By Richmond Natural Medicine

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May 29, 2020

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Almost everyone experiences some fluctuations in their energy levels throughout their lives.

From day to day, so many factors influence how our body responds to the demands of our routine lives. Maintaining healthy energy levels is something that from a naturopathic perspective is extremely successful, and can offer a wide range of benefits that extends far beyond just your energy levels. Improved sleep, healthy blood sugar balance, and stress reduction are some of the most common influencers of energy levels throughout our lives, and there are several holistic supports, including herbs, that can be successfully used to support healthy energy levels.

What Contributes to Low Energy?

We all experience our days differently, however biologically we go through the same processes. Healthy energy levels are dependent on, but not limited to, three main things:

1. The quality and quantity of healthy sleep practices
2. Blood sugar balance (highly influenced by your diet)
3. Hormonal control (cortisol) and adrenal health (highly influenced by stress)

Check into all three of these areas if you are frequently experiencing low or inconsistent energy levels: How are you sleeping? What is the quality of your diet? How much stress do you carry every day? These are three main questions your naturopathic doctor will ask you when trying to support healthy energy levels.

How Healthy Cortisol Levels Support Sustained Energy

Cortisol is the body’s energy hormone and is also one of the main hormones that deal with both acute and chronic stress. A healthy, daily cortisol rhythm should look like a nice gentle wave – slowly increasing around sunrise, peaking at midday, and then slowly decreasing to a gentle trough around sunset when melatonin (your sleep hormone) begins to rise. With this gradual increase and decrease throughout the day, our energy levels are supported and sustained. However, cortisol spikes and drops are highly influenced by acute and chronic stress triggers.

Similar to epinephrine and norepinephrine, cortisol is secreted in response to an acute stressor, but it is also produced and excreted in response to low-level and/or chronic stress (after the adrenaline is used up or wears off). Like most things in the body, we need some cortisol but not too much. In the right amounts, cortisol has the following actions in the body:

• Wakes us up in the morning (a major player in our circadian rhythm)
• Raises blood sugar when it dips
• Maintains blood pressure (especially when standing)
• Reduces pain and inflammation
• Provides resistance to acute or chronic stressors (like infection, extreme temperatures, trauma, etc.)
• However, over time, too much cortisol can lead to issues like:
• Weak connective tissues and difficulty healing
• Weak bones
• Growth inhibition
• High blood pressure
• Mood, cognitive and memory issues
• Blood sugar dysregulation
• Low libido
• Low sex hormone levels – including infertility and menstrual disorders
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Abdominal adiposity
• Skin thinning
• Immune suppression

If you’re extremely tired with no energy in the morning, or your energy plummets mid-afternoon, this is a clear sign that your cortisol rhythm is off, and the focus should be on incorporating lifestyle, environmental, and nutritional therapies to support your endocrine system and adrenal glands.

Read More: The Key to Vibrant Health: The Adrenal Glands

Unique Herbs That Support Stable Energy

Most herbs used to support healthy energy levels fall into the category of “Adaptogens” and “Nervines”. Adaptogens generally support the endocrine system and adrenal glands, while nervines support the central and enteric nervous system. When used together, these two classes of herbs work holistically to address multiple organ systems that may be influencing our overall state of energy. It is extremely important to remember that herbs, including adaptogens and nervines, do not work immediately and should not be used indiscriminately. Give them time to work and adjust to your body. And don’t over-do it. Start with one or maybe two to see how each affects your body. Better still. Consult with your herbalist or Naturopathic Doctor to see which herb is the best fit for you and your specific needs.

Holy Basil (Tulsi)

A treasured and highly spiritual plant in Ayurvedic medicine, holy basil is a multi-faceted herbal ally for a wide range of health issues. As an adaptogen and stress support, it is truly unmatched. It offers protection against several kinds of stress, including physical stress related to over-exertion and exercise, toxic load stress from environmental and industrial pollutants, metabolic stress stemming from blood sugar, blood pressure, and lipid level dysregulation, and psycho-emotional stress associated with anxiety, depression, and poor cognitive function. Being in the mint family, holy basil is traditionally consumed as a delicious daily tea.

Licorice

The sweet, earthy root of licorice is one of the most widely used, and beneficial adaptogens for adrenal support, and gentle energy enhancement. Licorice root has a direct effect on cortisol patterns, and when used long term can have a very therapeutic effect on long term stress. The Glycyrrhetinic Acid (GA) constituent in licorice inhibits an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of cortisol into cortisone, resulting in a delayed excretion and prolonged activity of cortisol. In short, licorice can support the healthy release of cortisol from the adrenal glands, when in some cases of acute or chronic stress cortisol can be released much too quickly.

Read More: Sustained Energy & Stress Management Through Herbal Support

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