Tag Archives: anxiety

Five Benefits of Reishi Mushrooms for PTSD

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that occurs for some people who’ve experienced or witnessed a dangerous, intensely shocking, or terrifying event, and it is often associated with symptoms like anxiety, depression, problems concentrating, and insomnia. Usually beginning within a few months of the traumatic event, to meet the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis, symptoms must occur for over a month and be severe enough to interfere with daily life activities, work, or relationships.

While traditional treatments for PTSD often include pharmaceutical medications and counselling, many people also turn to natural remedies, such as reishi mushrooms, to help manage their symptoms. Reishi mushrooms have been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and because of their numerous health benefits, they were once reserved for royalty.

Reishi mushrooms are recognized in the modern world as adaptogenic herbs, meaning they help the body to adapt to stressors, whether physical, emotional, or mental. For thousands of years, TCM has classified reishi, known as ling zhi, under the heading of Calm the Spirit. In other words, while reishi has a lot of health benefits, its main function is helping to calm the nervous system.

1. Reduced anxiety and stress

One of the most significant benefits of reishi mushrooms for individuals with PTSD is their ability to reduce anxiety and stress. Reishi mushrooms’ adaptogenic compounds help the body adapt to stress and promote a sense of calmness. Regular consumption of these mushrooms can help lower cortisol levels—one of the hormones related to chronic stress—and alleviate symptoms of anxiety commonly associated with PTSD.

2. Improved sleep quality

Many individuals with PTSD experience sleep disturbances, including insomnia and nightmares. Reishi mushrooms have been shown to have a positive impact on sleep quality and duration. The compounds found in reishi mushrooms help regulate the sleep cycle, promoting deeper and more restful sleep. By improving sleep quality, reishi mushrooms can help individuals with PTSD feel more rested and energized during the day. A bonus about reishi’s use for improving sleep is that it is not a sedative, meaning it won’t make you feel drowsy during the daytime.

3. Enhanced mood and emotional well-being

PTSD often leads to mood swings, irritability, and feelings of depression. Reishi mushrooms contain compounds called triterpenoids in their stem and cap—so make sure the supplement you choose is “fruiting body” or “whole mushroom”—that can help regulate neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. These play a vital role in mood regulation. Using reishi mushrooms can help stabilize mood, reduce irritability, and enhance overall emotional wellbeing.

4. Supported immune system

PTSD can weaken the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to illnesses and infections. Reishi mushrooms are renowned for their immune-supporting properties. They contain polysaccharides and beta-glucans that stimulate the production of white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting off pathogens and boosting overall immunity. By incorporating reishi mushrooms into a regular routine, individuals with PTSD can strengthen their immune system response and improve their overall health.

5. Support for cognitive function

Individuals with PTSD often experience difficulty with memory, concentration, and cognitive function. Reishi mushrooms have been found to have neuroprotective properties. Because of their ability to help calm the nervous system, they can also help with improving higher cognitive functions like focus, planning, and organizing by moving the nervous system out of fight or flight (sympathetic nervous system) into a calm state (parasympathetic nervous system).

Reishi mushrooms offer numerous benefits, including reducing anxiety and stress, improving sleep quality, and promoting emotional wellbeing for individuals living with PTSD. While counselling is likely still key and pharmaceuticals may still be included, incorporating reishi mushrooms into your regime can have a positive impact on your mental and physical health.

Six Amazing Health Benefits of Red Reishi

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For centuries, medical practitioners in East Asia have used reishi mushroom because of this its long list of therapeutic pluses. But only recently has awareness about this highly revered superfood reached the shores of the western world. So, why is red reishi gaining so much popularity around the globe? Today, we want to dive a little deeper into the amazing health benefits of this miraculous medicinal mushroom.

Increase calm and reduce anxiety

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), reishi is known as ling zhi, or the “herb of spiritual potency.” When a person feels anxious, depressed, manic, or agitated, or suffers from a mental illness, TCM practitioners may describe this as the spirit or “Shen” being out of balance.

Reishi is categorized in its materia medica of herbal medicines as an herb that helps “calm the Shen.” As such, it can help calm the nervous system during times of stress, without causing sleepiness. So, you can still go ahead with operating large machinery (e.g. driving) when you take reishi, unlike some sedative herbs. In fact, reishi mushrooms are also considered “Qi tonics,” loosely meaning they can improve energy.

Stress comes in a number of forms. It includes physical stressors like extremes in temperature, lack of nutrients, insufficient restorative sleep, infection, or disease. Stressors can also be mental and emotional ones like loss of a loved one, loneliness, fear, worry, anger, frustration, being overwhelmed, depression, and more. It is no wonder why this medical mushroom is the go-to tonic in TCM.

Boost the immune system

No matter the time of year, colds and flus are always a concern. One of the most beneficial effects of consuming reishi mushroom is its ability to support the immune system. The beta glucans, compounds found in this holistic herb, have been shown to promote a healthy immune response to fend off diseases and infections.

Fight off cancer

While so much surrounding the cause of cancer remains a mystery, fortunately, great strides have been made in treatment options, including reishi mushrooms. Studies have shown that including reishi mushroom supplementation renders conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy treatments more effective at killing cancer cells. 3 Furthermore, the study groups who received reishi reported that their quality of life after these powerful conventional cancer treatments was higher than the control group who did not receive reishi during their treatments.

Further studies have shown promise with inhibiting the growth of cancer cell lines, potentially preventing cancer from developing. 2,6 Thus, reishi mushroom may be helpful as both a supportive therapy and also a preventative one for cancer.

Promote liver health

The liver plays a crucial role in eliminating toxins. So, if you want to ensure your liver is working in peak performance, consider giving reishi a try. Studies have demonstrated that triterpenes found in reishi has been shown to prevent free radical damage and support healthy liver function. 6

Keep allergies at bay

If you are looking for a more natural way to manage allergies, take reishi. Studies have revealed that the compounds found in Japanese red reishi are an effective treatment for allergies 5 and other respiratory ailments. Researchers also detected that the ganoderic acids found in this herb act as a natural antihistamine.

Reduce cardiovascular risks

Did you know that reishi mushrooms can help lower blood pressure? The ganoderic acid in reishi is responsible for a variety of heart health benefits, from decreasing high blood pressure 4 and reducing excessive cholesterol levels to lowering the risk of dangerous blood clotting. There is also evidence to suggest that this mushroom can improve blood flow and reduce plaque build-up on artery walls. 1

Choosing Reishi Supplements

When it comes to reishi mushrooms, the advantages of using this natural medicinal wonder are far too many to ignore. But it’s equally important to make sure you are getting a quality product with the medicinal compounds that your body can use.

  1. Firstly, if you are only getting the mycelium (root-like structure) found in some reishi supplements, you are missing out on the ganoderic acids and other useful compounds found in the fruiting body (cap and stem).
  2. Second, if you are getting a supplement that has only ground up the mushroom and is not an extraction, then you are unlikely to be able to absorb many of the important compounds, and those compounds are also not going to be in sufficient quantities to have true medicinal value.
  3. Third, a quality reishi mushroom is one that is grown cleanly in a high-nutrition foundation and allowed to sufficiently mature.

Ways to Manage Anxiety Naturally

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While much of the focus in the world of healthcare is often placed on physical wellness, mental wellness is equally important. Anxiety is one of the most commonly experienced mental health issues, and those who suffer know how all-consuming they can be, especially at a time of such uncertainty with the constant influx of bad news regarding the effects of COVID-19.

Anxiety

Anxiety is an emotion that most have felt, perhaps related to a first date, a job interview, taking a test, or giving a speech. Feeling apprehension, nervousness, or fear about an event, something new or unknown, or something that makes you uncomfortable is a natural response to stress. However, if the anxiety is extreme, interferes with your life, and lasts longer than six months, you may have an anxiety disorder.

Those who suffer anxiety also often report feeling anxious even at times when nothing particularly stressful is happening. Anxiety may arise while you are simply relaxing or trying to go to sleep.

As the most common type of emotional disorder, it includes phobias, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, separation anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and illness anxiety disorder. Symptoms include an increase in heart rate and breathing rate, feeling restless, sweating, feeling faint, shortness of breath, problems focusing and concentrating, worry, obsessive or repetitive thoughts, and problems sleeping.

Ways to manage anxiety

While there are medications to help manage anxiety, there are many natural and lifestyle-oriented things that can be done. One of the most frequently recommended ways to counter to anxiety is practicing deep, slow breathing. Let’s explore why.

The autonomic nervous system is divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic. When the sympathetic nervous system is fired up, it signals the body to be ready for “fight or flight,” increasing heart and breath rate, pumping blood to the big muscles of the body, increasing pupil size, and decreasing salivation. Your body is behaving like you’re about to be attacked. Conversely, when the parasympathetic nervous system is triggered, the body is prepared to “rest and digest,” slowing the heart and breath rate, stimulating gastric juices and saliva for digestion, and allowing for cellular repair. The body is responding to a relaxed environment.

These systems operate in opposition to each other, so as one is stimulated, the other tones down. One of the things we can control is how we breathe, so consciously breathing more deeply and slowly signals the parasympathetic system to come into play and suppresses the sympathetic system response.

Of course, in the midst of a panic attack, it’s difficult to practice this calming breath, so regular, daily practice through breathwork, meditation, yoga, tai chi, qi gong, or other methods is key. The oft repeated health tips of regular exercise, creating a regular sleep schedule, eating healthy, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol also help with managing anxiety. And since caffeine is a stimulant, it is best avoided.

Supplements for anxiety

In addition to eating healthy foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, B complex vitamins, vitamin D, and magnesium, supplementing with these nutrients may also help. You may want to talk to a natural health professional to make sure to get high-quality versions in the right format and dosing for you so that you will notice the benefits.

Green tea contains a compound called l-theanine, which has been shown to help stimulate the brain waves associated with an alert, but calm state of mind. Since green tea usually also contains caffeine, you could seek out a supplement version—often found in combination with other nutrients and herbs—to get the dosing that will help you without the caffeine.

Chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, passionflower, and valerian are common herbs to help calm the mind, though some can also be sedating, so best not to take during the daytime.

Reishi Mushroom

Japanese red reishi mushroom, also called ling zhi, is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal medicine categorized to calm the mind, while also providing energy and supporting whole body health. Modern science has recognized it as an adaptogen—a natural substance that can help the body adapt to stressors, returning the body to a normal and balanced state.

While most herbs used in TCM are given in combination formulas, reishi mushroom is one that is sometimes given on its own. It is used to treat insomnia, fright, racing or skipping heartbeat (palpitations), forgetfulness, and fatigue—all familiar symptoms of anxiety.

If you are taking pharmaceutical medications, it is always a good idea to discuss the addition of any supplement with your qualified healthcare practitioner. However, reishi mushroom, unlike some other herbal supplements, is not commonly listed as a substance that interferes with anxiety medications.

Like many other natural supplements, it doesn’t generally yield instant effects like a pharmaceutical, but it is unlikely to give unwanted side effects.

Whether you have a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, tend to feel anxious, or are just feeling anxious now with the uncertainty around you, it’s important to know that you can regain some control over your anxiety by incorporating some lifestyle changes and with the options of some supplements, including Japanese red reishi mushrooms.

Coping With the Daylight Saving Time

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Like it or not, autumn is here. While it’s only an hour difference, the switch out of Daylight Saving Time can disrupt your daily routine and alter your body clock, affecting your mood, energy, and sleep patterns.

It’s particularly difficult for those who already have sleep issues, and for those with children or animals that don’t understand the change of time. And if you are not getting enough proper sleep, you can put your memory, productivity, emotional stability, and physical health at risk.

While there is much talk in some regions about doing away with Daylight Saving Time changes, for many of us, we still have to do this for at least another year.

Fortunately, there are some sleep-better tips you can do to ease yourself back to the fall time jump.

​Start preparing early

Believe it or not, even just one hour can wreak havoc on your sleep pattern if you are not prepared for it. Attempting to acclimate to the fall time change all at once can be tough for many people. A more effective plan? Ease into the fall time schedule by staying up a little later and getting up a bit later too for a few days prior to the new time change.

If you have young children, you may want to start this routine even a bit earlier, with gradual adjustments to the bedtime and waketime routine.

​Avoid alcohol and caffeine

Stimulants like alcohol and caffeine can disrupt your body’s internal clock, especially when you’re are trying to adjust to the time change. Caffeine can stay in your system for a long time, so stop with the caffeine at least four to six hours before you plan to wind down for bed. While you may think that alcohol can help you sleep, the truth is, that it reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, resulting in a less restful and restorative sleep.

Instead, drink an herbal tea like chamomile. It will not only help you unwind after a long day, but also help you get a good night’s sleep.

​Get some exercise

The fall time change means earlier morning sun. So, why not make the most of it with some exercise? Getting the body moving early in the day causes your brain to release serotonin, a feel-good hormone that can help your body better adjust to the time change.

​Use Japanese reishi mushrooms

Known as ling zhi in Traditional Chinese Medicine (or “divine mushroom” for the English speakers), Japanese reishi mushrooms have been used for centuries as a super sleep aid. This incredible herb has been shown to calm the mind, reduce anxiety, manage stress, and treat insomnia.

Though it sounds paradoxical, reishi can help you both relax enough to sink into a restful sleep and support your energy through the daytime. It is neither a sedative nor a stimulant.

And, it’s not just seasonal Daylight Saving Time changes that this can help. The same benefits apply for shift workers and time-zone-changing travelers.

Japanese reishi mushrooms also boost the immune system, helping you stay healthy when time changes can throw your body’s internal clock for a loop. Don’t let the fall time change get the better of you this year. With reishi to the rescue, you will be fully prepared for this annual autumn switch in time.

3 Ways to Find Mental Clarity

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Forgetful? Difficulty concentrating? Feel like you are trying to think through cotton wool in your head? This phenomenon is often referred to as “brain fog”, and it’s more common than you think.

Brain fog is often described as feeling like “being in a cloud” that reduces ones ability to think clearly. This feeling of detachment can also can cause a person to become forgetful, lethargic and depressed.

What causes Brain Fog?

In Chinese medicine, this symptom is most commonly the result of what we refer to as dampness. Dampness has a tendency to clog up the channels, and in this case, inhibits clear qi from circulating up to the head. Typically, dampness of this type is either a result of, or exacerbated by a dysfunctional digestive system brought on by inappropriate food choices common to the western diet; an imbalance of yin/yang in the body; and mental/emotional stress.

In Western medical terms, the symptom of “brain fog” is most often the result of stress, depression, hormone fluctuations (as seen in menopause and andropause), and food sensitivities/intolerances.

What Can You Do?

  1. Exercise.
    Regular exercise helps to reduce stress, improves blood circulation and oxygenation to the brain, and elevates mood. As little as 30 minutes a day can help you feel dramatically different.
  1. Address your diet and get acupuncture.
    Make an appointment with a qualified TCM practitioner or holistic nutritionist to help you identify what foods may be contributing to your symptoms. Additionally, acupuncture treatment with a qualified TCM therapist will not only help to improve and support your overall health but also assist your body to better integrate these changes.
  1. Supplement with Reishi mushroom (called Ling Zhi in Chinese herbal medicine).
    Hailed as the ‘herb of immortality’, Reishi is a very powerful medicinal that has been used for thousands of years in Asia to strengthen the whole body to preserve life. Modern research has shown Reishi to have numerous positive adaptogenic effects on the body including improvements in digestive functioning, sleep, energy, mood and mental clarity.

Find Your Calm with Red Reishi

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Anxiety. Everyone these days seems to be suffering from some varying degree of it, and understandably so. Modern day life is filled with high-speed over stimulation. Studies have shown that severe or long-lasting stress changes the way nerve cells transmit information from one region of the brain to another.

Work and home-life stress, traumatising news reports from around the globe, and poor sleep hygiene all wreak havoc on our nervous system.

While we may use the word “anxiety” frequently to describe our everyday fears and worries, anxiety disorders are serious mental illnesses that affect millions of people every year in North America. For these people, worry and fear are crippling and overwhelming states, making day-to-day functioning almost impossible.

More than “Just a Mushroom”

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), anxiety is viewed ultimately as a disharmony of the “Shen” (spirit—housed in the heart). However, the Chinese system teaches that a disturbance in any one (or more) of the “Zang” organs (Liver, Spleen, Kidney, Heart) can cause an imbalanced emotional state. Treatment aims to calm the mind and nourish any underlying deficiency or drain any excessive states within these systems, which may be contributing to the condition.

Enter Japanese Red Reishi, known as Ling Zhi in TCM. More than ‘just a mushroom’, Red Reishi has been revered in Asia for centuries as the medicine of immortality to treat such disorders, as well as to support the immune system, improve sleep, and increase one’s vital energy (qi).

A Powerful Adaptogen

Recent studies have shown the fruiting body of Japanese Red Reishi to contain specific immune regulating, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective agents (reishi beta-glucan and ganoderic acid A) that make it a powerful adaptogen; which is a fancy way of saying it works to increase our physiological resistance to stress.

Taken traditionally as a tea, the highest quality modern day preparation of Japanese Red Reishi is (still) hot water extracted to maximize potency and ensure therapeutic integrity.

Stress and anxiety are leading causes of serious illness in the modern world. Take control of your health and experience the benefits of one of the world’s most ancient prescriptions.