ReeHart – Blogging from the Heart

Posts Tagged ‘herbal remedies’

A solid nutrition program, backed with knowledge on nutrition, is necessary for any serious bodybuilder. Many uninformed bodybuilders go to great lengths on their training and are often met with disastrous results. Stressed and fatigued bodies are the only outcome of wrong nutritional beliefs and practices. All a bodybuilder has to do to avoid this is to arm himself with basic knowledge on nutrition and practice it. Following a good nutritional program designed for an individual is just a matter of recording his food and caloric intake and matching it up against his recommended nutritional needs.

The book “Nutrition for the Recreational Athlete” states that an exclusive high-protein diet negatively affects an athlete’s training and career. Catherine Jackson, the book’s author, explains that eating purely protein for a prolonged period often causes irritability and lowers stamina. This can be remedied by initially consuming adequate amounts of calories. Below are some warning signs indicating that you might have poor nutrition and some tips on how to get back on track.

Dwindling Strength – Insufficient protein is the culprit behind this. Strength is an important factor in maintaining a regular training program. Do not solely rely on protein drinks and bars for your daily protein supply. It would be better if you source your protein from organic products such as chicken breasts (or white meat), egg whites and soy-based products.

Consume carbohydrates as well – A lack of carbohydrates in one’s diet is correlated with moodiness and irritability. These mental states are often caused by low-blood level due to inadequate consumption of carbohydrates. In addition, a lack of carbohydrates will affect your ability to focus. Get your fill of carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains for optimal blood sugar level.

Increase in sickness – Being sick all the time is a sign that your immune system is weakened. Combat this by incorporating different food groups into your diet. Consume foods that are high in B vitamins and minerals such as milk, fish and soybeans.

Eat something before training – A lot of people starve themselves before training. This practice is actually counter productive since you’ll mostly run out of energy in the middle of training. Eat just a small amount of carbohydrate 1 hour before training. This will give you the fuel you need especially if you are training for speed.

Eat right and rest – Lack of motivation is a sign of burnout. Give your body enough time for rest. Not eating right can also cause stress to your body. Experts suggest that we eat several small meals distributed over the day instead of a few heavy meals. Eating heavy will make your body work harder to digest all those food. This will also lead to an unstable energy level. Professional athletes are commonly known to eat mini-meals every 2 to 3 hours. This helps in maintaining a stable blood sugar level needed for training.

Are there any so-called “anxiety herbs?” In a word, yes. There are many herbs that have been known to man for 100′s of years and several of them have been useful in treating stress and anxiety.

Herbal treatments are less expensive than prescription medications and offer a cost effective alternative to drugs. Herbs for anxiety treatment also have fewer side effects and the side effects they do have are usually much less severe than their drug counterparts. That’s because herbs are milder. Of course, this also means they work more slowly and take more time to be effective.

That doesn’t mean that herbal remedies come with no side effects at all. These anxiety herbs definitely do have side effects, they’re just more mild. Still, you should be cautious whenever you start to take any new supplement. Talk to your doctor or your pharmacist before you take anything new.

Valerian

Valerian has a strong reputation as a sleep aid. It can help you get to sleep faster and stay asleep for the whole night. It can also be used during the day as an aid in calming and controlling the effects of stress and anxiety.

Kava

Kava was first used in the South Pacific islands where it grows easily and abundantly. There it was cultivated into a relaxing beverage used in nearly every household. From there, it made its way to Europe and the West where it is used as an effective treatment for anxiety and insomnia.

St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort is a medicinal herb that dates back over 2000 years to the days of Hippocrates. He used it to first treat depression but in today’s world, it has been found to be an effective treatment against the effects of moderate levels of anxiety. It comes with certain side effects though as it may increase your sensitivity to sunlight and also interfere with the effectiveness of other drugs you may be taking.

Passion Flower

Passion Flower is so named because early pilgrims to the new world thought it resembled the crown of thorns and the nails on the cross of Christ. When it was first cultivated it was found to assist with digestion. Later, its natural sedative effects were discovered. Today, it is an effective calming herb.

Wrapping Up

Most health food stores carry these herbs for anxiety so they’re easy to find. They’re sold in different forms too…teas, capsules, or liquid extracts, so you have many choices. It will probably take a little trial-and-error before you find the right form that works for you.

Capsules are the easiest to take while the extracts may be the most flexible; you can add them to just about any of your meals or beverages. Teas can be very flavorful and can give you more enjoyment. But whatever you choose, you’ll be getting some serious help from these anxiety herbs, help that can ease your anxiety and stress.