By Karen Morris
Ho Ho Ho it’s that time of year again when Christmas is fast approaching and we’re in the mad rush to finish things off before taking a well-earned break and hopefully having some time to enjoy ourselves with our families and friends.
We want to thank you so much for being part of Herbs Online Shop this year!
Your stories and your health concerns continue to inspire and intrigue us and there’s always so much we learn from you and hope that you are learning more about your health journey every day too.
We want to make sure you are taking care of yourself and your family, especially at this busy time of year.
Christmas can be a really stressful time for many, for some it’s seeing family you haven’t seen for a while, for others, it might be feeling lonely and depressed. And others, simply the idea of having to host, prepare and do so much just for one day can really take a toll on our nervous system.
So you must take some time for self-care during this time.
At least take half an hour to an hour a day where you can have some alone time to relax, do a deep breathing exercise, do some gentle stretches or yoga or even listen to soft, calming music can make the world of difference to your nervous system and how you respond to things.
If this is something new to you, the easiest way to calm yourself is to do some “balanced breathing”.
Take 2 minutes to breathe in counting slowly to 4, hold your breath for 4 counts, breathe out slowly counting to 4, and then hold your breath for another 4 counts. Repeat often throughout the day.
It’s the easiest breathing exercise ever and helps to calm your nervous system. You can do it in the car, on the bus, while you’re waiting in the queue at the Post Office… you get the idea… try it and see.
Take care of yourself FIRST. It’s so important!
Did you know that Magnesium helps with stress? It’s essential for healthy muscles, nerves, bones, and blood sugar levels. Magnesium capsules are easy to take and have 3 different forms of magnesium in one capsule. It helps to relieve stress, anxiety, depression, headaches, and restless leg syndrome.
Adrenal Stress herbal tonic is for anyone suffering from exhaustion, weakened immunity, sleep disturbances, insomnia, anxiety, brain fog and food cravings.
A blend of herbs such as Siberian Ginseng, Rehmania, Withania (Ashwaganda) and Astragalus, this herbal tonic supports your adrenal health which then provides you with energy, a better quality of sleep, fewer cravings and a feeling of calmness. Take 5ml twice daily and see how things improve for you.
Did you know that stress can wreak havoc on your gut health and digestion? When going through stressful periods, the production of cortisol increases, and this, in turn, increases the accumulation of fat around the belly. It can hinder your digestive system and increase intestinal permeability, meaning food doesn’t get digested properly and causes toxins to leak into your blood. Over time, this leads to disease, so it’s important to manage your stress and treat your gut health.
Karen’s Gut Mend powder is specially formulated to help ease discomfort such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, inflammation, burping, and reflux, to heal the gut lining, increase the production of digestive enzymes and help correct pH.
It’s a lovely blend of L-glutamine, Manuka, Mastic gum, Slippery elm, Quercetin, and Ginger powders take 5g twice daily depending on symptoms, you can easily add it to your favourite smoothie or simply mix into a paste and add warm water.
We also recommend taking IBS herbal drops. IBS Herbal drops are a blend of herbs such as Chamomile, Meadowsweet, Peppermint, Cramp bark, Fennel, and Melissa (lemon balm) herbal extracts, traditionally used for irritable bowel syndrome symptoms.
If you suffer gut symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, cramping and discomfort, IBS herbal drops are carefully chosen by our naturopath to help ease your symptoms. Take 20 drops one to five times a day.
Meadowsweet is also another great herb used as a digestive aid and may be helpful with reflux, diarrhoea, and gastritis.
It soothes and protects the mucous membranes of the digestive tract and stomach lining whilst reducing acidity. Studies have found that Meadowsweet can also promote the healing of chronic ulcers and prevent lesions from developing in the stomach. It is used in the treatment of heartburn, hyperacidity, gastritis and peptic ulceration. Take 2ml once to four times daily.
Another great soothing herb is Marshmallow Glycetract. It’s alcohol-free, which means it’s also great for kids and Marshmallow may be helpful with Reflux, ulcer, gastritis, IBS, and bowel flora.
Marshmallow leaf and root (Althea officinalis) are also used for pain and swelling (inflammation) of the mucous membranes that line the respiratory tract and for dry cough, so it’s handy to have in your cupboard, not just for digestive symptoms, but for any coughs and colds.
Stress, compounded with over-indulgence can also affect your sleeping patterns. If you are not sleeping well, it affects your mood and how you function during the day. Getting enough quality sleep helps you stay clear focused and energised with whatever you do.
Taking Sleep Forte herbal drops can help you get to sleep faster and stay asleep longer and help you wake up feeling rested and refreshed the next day. A blend of herbs that also promote relaxation and calm the nerves, this is one of our most popular herbals. Take 5ml half an hour before bed and sleep well.
We know that you’re all thinking about this last week before Christmas and everything you have to do and finish off, so why don’t you set yourself up for success now by making sure you are well-stocked for the holiday season?
There are only 4 more clinic days, so we will endeavour to have your orders out to you ASAP.
And once again, we thank you for your custom this year. We love helping you and your families stay healthy and well.
From Karen and the team at Herbs Online Shop, we wish you a Merry Christmas!