The Weekender - 003

Dabble in plant medicine this weekend - without the hallucinations.

One of the best things I did after giving up alcohol was to learn about herbs. At the time, adaptogens were becoming all the rage, and I, like most people, assumed that they were the answer to all of my problems. I eventually learned that what I hoped the adaptogens could do for me was actually what nervines would do.

Now, I still think adaptogens are excellent, but nervines are what I have been using consistently over the years. Not because nervines are better, but because I am a sucker for immediate satisfaction – and that’s precisely what you get when you start to incorporate the medicine of these powerhouse herbs. These herbs work in the moment when you really need them.

WHAT ARE NERVINES?

Nervines are a relaxant, and can work with a dysregulated nervous system quickly and efficiently.

“They are used to help relieve normal muscle tension, circular thoughts, wakeful nights, and the occasional worry we all experience from time to time. Some of these herbs provide multiple nervine actions. Skullcap is one such herb: it helps reduce muscle tension, calm worried thoughts, and also nourishes the nervous system. Others, such as oat tops, are not necessarily noticeably relaxing to the physical body, but help support healthy nerve function with regular use.” - Mountain Rose Herbs.

WHAT ARE ADAPTOGENS?

I look at and use adaptogens in the same way as I do exercise. We are not going to change anything with one day of exercise. But over time, with daily consistency, we will slowly start to reap the benefits. That’s how adaptogens work — even if the expensive marketing tries to sell you something different.

“Adaptogens make up another group of herbs that helps us manage stress as we encounter it. Although this classification is often complicated with difficult-to-define boundaries, there are a few generally recognized qualities that characterize the category. Adaptogenic herbs help restore overall balance and strengthen the functioning of the body as a whole without impacting the balance of any individual organ or bodily system. Adaptogens facilitate these changes through a wide range of actions and plant energetics, rather than through one specific action. Adaptogens may help improve focus, support normal immune system functioning, or exercise some other broad-spectrum normalizing influence on unbalanced physiological processes.” - Mountain Rose Herbs.

It wasn’t until after I quit drinking that I realized I was an anxious person. Up until then, claiming anxiety would never have even crossed my mind. But something happens when you take away the number one thing that you used to either calm or excite the nervous system— you get to know and feel what is truly happening.

I was anxious, like it or not. Plus, with peri-menopause sweeping in and kicking my ass right around the time that C-19 hit us all, I was an emotional mess. The stress, the hormones, the lack of sleep, the fear — I didn’t want to turn back to alcohol, so I turned hard into the nervines. And they saved me.

Nowadays, I use them at work when I am stressed out, to calm my nerves before any public speaking, in the middle of the night when I can’t seem to fall back asleep, and to give my mocktail creations even more health benefits.

As a big believer in DIY and creating exactly what I want and skipping ingredients that I don’t want, I always have a few of these little bottles on hand at home and in my purse when going out.

ADDING PLANT MEDICINE TO YOUR MOCKTAILS

KAVA - First thing to note, this herb will turn anything milky white. It’s not bad, but it can be alarming if you are not ready for it. Some drink this on its own; however, it tends to cause some numbing/tingling in my mouth, so I only add this nervine to mocktails as opposed to making it the whole mocktail. Kava promotes relaxation without sedation. This plant also has some polarizing views. While yes, it can cause liver damage if you are taking it in a large quantity consistently, but if you are not (which I imagine is the case), you probably don’t have to worry about this. But you should always be aware of contraindications.

SKULLCAP - “herbal xanax” - Sign me up! This is for those of us who want to take the edge off or wind down after a long day. For those looking for something that will replace a genuine cocktail feeling, try skullcap in your mocktail.

CHAMOMILE - Often overlooked because it has a simple or basic reputation, but if a sweet, calm settling is what you are after, try this one. This may be a wallflower type herb, but it knows its job.

PASSIONFLOWER - A perfect choice for a nightcap. When you're close to bedtime and looking to get a good night's sleep (who isn’t?), passionflower is a good choice. This nervine has more of a sedative effect, which makes it perfect for a late nighttime mocktail.

LEMON BALM - You know I will never leave my all-time favorite out of any herbal list. Lemon balm can be had in the morning, afternoon, or night. Its calming effect is so chill that I trust taking this even when I am at work and I have to be 100% on my game. It’s also the herb I have given to all my co-workers! If you have never tried any herbs or herbal tinctures, I would start with this all-star. Thank me later!

ON PURCHASING

I typically buy all my liquid tinctures from Herb Pharm, though I have started to fall out of love with their customer service. Please note that most of the herbs are in alcohol (lemon balm is a popular one that you can get AF).

Avoid purchasing these herbs and all supplements IMHO from Amazon. Not because I don’t like Amazon, but because you want quality herbs that you are ingesting. When it comes to Amazon and supplements, no one has any idea how long they have been on the shelf and in what condition. Either buy straight from a quality brand or go to Whole Foods or a health food store (or something similar).

ON PRE-MADE HERBAL DRINKS

Buyer beware. Many of these new and popular AF pre-made drinks will have beautiful marketing around the herbs that have been added. But if you notice, none of them actually state how much or where they were sourced. So, are we getting the benefit? Too much? Or wasting our money?

My rule of thumb - I make my own, so I know exactly how much and the quality of what I am ingesting.

HAPPY MOCKTAILING!