Contrary to popular belief, external circumstances don't solely determine mood. Rather, mood is a complex experience influenced by neurochemistry, gut health, hormonal balance, and social/psychological factors. It's a constant reflection of how well your body, mind, and spirit are aligned with each other.

Influences on Mood

Several factors can contribute to a bad mood, including stress, poor diet, isolation and busyness. In Ayurveda, India’s traditional medical system, the connection between food, gut health, and mental well-being is of utmost importance. Your mind and gut are inseparable, with the foods you eat and the strength of your digestion directly influencing the quality of your thoughts.

While modern medicine is beginning to grasp this concept, especially regarding the impact of the gut microbiome on overall health, Ayurveda has long recognized the gut-brain connection. Referring to the gut and brain as separate entities limits our understanding of their integrated functionality. In reality, they form one functional unit.

When the gut-brain connection is disrupted, no matter what mood-boosting methods you employ, you're fighting an uphill battle with fleeting moments of balance that easily tip over.

Repairing the gut-brain unit allows you to flow naturally towards a more vibrant and uplifted mood, enabling you to walk unhindered towards brighter days.

Herbs to the Rescue

Ayurvedic herbs play a significant role in supporting both the mind and gut functions.

To address chronic mood disorders, herbs like ashwagandha, Brahmi, and shankhpushpi are used in conjunction with herbs and spices that enhance digestion, such as triphala, ginger and cumin.

• Triphala

  Triphala, a revered herb in Ayurveda, is particularly effective for the gut-mind axis. It has traditionally been used to heal the gut's mucosal lining and nerves, promoting normal peristalsis—the natural movement of the intestines.

  Instead of forcefully emptying the colon, triphala assists the colon in performing its natural function. By repairing any damage, it enables the gut to work as intended.

  Additionally, triphala gently detoxifies the gut and the entire body, preventing the accumulation of harmful substances that negatively impact mood.

• Ayurvedic Prime Tea

  In addition to incorporating these herbs into your routine, you can enhance your mood right in your kitchen.

  Prime Tea, an Ayurvedic recipe used for centuries to promote physical and mental balance, invigorates the gut, providing direct support for a healthy mind.

  Here's how to prepare it:

  1. Boil 4 to 5 cups of water in the morning.
  2. Add [q:1/2] tsp of whole organic cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds to the hot water. Boil again for at least 10 minutes with the lid on.
  3. Strain out the seeds and pour the liquid into an insulated container.
  4. Sip the tea throughout the day, preparing a fresh batch each morning.

Ayurveda Approach is Accessible to All

While the science of mental health and the gut microbiome is still emerging, the undeniable connection between the gut and brain has been understood for thousands of years in Ayurveda.

By sharing this wisdom about healing the mind and gut, we can all immediately reap the harvest of a happier today.

What is The Vagus Nerve?

Your vagus nerve is actually a complex bundle of nerves that connect your brain to many areas of your body, allowing for two-way communication and assisting in a wide range of body processes.

Also called the 10th (or “X”) cranial nerve, it’s the longest nerve in the body.

• Why Is It Called The Vagus Nerve?

  Its name is derived from the Latin term for “wandering” (vaga, as in vagabond) because of the way it wanders around the body.

• What Connects to The Vagus Nerve?

  It connects the brain with your ear, throat, neck, heart, lungs, stomach, liver, and gallbladder.

• What Does The Vagus Nerve Do?

  The vagus nerve’s many critical functions include:

  • perceiving sensory experience from the heart, throat, lungs, and abdomen
  • assisting with swallowing, the ability to talk, the gag reflex, and some taste sensations
  • controlling the involuntary and smooth muscle actions of the digestive, detoxification, and cardiovascular systems
  • allowing the gut and microbiome to communicate with the brain
  • regulating heart rate and blood pressure

  It’s particularly associated with the parasympathetic nervous system body functions—that is, the actions the body performs when in the “rest, repair, and digest” mode versus “fight or flight.” It helps us deal with stress, fear, and anxiety.

  With all of this, the vagus nerve may play a role in the following, and so much more:

  • cognition
  • gut health
  • epilepsy
  • mood disorders
  • cardiovascular disease
  • heart rate variability
  • stress
  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • long haul COVID-19
  • gastroparesis
  • inflammatory bowel disease
  • slow heart rate
  • low blood pressure
  • loss of the gag reflex
  • migraines
  • episodes of vasovagal syncope:
    • flushing
    • nausea
    • drop in blood pressure
    • heart dysrhythmia

Supporting Vagal Tone

Many of the broader concepts of the vagus nerve’s effect on overall wellbeing and our ability to support it are still relatively new and not entirely understood.

Although more serious vagus nerve damage may require medical treatments such as vagus nerve stimulation, we can support our day-to-day vagal tone via various holistic approaches.

• Voice and Throat

  Singing, humming, and chanting help to activate the surrounding muscle to stimulate the vagus nerve. Gargling may also work via similar mechanisms.

• Cold Exposure

  Short but extreme cold temperature exposure like a 30-second cold shower, splashing cold water on the face, or rolling around in the snow with very little clothing may activate the vagus nerve and reduce the fight or flight response over time.

• Breathing Exercises

  Breathing exercises, both immediately and with regular long-term practice, help support the parasympathetic and vagus nerve responses, which can be particularly helpful for stress, anxiety, and heart rate variability. There are many methods of breathwork, and they often take just a few minutes of time per day.

• Meditation

  Meditation supports vagal tone and stress response, especially when practiced regularly.

• Microbiome Support

  Probiotics, prebiotics, fermented foods, and high-fiber, prebiotic-rich foods support the microbiome.

• Foods and Supplements

  • omega-3 fatty acids
  • fatty, cold-water fish
  • bitter-tasting herbs
  • zinc
  • plant foods
  • tryptophan-rich foods
    • oats
    • nuts
    • bananas

• Herbs

  We’re still in the very early stages of understanding the role that herbs and supplements may play in vagal health. Consider nootropic, nervine, calming, and adaptogenic herbs such as:

  • ashwagandha
  • bacopa
  • holy basil
  • gotu kola
  • shankhpushpi
  • kava
  • green tea
  • hot peppers / capsaicin

• Lifestyle

  • exercise
  • massage
  • laughing
  • socializing
  • hugging
  • loving-kindness meditation
  • acupuncture
  • yoga
  • t’ai chi
  • prayer
  • time spent in nature

Medicinal mushrooms are a highly popular and respected category of botanicals. One, more than all others, put the entire category on the map and is considered the most highly revered in Chinese herbal traditions—reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum).

Historical Use of Reishi

While  most known by its Japanese name reishi, this mushroom (polypore) has been used in traditional herbal practices of China for literally thousands of years.

It once was the exclusive domain of emperors and Taoist monks. Emperors hoped it would impart longevity. Taoists used it to cultivate a peaceful state of well-being and to enjoy a long, disease-free life.

Its benefits were considered so critical to royalty that, among commoners, its use was a beheading offense.

Modern Studies About Reishi

When the modern scientific literature is reviewed, we find there are few botanicals that positively affect physiological responses as broadly as reishi; in fact, there are few systems it does not positively affect.

Reishi and the Immune System

The research detailing the effects of reishi on immunity literally fills books and is simultaneously extremely complex and simple.

Innate vs. Adaptive Immunity

In the simplest terms, there are two primary aspects of the immune system: innate and adaptive immunity.

Reishi supports both innate and adaptive immune responses; it is difficult to get better than that.

• The Innate Immune System

  Innate immunity is our oldest, most primitive evolutionary defense protective system. When infections attack, innate immunity stimulates a host of chemical immune defenses that identify bacteria, activate immune cells, and promote clearance of dead cells—immediately preventing the spread of foreign disease-causing agents throughout the body.

  The innate immune system also teaches the adaptive immune system how to identify and remove foreign substances present in organs, tissues, blood, and lymph.

• The Adaptive Immune System

  While innate immunity offers an immediate protective response, the adaptive immune system acquires defenses such as antibodies against specific pathogens and remembers how to fight them in the future; a very cogent discussion for our present times.

How Does Reishi Work?

In practical terms, here is the reishi rundown.

• Adaptogenic Properties

  It is a premier adaptogen, which means it helps us to adapt to physical and psychological stresses and changes.

• Protective Effects

  It has antibacterial, antiviral, and antiallergic activity, meaning it conveys protective effects whether we are under attack by colds, viruses, or allergens.

• Liver and Heart

  Reishi has been widely researched for its ability to protect the liver and heart from damage, has potent anti-inflammatory activities, and protects against bronchitis.

• Cancer Treatment

  Reishi is one of the primary botanicals used for increasing immune cells needed for defense against cancer and for decreasing cells that suppress immune function.

  When taken after chemo and/or radiation therapies for cancer, scientific investigation suggests it restores immunocompetency, thereby increasing one’s chance of survival.

Estrogen and progesterone—life’s pretty good when they’re functioning well, but the natural rhythm of their rise and fall each month is easily disrupted by stress, diet, age, blood sugar, and so much more.

Fortunately, herbs and natural approaches ease hormones back into balance. But be patient. Most hormone-balancing herbs work best when taken long term, and requiring approximately four months to build up to begin to show benefits. Compared to pharmaceutical hormones, they’re far gentler. Instead of providing hormones, they generally support whole-body balance to help your body work out its hormonal wobbles.

Herbs for Hormonal Balance

• Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa)

  Black Cohosh (formerly Cimicifuga racemosa) roots seem to support healthy estrogen levels not by providing estrogen but by improving brain-ovary communication and modulating cell receptors.

  Consider black cohosh in perimenopause and for menopausal complaints like hot flashes and night sweats. It’s also used to ease depression and relax uterine spasms and inflammation.

  Recent studies have demonstrated impressive effects on polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), uterine fibroids, and fertility—on par or better than medications. Opt for Remifemin (the best-studied extract) or United States organically cultivated roots to avoid liver-toxic adulteration concerns.

• Phytoestrogens

  Phytoestrogens modulate estrogen levels. They tend to bind preferentially to estrogen receptor sites in the body, yet they have much weaker (1 percent or less!) estrogenic effects in the body. This means that if you have excessive estrogen—sometimes referred to as “estrogen dominance”—or are exposed to potentially problematic xenoestrogens from the environment, phytoestrogens might limit the negative estrogenic impact.

  Meanwhile, if you’re postmenopausal and are producing almost no estrogen, phytoestrogen helps fill in some of the gaps to reduce bone loss and hot flashes. Food phytoestrogens are likely best here. Try organic fermented soy like miso and tempeh, beans, and legumes, as well as ground flax seeds—which also have fiber and other beneficial constituents for hormone balance.

  Herbs including red clover, sage, hops, shatavari, fenugreek, and motherwort have their own individual benefits and even weaker phytoestrogens.

  Phytoestrogens tend to reduce the risk of estrogen-dependent cancers, but because there are so many forms and variables, most practitioners err on the side of caution and recommend avoiding them if you have an increased risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer.

• Vitex (Vitex agnus-castus)

  Vitex, also called chaste tree berry, focuses more on progesterone support. Progesterone is produced primarily post-ovulation by the corpus luteum (no ovulation = no progesterone) in the second half of the cycle. PMS, mood swings, breast tenderness, and other unpleasant symptoms that arrive premenstrually (or in perimenopause or if there’s no ovulation mid-cycle) tend to relate to progesterone.

  Synthetic and naturally derived progesterone creams supplement progesterone directly, but vitex works more by boosting the brain-ovary communication and production, strengthening and lengthening this cycle phase.

  I like to combine it with stress-supportive adaptogens like ashwagandha or schisandra. While vitex is generally beneficial, some women find it worsens depression.

• White Peony Root (Paeonia lactiflora)

  White peony root from traditional Chinese medicine is emerging as an effective and more broadly tolerated herb for progesterone cycle support.

  Both black cohosh and white peony also show promise in PCOS, especially when combined with licorice and/or fenugreek as well as blood sugar support measures.

• Adaptogens

  General tonics for reproductive health and mood that may benefit both estrogen and progesterone balance include adaptogens maca and shatavari and the nervous system restorative damiana. Bonus: All three may boost libido and mood while decreasing anxiety too!

• Bitters and Fiber

  Herbal bitters like dandelion leaf, dandelion root, and artichoke leaf as well as broccoli family foods encourage the liver to function better to detoxify, metabolize, and excrete old hormones.

  Fiber (whole grains, roots, beans, nuts, seeds) binds to the liver’s waste (bile) for better excretion through the feces. Food forms work best.

  Put this together, and you can see how eating a plant-centric diet can, alongside supportive herbs, dramatically improve our hormone cycles and overall well-being over time.

Modern life moves at a fast pace, and we’re often juggling multiple priorities—family, work, health concerns, and our finances can all cause stress. Sometimes we struggle to deal with all of the ups and downs.

Constant stress can leave us feeling as if our energy has been zapped. Thankfully, there are lots of natural ways to help our bodies fight fatigue and reduce stress so we are better equipped to take on whatever life throws at us.

Supplements for Energy

Adaptogens for Energy

• Adaptogens to Relieve Fatigue

  Chronic stress can affect everything from hormones to cardiovascular function, and many of us are perpetually imbalanced. Reducing stress through diet, exercise, and relaxation techniques is a good start.

  Supplements can also help. Adaptogenic herbs support the endocrine and immune systems and boost the body’s ability to fight stress. Here are a few to try:

  • Ginseng

    Ginseng (Panax spp.) is a staple of traditional Chinese medicine and a first line of defense against sluggishness. Both Asian ginseng (P. ginseng) and American ginseng (P. cinquefolius) help boost energy levels, regulate blood sugar, and improve libido.

    Due to high demand, wild stands of both types of ginseng have been greatly reduced—look for brands that have been sustainably harvested.

  • Eleuthero

    Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus), a “cousin” of ginseng, has been shown to boost energy levels. It appears to be especially helpful for those who work long shifts or odd hours.

    It may also boost endurance and stamina in athletes.

  • Codonopsis

    Another option to consider is codonopsis (Codonopsis spp.), also known as “poor man’s ginseng,” which is less well known. Research suggests that it may be an effective energy booster.

  • Rhodiola

    If you need a quick pick-me-up, consider fast-acting rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea). Research indicates that rhodiola can boost energy in the short term, and it also provides long-term physical and mental energy.

    Rhodiola may reduce symptoms of depression including insomnia and mood swings.

• Adaptogens to Give Your Brain a Boost

  If you find that you can’t focus or that your thinking has become cloudier than usual, you may want to try one of these brain-helping supplements.

  • Ginkgo

    Commonly praised as a brain-boosting herb, Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is a staple of traditional Chinese medicine.

    Contemporary research tends to focus on Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE), which appears to improve cognition, especially in young and middle-aged healthy people.

    Some studies indicate that GBE may improve memory in people with dementia.

  • Schisandra

    Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) acts as a mild stimulant for the nervous system, supporting concentration, boosting mental activity, and improving work performance.

    It also helps to relieve anxiety and stress, allowing for greater mental clarity.

  • Gotu kola

    Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) works more slowly than some other natural remedies, but studies show that it has positive effects on mental function, including giving a boost to working memory.

  • Green Tea Extract

    Green tea extract has been shown to enhance cognitive function and working memory. One study found that participants performed significantly better on working memory tests after supplementation with green tea extract.

    EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), a component of green tea extract, may also improve memory impairment and other cognitive defects triggered by a typical Western diet high in fat and sugar.

Other Nutrients to Boost Energy Levels

Other nutrients that may help boost energy levels include:

• Vitamin B12 which may boost concentration, memory, and mood.
• Magnesium, which converts glucose into energy.
• Omega-3 fatty acids, especially alpha linolenic acid (ALA), that assist with energy generation and may help ease fatigue associated with depression.
• Vitamin D, which shows promise in reducing daytime sleepiness.

What Are Adaptogens?

Simply put, adaptogens are safe tonics that help the body adapt to stress so you’re less likely to launch into “fight or flight” mode yet still have good energy to handle what life throws your way.

Even though adaptogenic herbs have been around for millennia, the term was coined and defined by Soviet researchers starting in the late 1950s.

The popular term often gets misused for anything that’s remotely safe and health-promoting, but adaptogens are specifically safe, broad-acting herbs that boost energy and ease stress by modulating stress hormones like cortisol in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal glands (HPA axis).

What Do Adaptogens Do?

You can assume all adaptogens boost:

• energy
• vitality
• longevity

Most also support:

• libido
• cognition
• focus
• immune health

Each has its own affinities, and some are more stimulating while others are more calming. Try finding those that best fit your personal needs.

Adaptogens provide extra support, but keep in mind that they are not an excuse to ignore your body’s basic needs for sleep, a healthy diet, downtime, and exercise so you can just go-go-go.

Popular Adaptogen Powders

• Ginseng and Friends

  True ginseng includes Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) in two forms—white (crude) and red (steamed)—as well as American ginseng (P. quinquefolius).

  All are warming, stimulating, and restorative; however, American is generally considered more tonic whereas red ginseng is the most stimulating and heating.

  Ginseng roots help you reconnect with your vigor when you feel depleted and fatigued.

  However, it is a slow-growing plant of deep woodlands, nearly eradicated in the wild from overharvesting and illegal poaching, and subject to rampant adulteration due to centuries of popularity.

  Choosing Ginseng

  If you buy ginseng, opt for organically cultivated, woods-grown ginseng from reputable sources.

  Otherwise, seek out more sustainable ginseng substitutes:

  • bitter-tasting jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) leaves
  • eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) roots
  • slightly sweet codonopsis (Codonopsis pilosa) roots

  Precautions

  All of these herbs may aggravate overstimulation, insomnia, mania, and anxiety in sensitive people, especially if taken later in the day or alongside caffeine.

• Rhodiola

  Long revered in Hungary and Siberia, this root (Rhodiola rosea) is an energizing adaptogen, boosting physical energy and excelling at improving mental energy and mood.

  Many human studies support its use for stress, energy, cognition, and uplifting the mood, with some effects noted within just one day.

  Choosing Rhodiola

  Seek cultivated North American rhodiola for sustainability reasons.

  Precautions

  As with ginseng and friends, use caution if you tend toward overstimulation.

• Ashwagandha

  This Ayurvedic root from India (Withania somnifera) is deeply energizing yet also calms anxiety.

  Folk wisdom says that if you take ashwagandha regularly for one year, you’ll have the strength of a stallion for the next 10.

  It boosts thyroid function, supports nerve health, sleep, mood, cognition, fertility, and libido in all genders, and gently eases inflammation and improves muscle strength.

  Researchers found that participants who took a dosage of anywhere between 240 milligrams and 600 milligram of ashwagandha daily for 60 days experienced improved:

  • sleep quality
  • productivity
  • mental calmness
  • relaxation
  • better mood

  Blood tests showed a reduction in levels of the stress hormone cortisol among all study participants.

  Precautions

  Ashwagandha’s well tolerated by most people, but use caution if you’re sensitive to nightshade family plants, have hyperthyroid disease, or take thyroid medications.

• Schisandra

  Also known as five-flavor fruit (Schisandra chinensis), this berry wakes up your senses with an explosion of flavor that’s sour, slightly bitter, pungent, salty, and sweet.

  It benefits many body systems and is one of my favorite liver and detoxifying tonics.

  Schisandra promotes a clear, focused mind, boosts digestive juices, and supports long-term immune vitality. It balances energy levels and rarely overstimulates.

  Precautions

  It may interact with some medications and irritate people with a sour stomach or ulcers.

• Holy Basil

  Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum, syn. O. tenuiflorum), also called “tulsi” and “sacred basil,” has the most profound calming effects of these adaptogens.

  It uplifts the mood, promotes focus, eases anxiety, and decreases inflammation.

  Through cortisol modulation, it not only eases stress but also gently reduces blood sugar, cholesterol, and stress-related sugar cravings.

  It makes an excellent tea but can be enjoyed in any format.

Life is busy, and many of us struggle under the weight of work and family schedules, leaving us feeling a little more stressed than blessed. Pour yourself a cup of stress-relieving chamomile tea, take a deep breath, and read on for easy-to-add stress relievers to keep you feeling healthy and happy.

Natural Stress Relievers

• Vitamins for Symptoms of Stress

  Several vitamins have been shown to help reduce the symptoms of stress.

  • Vitamin A

    Vitamin A helps to protect telomere length. Life stress is linked with shortening of telomeres, which also has been associated with aging.

  • Vitamin B

    Chronic stress depletes B vitamins. Add a B complex formula to your nutritional supplement routine.

  • Vitamin C

    Adrenal glands are rich in vitamin C. New research shows that our adrenal glands secrete not only hormones in response to stress, but also C. Remember that vitamin C is crucial for supporting your immune system. Shore up your intake during the colder weather with a supplement.

• Adaptogens for Capacity

  Adaptogenic herbs help the body adapt to stress by increasing both physical and mental capacity, reducing fatigue, and improving resistance to disease. In order to be considered adaptogens, herbs must act quickly and have long-lasting effects, have properties that reduce stress-induced damage, and be safe.

  • Passion Flower

    Passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) may help reduce symptoms of anxiety, particularly nervousness, heart palpitations, attention deficiencies, and insomnia.

  • Rhodiola

    Clinical research shows that rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) helps relieve stress-related conditions and indicators of burnout, including emotional and physical exhaustion, irritability, and low mood.

  • Valerian

    Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) root may help reduce feelings of anxiety and promote calm without causing drowsiness.

• Alternative Stress Busters

  • Green Tea

    If coffee stimulates feelings of anxiety, tea might help relieve them. Research shows that L-theanine in green tea mitigates physiological and emotional stress responses.

  • CBD Oil

    Early research indicates that cannabidiol (CBD) oil, a product made from a naturally occurring chemical in hemp, may help relieve stress and anxiety. CBD has been shown to reduce anxiety in animal studies—subjects displayed an observable reduction in both behavioral and physiological symptoms of generalized anxiety.

    Additional CBD studies show positive effects on other types of anxiety-related disorders, including social anxiety disorder (SAD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

  • Hops

    Hops pack a powerful anti-anxiety punch, especially when used together with valerian. Hops have a sedative effect on the nervous system that is particularly helpful for dealing with temporary insomnia—they help reduce feelings of stress that can make sleep elusive and can even improve sleep quality.

Sneaky Stressors

Many factors can contribute to stress. Consider whether the following things might be impacting your stress levels, and take steps to reduce them.

• Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine
• Toxins in personal care products
• Dietary nutrient deficiencies
• Physical injury or chronic illness
• Poor sleep
• Emotional or mental health concerns

Few people seem immune to the symptoms of stress related “burnout”—fatigue, lack of concentration, and poor mood. Researchers set out to study the effects of Rhodiola rosea on burnout symptoms, knowing that the herb has been shown to have adaptogenic properties. They recruited 118 adults with burnout syndrome to take 400 milligrams of rhodiola extract per day for 12 weeks.

Most symptoms were reduced during the course of the study, and some gains were seen after just one week. Participants reported improvements in “emotional exhaustion,” “lack of joy,” “loss of zest for life,” and “depersonalization,” as well as increases in sexual interest and functioning.

Feel Better, Exercise Longer

In addition to feeling better emotionally, rhodiola, when combined with Cordyceps sinensis, another adaptogen herb, seems to enhance people's endurance capacity during aerobic exercise. Both herbs have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions.