • Inflammation
  • Insomnia

How will a herbalist use chamomile?

I will more than likely include Chamomile when I create a herbal formula for a client when they’re experiencing anxiety or stress along with any digestive disorders (ie a leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or dysbiosis).

A Herbalist will tailor your herbal formula depending on your specifc needs, with the correct dosage and combination of herbs.

 

To find out more about how you can have optimum wellness as you enter your 40’s and feel radiant have vitality, and energy to do all that you want to have radiant skin, calm any digestive issues, cope better with stress, anxiety and have much higher long-lasting energy levels

You can make use of my Complimentary 15 minute phone call to get your questions answered

please contact sue@suehardman.com.

 

12 Strategies To Improve Sleep Naturally

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Sleep Glorious Sleep Nothing Quite Like It

Sleep deprivation – it’s a little like Chinese water torture as far as I’m concerned.

I simply can’t function when I haven’t had enough sleep. So that’s the truth.

What works for me in order to have a good night’s sleep, is to include certain foods, avoid others, exercise, manage my stress levels, avoid screen time at night and follow a few essentials in my night time routine – altogether these ensure (most nights) that I get the refreshing sleep my body craves.

What about you? 

Once we were warriors. Now we’re worriers – anxious and stressed we can’t sleep.

You’re BUSY. This leads to stress and anxious feelings. A small amount of stress can be beneficial in limited quantities, but we’re talking about too much stress, which can have some detrimental effects on your health and well-being.

Stress causes hormones to be released, signalling to the body that you’re in immediate danger. It kick-starts a fight-or-flight response and boosts blood flow to your extremities to get you moving away from the ‘danger’.

Long-term stress causes an overload of stress hormones on your system. This can lower your immunity, lead to anxiety, cause digestive issues, increase your risk of heart disease, and of course contribute to sleep problems.

The body is simply not equipped to deal with prolonged periods of stress, so helping yourself to find the calm may be the missing piece to your health and wellness puzzle.

Even something as simple as taking deep, cleansing breaths from the diaphragm several times a day can help the body to recognize it is no longer in danger.

Research by the British Sleep Council found that 47 per cent of people find it difficult to get to sleep because of stress – and women are bigger worriers than men.

A third of American “undersleep,” according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report. That probably means millions are walking around (and driving) tired, it’s a wonder we are not all asleep at our desks.

Why is this a problem?

According to the 2014 CDC report:
Sleeping less than 7 hours per night is associated with increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, frequent mental distress, and all-cause mortality…Insufficient sleep impairs cognitive performance, which can increase the likelihood of motor vehicle and other transportation accidents, industrial accidents, medical errors, and loss of work productivity that could affect the wider community.

Stress. Overwhelm. Feeling frazzled. Do any of these words describe how you feel?

Sleep Better – Live Better

Adequate sleep depends on certain lifestyle choices, as well as having the correct levels of these hormones – cortisol, melatonin, oestrogen, progesterone, thyroid, and insulin.

The importance of a good nights sleep

Getting enough sleep is as important for your body as eating right, exercising, and practicing good dental hygiene.

If you are having trouble sleeping, you aren’t alone – about one-third of adults experience insomnia occasionally. If you suffer with any sort of sleep deprivation or broken sleep it can have quite serious effects on your health for example:

  • It’s the body’s time to recuperate – lack of sleep prematurely ages you, as your body produces less growth hormone that helps you look and feel younger.
  • It can really weaken your immune system
  • With poor sleep you’re body produces less melatonin which has cancer fighting abilities, research has shown in laboratory animals with severe sleep problems tumours grow much faster
  • It affects your metabolism making you feel hungry even if you’ve already eaten, which leads to weight gain.  higher production of ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”), and too little leptin (the hormone that suppresses appetite, making you feel full), and you’re more likely to make poorer food choices, and eat more calories.
  • Seriously impairs your memory and concentration, sleeping only 4 to 6 hours—can impact your ability to think clearly the next day
  • Impair your performance on physical or mental tasks, and decrease your problem solving ability
  • It is also linked to heart disease, stomach ulcers, constipation, depression

Six to eight hours per night seems to be the optimal amount of sleep for most adults, the most rejuvenating sleep is obtained in the hours before midnight – try going to bed at 10pm

 

The natural way to better sleep

Sleep Hygiene

In summary here are some very effective tools you can use to help you manage your sleep issues:-

1. Try to go to bed at the same time every night. ‘Create a night-time routine with a few rituals to help your body, mind and nervous system relax.

2. Start with a relaxing Epsom salt bath with a few drops of real-lavender essential oil and spray your pillow with the lavender oil.

3. When you get into bed, try a few drops of Bach Rescue Remedy and take a good magnesium/calcium supplement combination. When you lie down and close your eyes have a calming place you take yourself to – visualise this and relax into this setting.

4. Get plenty of exercise during the day. The more energy you expend during the day, the sleepier you will feel at bedtime

5. Avoid large meals late in the evening.

6. Learn and practice a relaxation technique regularly: Breathing exercises, meditation and yoga are good examples.

7. Don’t obsess about not sleeping.

9. Foods – Tryptophan is an amino acid that helps to produce the hormones serotonin and melatonin, important for regulating sleep.. Foods rich in tryptophan: sesame seeds, fish, oats, turkey, lentils, eggs, bananas, gras-fed before lamb and beans.

10. There are also a number of herbs – Ashwaganda, Hops, Valerian, Passiflora, Verbena and Wild Lettuce – that have been used very successfully for sleep disorders Valerian sleepand to help improve your quality of sleep. Try them individually first and then perhaps in combinations; they’re available in most supermarkets or pharmacies. Try sleep pillows made of equal parts of hops, lavender, and chamomile and bath salts containing relaxing essential oils both help promote sleep.

11. While breaking bad habits are difficult, making lifestyle changes such as not having any caffeine after 1pm and avoiding back-lit technology (ipad, iphone, PC) after 8pm can have long term benefits for your health and your sleep. This blue light inhibits your production of melatonin, the hormone that tells your body and brain to feel sleepy and go to bed.

12. Bringing stillness to your mind – Meditation, stretching, Pilates and yoga all have their benefits in helping our bodies and minds relax, and can help prepare us for a better night’s sleep. Taking time out to relax helps to still the mind.

Most of us are over-stimulated and spend more time in fight or flight response than we should. Balancing the nervous system helps counter the stresses of our lives and environment.

Why see a qualified Herbalist? They can help you identify and address any underlying issues that could be causing your lack of sleep, and they are also able to use a wider spectrum of supplements and herbs (not available over-the-counter) to help you get that very essential sleep you are missing.

Sleep & Your Liver

You’re sleep, liver and detoxification pathways are also connected. What is the connection between sleep and the liver? Waking up at the same time every night between 1am and 3am, is your body’s way of communicating and is known as “liver time” in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).

Each organ has a time of the day/night where it does it’s thing. Your liver is one of the hardest working organs in the body and it works during this time of the night. For the liver to function optimally, remove any congestion and detoxify you’re going to have to ensure it gets the essential nutrients for both phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification paths.

As we become more aware that the subtle hints from our bodies actually mean something, our body’s clues can be very helpful and insightful to us.

Your liver is always working to detoxify the body, if you’re eating food with the essential nutrients you can optimise your liver function.

There are many ways you can support the liver and your sleep habits. Detoxing occurs naturally, every night when you sleep.

The 14 Day Easy Detox program incorporates some of these tips so that your liver can detoxify while giving your body the support it needs for a good night’s rest:

  • Drinking lemon water in the morning
  • Reducing toxins that overload your system
  • Choose foods from the brassica family (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts) for their liver supporting properties
  • Eat enough protein to support detoxification
  • Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, sugar and alcohol.
  • Make time for you, and what you enjoy doing.

Getting enough sleep is the single best thing you can do to stay younger!

Like anything we usually know what we ‘should’ do however it’s often harder to put these changes or new habits into practice without some kind of support. 

If you’re looking for a gentle and effective way, that you can start to reset your health, make better food choices, improve your sleep, ditch your sugar addiction, eat clean and create a life where you’re flourishing.

I’d like to invite you to join us on the 14 day Easy Detox program all the details...HERE 

You’ll get 30+ recipes, shopping lists and so much more. There will be daily support all to help you get the most out of this program.

I want to support you so that you feel less bloated and tired. Lose weight, focus on removing refined sugar and junk food.

So if you want to do your body good – boost your immune system, look after your digestion, support your metabolism, lose weight then this EASY DETOX is the place to start.

And once you’re healthy on the inside then, your ‘outside’ starts to shift too 🙂

You can join us and get access to my 14 Day Love Your Body EASY DETOX Program PLUS I have an early bird special offer, meaning you save 60% from the usual price and get the tools you need to change your health for a lifetime.

Early bird offer ends on 6TH OCTOBER, and SAVE 60%.
 
So are you ready to FLOURISH? We start 16th October 2017.
 
Click here to find out more!

You can join us and get access to my 14 Day Love Your Body EASY DETOX Program PLUS I have an early bird special offer, meaning you save 60% from the usual price and get the tools you need to change your health for a lifetime.

Early bird offer ends on 6TH OCTOBER.
 
So are you ready to FLOURISH? We start 16th October.

Lack of sleep can ruin a lot of things, in addition to the long term effect it can have on your health.

If you’re tired of feeling groggy, exhausted and not having enough energy to do those things you love, then please make use of may FREE call to chat about your options – please get in touch at sue@suehardman.com

 

 If you’d like more Vitality, Energy and Get Up and Go then this is a good place to start.  This FREE EBOOK will get you started with 10 Ways to Live A MORE Dynamic Life – Click HERE and to get your copy now!

Stress is Not Good For Your Immune System

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We Live in an age of anxiety caused by stress

 

Our modern, rushed lifestyles have allowed stress to filter into almost every area of our lives. When you feel stressed your body reacts by releasing chemicals giving you more energy and strength.  A good thing if you’re facing physical danger and a bad thing, if it’s due to emotional stress and there is no outlet for this extra energy and strength.

There are many different causes — could be physical (such as fear of something dangerous) or emotional (such as worry over your family or job.) Identifying what may be causing you stress is often the first step in learning how to better deal with it.

So stress is best described as a state of mental and emotional strain resulting from adverse or demanding events in your life.  Of course, it’s impossible to avoid all the stressors that come your way.

The solution however, lies in the way you react to it.

How stress weakens the immune system

Scientists have long been aware of the connection between your stress and your immune system, and how it compromises your immunity.

The immune system is your body’s form of defence, which is made up a myriad of cells, tissues and organs, which work together to fight toxins and other foreign substances which threaten to do harm to your body.  When you’re stressed the immune system’s ability to defend the body is reduced, and we become susceptible to infections etc.

This is how your immune system is compromised by stress:

  • Studies have shown that the immune system of highly stressed people have sluggish responses to health challenges.
  • The raised levels of the stress hormone cortisol, over-produced by chronic stress, can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system, making you more vulnerable to reduce stress responseinfections.
  • While cortisol does its job, the immune system receives signals to slow down, and if the stressor is not eased and cortisol stays high, the immune system may remain in low gear.
  • The under-performing immune system can then result in serious inflammatory conditions, which is the cause of many ailments.
  •  The immunity of those who would normally have a healthy immune system, is subsequently lowered.
  • Chronic levels leads to a lower amount of a certain protein being produced, which is instrumental in the signalling for “reinforcements” between immune cells. Without this communication the body is in danger of contracting acute illnesses, and may have to endure extended recovery times.
  • Can have an indirect effect on the immune system if a person uses unhealthy coping strategies like binge-eating of unhealthy foods, and smoking or drinking much more than usual.

The bottom line is that if you have constant, chronic stress which is not effectively handled, you lay yourself open to various illnesses which can have a devastating effect on your health. Learning to cope in a healthy way will minimise the negative impact it may have on how your immune system functions.

Steps you can take to help reduce stress
reduce stress

  • Follow a healthy diet, be sure to eat a good nourishing breakfast. Stress reduces levels of magnesium and vitamin C – be sure to boost your intake of these. For MORE detail on this read Boost Your Immunity and Keep Healthy All Year Round
  • Stay away from sugars and bad fats (trans/processed). These put unnecessary stress on you, spiking blood insulin and your digestive system.
  • Avoid excessive caffeine, which may give you a short boost, but could leave you feeling jittery and anxious as you wind down.
  • It’s very important to get enough sleep. Sleep pattern disturbances, or even mild insomnia, will be perceived by the body as major stress. The cortisol will rise to new heights, and immunity will fall to new lows.
  • Interact socially often, and talk to family and friends if you feel the need to unburden or get some advice. Boost the love hormone to reduce your stress.

The efficiency of your stress-coping skills will be the key to a vital, fully-functioning immune system.

Some good news

The good news is that a little stress is not a bad thing, as it keeps you alert to react to sudden, unexpected dangers. Short-term suppression of the immune system will not put you into danger, it is only when it’s chronic that you will be prone to infection and disease.

Brief, and short bouts of stress due to unforeseen events or circumstances in your life, will simply keep you on your toes to respond quickly to the situation, and will have no negative effect whatsoever on your immune system.

In conclusion

Stress is no laughing matter, as it plays a part in many diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, AIDS, obesity, and chronic digestive problems (IBS), to name but a few.

Many women don’t realise the knock on effect that it has on their hormonal system – think Adrenal fatigue, PMS, hot flushes, skin problems. After all everything is connected, cortisol – the stress hormone causes all the other hormones to go out of balance.

Surveys conducted worldwide have revealed some disturbing facts.

  • In the US results showed 75% of adults reported experiencing high to moderate stress in the past month, and more than half felt it had increased over the past year
  • 91% of Australians presently feel stress in at least one part of their lives. Australian employers report absenteeism due to stress costs the economy about $14.2 billion annually.
  • 3.7 million working days are lost annually in the UK, thanks to stress related issues, at a cost of about 28.3 billion British pounds.

A serious situation indeed!

You do not have to be a statistic of poor health because of stress. If you cannot handle it on your own, get assistance from someone who has the expertise to help you. Do what is best for your health.

My clients have seen the benefits of using herbs called adaptogens which have an amazing ability to help you’re body deal with stress,  Adaptogens Might Be Your Answer To Fatigue, Stress or Anxiety

 

 

 

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Get your copy of the FREE e-book:
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References.
www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in/stress/art-2004603
www.livestrong.com/article/22689-stress-affect-immune-system/
www.gostress.com/stress-facts/

Stress, Cortisol & Weight Gain

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Do You Need To Flip Off The Cortisol – Stress Switch?

Over the last 40 years rates of depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia have soared and the World Health Organisation is saying that these problems are the biggest threat to our health.

Stress releases cortisol in your body, and of course cortisol has both a positive and negative effect on your body.  We wouldn’t survive if it wasn’t for the positive effect of cortisol.Reduce stress

Cortisol is the main stress hormone that is made in your adrenal glands and it’s designed to get you out of danger, you feel the positive vibe of cortisol and adrenalin– releasing extra energy, getting you focused, it raises blood sugar (to feed muscles fight or flight), raises blood pressure, and modulates your immune function.

Unfortunately many of us live with chronic daily stresses and so live with constantly high cortisol levels and your body ceases to experience the positive aspects of cortisol and if these high levels are sustained this is when the problems start occurring.

Stress is triggered by a huge range of psychological factors and external events. We can become stressed by relationships, by work, by finances, and by our thoughts of what we think may or may not have happened.

Daily stress of any sort sends your bodies into the “fight or flight” mode, releasing adrenaline and cortisol.

Cortisol releases extra energy for us to deal efficiently with the physical effort involved in fighting or fleeing, but when that effort doesn’t come, the extra energy (in the form of glucose and fat) just gets re-deposited as fat – around the middle.

Why there?  It’s close to the liver where it can quickly be converted back into energy when needed.

A lean man or woman of normal weight can even have to much fat around the centre of their bodies as a result of the stress hormone – cortisol.

Fat cells in the belly have four times more cortisol receptors compared to fat cells elsewhere.

A study done by Nuffield Health found that women with thicker waists are at higher risk of various cancers as well as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

If you have a high level of stress then you will be particularly at risk of the dreaded muffin top and stress keeps feeding the muffin top as your cortisol stays high.How-To-Get-Rid-Of-Muffin-Top-In-2-Weeks

Increased abdominal fat, is associated with more health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body.

There’s another hormone that is released due to stress. High levels of blood sugar released by cortisol, trigger the pancreas to release the hormone insulin.

This tells your body to store fat and triggers a craving for something sweet and fatty like chocolate.  So rest assured that it is
not just weakness that draws you towards the fridge – it’s physical urge.

Abdominal fat cells have many receptors for cortisol, if you’re very stressed and have high levels of cortisol, your abdominal fat cells will be calling out for it, encouraging your body to store more fat there, which explains why fat accumulates so readily in that part of the body.

For a start you can control your blood sugar roller coaster and this will help reduce the amount of stress hormones that are being released and helping you feel calmer in yourself.

High or Excessive cortisol levels can create a broad range of undesirable side effects:

Physical Signs

Emotional 
Signs

Additional

Signs

-Muscle weakness

-Chronic fatigue

-Obesity

–Digestive problems

-Excess belly fat

 – Nervousness
– Anxiety
– Depression
– Irritability
– Craving carbs
– Insomnia
– Difficulty falling asleep

= Emotional over-eaters

– Illness after completing a project
– Sick on vacation
– Mental preoccupation with a  stressful event

6 things you can do straight away to support yourself and balance your cortisol levels

Stress relieving food
1) Eat fresh, healthy food as close as possible to the original source. Loads of veggies. Avoid refined carbs and sugar.

2) Find out which supplements can support you –

Certain nutrients such as the B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium and essential fatty acids can be extremely helpful if stress is a problem as they will help boost the functioning of your adrenal glands.

You should be getting these nutrients from your healthy diet but if you are under stress you might want to add in more B vitamins, found in nuts and whole grains, essential fats found in oily fish, nuts and seeds, and plenty of vitamin C found in vimages-15eggies & fruit.

When you’re stressed you use more vitamin C and magnesium than at any other time, and it is vital for keeping your immune system strong.  Women who are deficient in the antioxidant mineral selenium, also experience feelings of depression and anxiety.  Selenium if found in fish and shellfish, whole grains, avocados.

3) Use natures’ own plant medicine –  nervine and adaptogen herbs like Scuttelaria, Passiflora, Ginseng or Rhodiola.

4) Get your cortisol levels tested. Know your levels and measure – where are they to high or to low? These can easily be addressed with the proper support.

5) Exercise –  is good and changes the levels of hormones in the blood and it can elevate the mood, affecting brain chemicals. Find time to do simple exercise daily.

6) Deep, long  and restful sleep is essential for recharging your energy levels. A proper sleep relaxes both your body and the mind. It will improve your mood and give you the ability to deal with daily stress.

7) Spending time in fun, positive environments to boost your ‘feel good’ hormones – with your family and friends, spend some time close to nature.

8) You need to get out of the sympathetic mode (fight or flight and stress) and as often as you can into the parasympathetic mode (rest and digest i.e. calm, relaxed). Try breathing exercises, meditation, pilates, walking in nature, yoga and prayer. There are several scientific studies that provide solid information about the physical and psychological health benefits of meditation and prayer.

Stress and relaxation

Dr. Herbert Benson, a cardiovascular specialist at Harvard Medical School and a pioneer in the field of mind/ body medicine discovered what he calls “the relaxation response,” which occurs during periods of prayer and meditation. At such times, the body’s metabolism decreases, the heart rate slows, blood pressure goes down, and our breath becomes calmer and more regular.

The body responds with slower brain waves, and feelings of control, tranquil alertness and peace of mind. This is significant because Benson estimates that over half of all doctor visits in the U.S. are prompted by illnesses, like depression, high blood pressure, ulcers and migraine headaches, that are caused at least in part by elevated levels of stress and anxiety.

If you are still scratching your head, don’t let it discourage you!!! It can take time to learn and get in the swing of things.

 

If you’re struggling with any kind of hormone imbalance, tiredness, low energy or wanting to lose your excess weight. I’ve  put together a FREE guide for you, so you can start to learn how and why specific foods, and drinks, can help you have more energy and lose weight naturally. 

You’ll find it is easy to add these ingredients into your diet on a daily basis – get your downloadable guide here

In fact, at the end, I’m going to share one simple recipe you can make in under five minutes that incorporates all of these foods.

5foods-loss-weight

Get your copy of the FREE guide:
5 Foods that will help boost Your Energy Levels and Lose Weight Naturally.

HERE

Herbal Teas – kitchen healing essentials

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FullSizeRender-3Nothing like a good cuppa tea to sort out the problems of the world. My grandmother loved her tea and it was the first thing we’d do when we visited her, I do miss being able to sit down and share a pot of tea with her.

Who meets for a cup of tea these days? It seems we’re all more likely to meet for a coffee. But, a cup of tea is so much more than just about the socialising. I wanted to share with you how ‘just’ a cup of tea could be one of THE most simple ‘healing’ tools that you could have in your kitchen. I know you might say, it’s only a cup of tea!

Research studies and ancient eastern traditions show that herbal teas can have the most positive effect on supporting you with illness, ailments and for ensuring optimum health.

As a herbalist and lover of simple, effective, quick and easy solutions there are some essential herbal teas in my kitchen for when first aid is needed – either to settle a sore or nervous tummy, insomnia, anxiety, cramps, heartaches, the beginnings of a cold or flu, bloating, indigestion and even PMT.

Be sure to stock up on chamomile, rose, peppermint, cinnamon and ginger teas for your home and then you’ll be covered with the basics. Of course you05_05_10_01_12_chamomile-bsp-150x150 need to know which one to use when and you may have be unaware of some of the other things these common herbal teas can be useful for. Chamomile is calming but so much more, peppermint for wind and so much more, ginger for nausea and so much more…..

Fresh grated ginger is one of my personal favourites, it has an amazing taste and is more than a treatment for nausea, which many pregnant women can attest to. It’s one of the foundation herbs used in Ayurvedic and TCM and it’s brilliant for balancing your digestion, great to have before a meal to boost the ‘fire in your tummy’ to help digest your food and get the nutrients you need.  I would say most of us would benefit from drinking warming ginger, daily.

I love having a flask of ginger tea ready to drink at anytime, during the day. Ginger is one of the most researched herbs (along with turmeric) and it has many uses, it’s anti-viral too – so brilliant for colds or flu. Herbalists consider it a universal medicine with multi-healing properties that benefits everybody and all diseases. With ginger think – digestion, lungs and circulation.

Chamomile is most commonly considered a calming tea, but herbalists call it the ‘Mother of the gut’. I found this tea to be particularly useful when ever we have tummy upsets because it works on the nervous system found in your gut or as we like to call it the – ‘second brain’. Think tummy aches from unknown causes, IBS and when someone is nervous about something and have that tight feeling in their tummy. Chamomile excels at treating what is commonly known as a “nervous stomach”, which generally implies digestive upset alongside anxiety, nervous tension.

That aromatic component from Chamomile’s high essential oil content, has a specific relaxing, calming effect on your nervous system and can be helpful for insomnia, cough, bronchitis, cold or fever, gas, gut cramping and mild constipation. .

iStock_heart_of_rosesxSmallRose – heals the heart, balances hormones and is uplifting. It’s a bitter, cooling herb so it can help with headaches and inflammation. Used in combination with other herbs it adds beauty and colour to a blend.

I often recommend rose tea for PMT, periods that are painful, excessive or irregular and if there is an underlying nervousness, sadness or grief the role of rose is nourishing on the nervous system. It has a calming effect on the emotions and as it has an affinity for the heart. It’s often used in times of sadness and grief.

Peppermint – a great pick-me up if you ever need an alternative to coffee. It’s full of aroma that awakens the senses helpful in congestion in the head, use as a hot tea to cause sweating with colds and flu. Useful when there is a lot of mucous. It can lift feelings of emotional ‘heaviness’ and relieves the symptoms of abdominal gas, bloating, muscle spasms and nausea (without vomiting).  Peppermint tea can also be made using fresh herbs from the garden’and it’s one of the easiest herbs to grow.

Researchers from the University’s Department of Psychology have found that drinking peppermint tea improves alertness, while chamomile tea has a calming effect. These findings were presented at the annual British Psychological Society Conference in Nottingham this week (26-28 April 2016).

Cinnamon – useful for poor circulation, colds, flu and a bout of diarrhoea but among this spice’s most impressive health benefits is its ability to cinnamonreduce your sugar cravings. By controlling blood sugar levels you can prevent spikes after meals, normalise your blood sugar levels and improve glucose control.

Cinnamon has more antioxidants than many so-called antioxidant foods, like-for-like. For example, one teaspoon of cinnamon has as much antioxidant capacity as a full cup of pomegranate juice or a half-cup of blueberries. Two of the main types of cinnamon, are Cassia and Ceylon. A better option for taste and health is Ceylon cinnamon (also called Sri Lanka cinnamon or “true cinnamon”).

I recommend that you drink herbal teas because it’s a fantastic and safe way to maintain your health over time. Consistent tea drinking gives your body what it needs in doses that it can handle.

Teas are a really wonderful way to boost your body’s hydration, and because we’re made of 65-80 percent water, the constituents that hot (and cold) water pulls out of the herbs are really absorbable for us. Each herb has a myriad of actions so it isn’t hard to come up with a tasty blend that does a lot of good in your body.

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Part 2: Have You’re Hormones Suddenly Gone Crazy or Are You Perimenopausal?

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In Part 1, we took a closer look at perimenopause (versus menopause) what the common signs are, how you can use food to address hormonal imbalances and how it can start as early as your 30’s (if you’re unlucky enough to experience that).

The 1st strategy included essential foods and how they can have such a huge impact on helping you balance your hormones. If you missed it you can read it on my blog here.

If, however, you’ve been following the recommendations and you’re still struggling with annoying and maybe debilitating symptoms, you may need a little more to get your body back into balance.

You might want to consider using some of nature’s medicines like herbs and a combination of nutritional supplements to address any deficiencies, that may have built up over the years.

Strategy #2: Which Supplements?

  • Women’s Multiple vitamin & mineral formula – most of us aren’t perfect, myself included, when it comes to getting all the nutrients you’re body needs on a daily basis from food. Taking a multi is my insurance policy, this way you can be guaranteed to get some of the basic nutrients you need everyday.Make sure it contains at least 50 – 100mg of Vitamin B. The British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, reviewed studies that show how Vitamin B6 is thought to be unique in its ability to increase the synthesis serotonin and dopamine, which if are too low have been implicated in hormonal symptoms or PMS.
  • Omega 3,6,9 or EFA’s (essential fatty acids – found in oily fish, chia and flax seeds) I can’t emphasise enough, how much you absolutely need good oil in your diet, forget the low fat craze it could be very detrimental to your body. EFA’s play an essential role in producing the hormones your body needs plus so many other things – the list is very long. You have to get your EFA’s from food or supplementation because your body cannot make them.If you have PMS, cramps or abnormal bleeding get yourself some Omega 3 & 6 as they are essential for the reduction of inflammation in these situations. Some options – flax or chia seeds (high in omega-3 fatty acids), borage oil (high in 3 and 6), evening primrose oil(high in 3 and 6), and fish oils (high in omega- 3 oils)·
  • Vitamin E – handy if you’re struggling with hot flushes or breast tenderness, consider taking a daily dose of 400 IU of natural vitamin E (as mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols) to help alleviate your symptoms.NB: This is a very short list of the essential supplements every women should consider taking as part of her daily routine. If you have specific issues and imbalances your nutritional requirements may be very different to someone else’s and might need a more in-depth investigation.

Strategy #3: Herbal Medicines

Herbs can be used with your new and frustrating symptoms of PMS or Perimenopause. You may need one or a combination of herbs. It all depends on whether you have low or high – oestrogen, cortisol, progesterone or testosterone levels?

If your treating yourself at home, try one herb at a time or better yet consult a qualified herbalist as they use combinations based on your situation.

The most well known herbs used are those that contain phytoestrogens (soya, red clover, fennel, licourice, dong quai, black cohosh), with oestrogen like effects in the body. However a hormonal imbalance is never so simple and often requires a combination of herbs and actions.

The most commonly herbs used for perimenopause include:-

  • Dong quai – is known both in China and the West for its ability to support and maintain the natural balance of female hormones. Avoid if with heavy bleeding.
  • Black cohosh – One of the best-studied herbs used for supporting and maintaining your hormonal levels and lessening the severity of hot flashes. In one of the largest studies, results showed as early as 4 weeks, clear improvements in the menopausal ailments in 80 percent of the women. Complete disappearance of symptoms occurred in approximately 50 percent. Symptoms included hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, insomnia and mood swings. The other studies reported improvements in fatigue, irritability, hot flashes and vaginal dryness
  • Hops contains a potent phytoestrogen and is used for hot flushes associated with anxiety or stress, and associated insomnia (sleeplessness).

However a herbalist might also consider including the following herbs in a formula:-

  • Siberian ginseng – is one of my all time favorite herbs and I take this regularly as it reduces mental and physical fatigue, and helps to enhance the ability to cope with various physical and mentalstressors by supporting you’re adrenal glands. It has also been used to treat vaginal changes, like dryness, due to lack of oestrogen. Ginseng is for you if you’re – stressed, tired or perimenopausal.
  • St John’s Wort – is not a phyto-oestrogen herb but it can be very useful for hot flushes triggered by anxiety or stress. It can also be used for mild to moderate anxiety and depression associated with hormones.
  • Other herbs that would be considered are – red clover, lemon balm, oats, passiflora, ashwaganda, shatavari plus many more.

Your situation might be very different to someone else’s – none of us are alike.  If you’re confused or tired of trying a number of things that aren’t working then it might be a good time to start dealing with the cause and imbalances.

If you really want to find a solution for what’s going on in your body and causing you a lot of unhappiness or frustration, my detailed hormonal questionnaire will help us identify where exactly your imbalances are so that your issues can be addressed correctly, without guessing, and help you get started on your journey to optimal health and wellness.

Please do get in touch you can contact me at sue@suehardman.com

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