Building Resistance and Resilience in the New Year
As a culture and a human species, we value resilience and resistance: the ability to have strength in the face of challenges and to be able to bounce back from
adversity. Yet, as Americans, we often lack these attributes in our daily health, and it seems like this is getting worse rather than better across the country each year. Of course, our best tools here are a healthy diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, mind-body balance, and stress management. These are the pillars of health that benefit your body to fight or help prevent most diseases and imbalances. Let me be clear: No amount of herbs can make up for living off four hours of sleep, intense
stress, and a diet of junk food. Yet, herbs can be phenomenal allies in helping us build resistance and resilience.
What IS resistance and resilience, anyway? How does it manifest in our health? A strong, resilient immune system means that you're less apt to get sick when exposed to pathogens (others around you are sick) or are under extra challenges (air travel, a busy work week)
and that if you do get sick, the symptoms are less severe and you get over it more quickly. A strong, resilient nervous-endocrine system means that when stress pops up (because, no matter what, it still will) that you will are better able to rise to the challenge and resolve the stressor without flying off the handle emotionally, feeling as fatigued, or having disrupted sleep. A strong, resilient digestive system thrives on a healthy diet but can handle a wide range of foods and will not be
thrown out of whack when you eat something different.
The immune system, nervous-endocrine system (in particular your stress response), and your digestive system are perhaps the three most important areas of the body to focus on to build resistance and resilience, having a positive impact on your entire being.
Learn
more in my blog post HERE.
Deep Immune Mushroom Chai Recipe
2 slices reishi mushroom
1 teaspoon astragalus powder, slices, or cut/sifted root
4 cardamom pods
12 cloves
2 star anise pods
2 sweet cinnamon sticks (or 2 tsp chips)
2 cassia cinnamon sticks (or 2 tsp chips)
optional: pinch of nutmeg, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Simmer for 20 minutes in 16 oz water. Strain, add sweetener and creamer of choice if desired.
Chai Variations:
Don't like mushrooms or bitterness or find reishi too stimulating? Skip it.
More
Anti-Inflammatory: add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder (or sliced fresh ginger root)
Want it more energizing? Consider adding codonopsis, eleuthero, maca, and/or ashwagandha (1/2 to 1 teaspoon of one or more of them)
More GI Soothing and Slightly Sweet? Add 1 heaping teaspoon marshmallow root c/s or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon powder
More bitter and digestion enhancing? Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dandelion and/or burdock, perhaps some roasted chicory root for coffee-ish flavor
Nutritive? Add 1 heaping teaspoon nettle leaf, oat straw, and/or oat tops
