Healthy Notes » Stress Relief http://www.guaranteedtosleep.com/blog Helpful Hints For Living Well Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:58:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1
The Natural Sleep Aid Passionflower http://www.guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2010/07/468/ http://www.guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2010/07/468/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:54:16 +0000 admin http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/?p=468 The passionflower (Passiflora incarnate) plant has numerous subspecies that fall under the passionflower name. Various species can be found all over the world, but the passionflower species that is generally used in medicinal and herbal formulas is native to the southeastern United States. It is a perennial vine that can climb to heights of over thirty feet tall. The flowers have five white petals and five sepals that can vary in color. The most common colors seem to be blues and purples. It is often thought that the “passion” in passionflower refers to its use as an herbal sexual tonic, but that is not the case. The “passion” in the name actually is a reference to the passion of the Christ, because the flowers of the vine where thought to look spiky like Christ’s crown of thorns.

Passionflower was used widely by Native Americans to treat anxiety, hysteria, seizures, and insomnia. It is still being used today to treat anxiety and insomnia. Most scientists believe that passionflowers main action is to increase the levels of a chemical called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in the brain. GABA is known to lower the activity of specific neurotransmitters that effect nerve centers in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the brain that carry messages between brain cells. Because passionflower decreases the activity of these nerve cells in the brain it is very helpful in treating insomnia.

Passionflower is also rich in chemicals called harmala alkaloids which are used to block monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that is linked to depression. Monoamine oxide inhibitors (MAOI,s) are the most common types of prescription ant-anxiety and anti-depression medicines. Passionflower increases the activity of beneficial neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin which have strong anti-depressant actions. The bulk of the pharmaceutical anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications on the market today work on these very chemical principals. A recent study on passionflower showed it to be as effective as many prescription medicines for treating anxiety disorders and some types of depression.

For many people passionflower can be an excellent individual herb to use for these types of conditions, but I tend to favor passionflower when it is used in combination natural formulas. Passionflower is often combined into formulas with other natural sleep aids such as melatonin, valerian, lemon balm, and l-theanine to create very effective insomnia aids. The passionflower component really helps to turn off that over-active mind that will not shut down sometimes. Synergistic blended natural sleep aids  are usually the best alternative to pharmaceutical sleep aids to help with insomnia. Pharmaceutical sleep aids often come with many side effects that are not present with natural formulas.

]]> http://www.guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2010/07/468/feed/ 1 The Natural Sleep Aid Lemon Balm http://www.guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2010/04/308/ http://www.guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2010/04/308/#comments Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:19:18 +0000 admin http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2010/04/308/ Native to European mainland, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), is now grown all over the world.  It is an easy to care for perennial herb that is part of the mint family. It is sometimes referred to as lemon mint. It has no relation to the citrus fruit lemon or any part of the lemon tree. It often grows to about 2 feet tall and has light green heart shaped leaves.  In the summer it has blooms of small white flowers, but it is most often grown for its lemon scented and flavorful leaves.

The lemon balm leaves have a very pleasant lemon, minty taste. The leaves are dried and used in a wide variety of herbal teas and spices. They can also be used fresh and add great flavor to marinades for chicken and fish. Lemon balm leaves also make a very attractive and edible garnish.

You will also see lemon balm leaves used in natural cosmetics. Lemon balm leaves have a strong anti-viral and anti bacterial property. Lemon balm contains substances called tannins, which are thought to aid in many of the antiviral benefits. Because of these medicinal qualities it is commonly mixed into lotions to treat skin lesions formed as a result of infections like herpes simplex. In a study of 116 people with herpes simplex virus, those who used lemon balm cream on their lip sores experienced significant improvement in redness and swelling after only 2 days of use. Since it is extremely soothing, it also helps ease skin inflammations caused by insect bites, poison ivy and oak, and is used to heal cold sores.

It is believed that the Arabs first began to use lemon balm for its medicinal properties as far back as the middle ages. They found it very useful for treating stress, anxiety and depression. Several modern studies have found that lemon balm is useful for promoting quality sleep. These studies show that it is particularly effective when it is combined with other natural sleep aids such as valerian root, hops, L-theanine, melatonin, passion flower and magnesium. In one study of people with insomnia, those who took a combination of valerian root and lemon balm reported sleeping much better than those who took a placebo.

Similar findings have been found in studies using lemon balm for anxiety. In another double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 18 volunteers took two separate single doses of a standardized lemon balm extract or placebo for 7 days. The lemon balm study group reported less stress, anxiety, and a much better overall sense of well being. The placebo group was still burdened with anxiety. Just like using lemon balm for sleeping problems it seems to be most effective when combined with other relaxing herbs such as passion flower and valerian.

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]]> http://www.guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2010/04/308/feed/ 0 For Stress, Anxiety, and Sleep Try L-Theanine http://www.guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2010/04/for-stress-anxiety-and-sleep-try-l-theanine/ http://www.guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/2010/04/for-stress-anxiety-and-sleep-try-l-theanine/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:04:26 +0000 admin http://guaranteedtosleep.com/blog/?p=256 For two thousand years humans have used tea as a natural sedative. This does not make sense, because tea has a lot off caffeine. Scientist began to wonder how tea could have such a calming effect when it is loaded with caffeine. There must be something in the tea that is counteracting the effect of caffeine. That something is L-Theanine.

L-Theanine is now extracted from tea and is available in health food stores worldwide, but most people still do not know about its great properties. It is used as an alternative to traditional anti-anxiety medications. It has been successfully in treating children with hyperactivity issues. And it is very helpful in larger dosages for treating insomnia and sleep disorders. It can even be more effective for sleep when it is combined with other natural sleep aids. Before you or your children become dependent on some prescription for any of these problems, give L-Theanine a try. It is completely safe and without side effects.

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