insideKENT Magazine Issue 71 - February 2018 | Page 112

HEALTH+WELLNESS
HERBS FOR HAPPINESS
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU SUFFER FROM SAD (SEASONAL AFFECTIVE
DISORDER) OR NOT, IT’S UNDENIABLE THAT THIS TIME OF YEAR CAN BE
PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING FOR OUR GOOD SPIRITS. SO, WHAT CAN WE DO TO
BEAT THE BLUES? TOP LONDON NUTRITIONIST, CASSANDRA BARNS RECOMMENDS
A HELPING HAND FROM NATURAL HERBS, ALL OF WHICH YOU CAN FIND AS HERBAL
TEAS OR SUPPLEMENTS FROM WWW.PUKKAHERBS.COM.
HOLY BASIL (TULSI)
Holy basil is a herb with a particular affinity for the brain and mood.
It’s said to stimulate circulation to the brain to improve concentration
and help clear brain fog. It also has a calming effect on the nerves and
acts as an adaptogen – a herb that helps us cope with and adapt to
stress. Investigating how well it works, researchers in India tested the
effects of holy basil supplements on 35 patients with anxiety, finding
that it did seem to relieve their anxiety, stress and depression.
Try: Pukka’s Three Tulsi tea (£2.49, 20 sachets) or their Wholistic™ Holy
Basil capsules (£16.96, 30 capsules).
CHAMOMILE
Popular as a tea for aiding sleep, chamomile is an amazing ‘nervine’
– a herb that calms the nerves. It can also help relieve digestive cramps
and spasms that accompany stress or anxiety. If your priority is to get
more calm in your life, soothe frayed nerves and sleep better, then
chamomile could be a great choice for you. Drink it as a herbal tea
before bed, but also throughout the day to help calm you down – it
won’t make you feel tired, just relaxed.
Try: Pukka’s Three Chamomile tea, a combination of three organic
types of chamomile (£2.49, 20 sachets).
MATCHA GREEN TEA
If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, turning to coffee for a boost may
do more harm than good. High doses of caffeine and other stimulating
substances can cause your body to make more stress hormones,
increasing the draining effects of stress on your mind and body. Instead,
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try matcha green tea. Green tea contains a small amount of caffeine
to give you an energy lift, but also contains theanine, which can have
a relaxing effect on the mind, helping to reduce anxiety and increase
focus and concentration. Matcha green tea in particular is said to
contain a high percentage of calming theanine.
Try: Pukka’s Supreme Matcha Green tea (£2.79, 20 sachets).
ASHWAGANDHA
Like holy basil, ashwagandha is considered an adaptogen, helping to
balance the effects of stress on our body and mind. It’s known for its
calming, anti-anxiety effects, but also for helping to restore energy and
vitality, so if you’re feeling tired or run down as well as suffering the
winter blues, ashwagandha could be the herb for you. It can be good
for libido, too, which often suffers when we’re feeling miserable.
Try: Pukka Wholistic Ashwagandha (£16.96, 30 capsules).
TURMERIC
This golden super spice is associated with a multitude of health benefits
via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, which include protection
of our brains and memories – in fact, it’s even shown potential to help
prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Turmeric is also thought to have a direct
benefit on mood because depression is thought to involve excessive
inflammation, so the anti-inflammatory effect of turmeric helps bring
things back to a more normal level.
Try: Pukka’s Turmeric Gold tea for a warming winter lift (£2.49, 20
sachets), or for a stronger more concentrated effect, go for Pukka’s
Wholistic Turmeric capsules (£16.96, 30 capsules).