Ashwagandha for Stress Relief: One Woman’s Journey to Better Sleep and Peace
From sleepless nights to peaceful days, Joni shares how ashwagandha helped her overcome anxiety
Lying in bed trying to fall asleep proved to be Joni Ogle’s hardest feat of the day. Feeling tense and unable to calm her mind, she tossed and turned.
I need to find a new way to manage this anxiety! Joni, 52, thought one night while staring at the ceiling with her heart racing. I wish I could just relax!
Joni had been through a big transition in her life and started experiencing waves of worry at bedtime. She soon realized she needed something else to help manage all that she was dealing with.
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As a business owner, trying to handle work and her personal relationships almost felt like too much. Not to mention the physical changes she began experiencing, including muscle tension in her head and neck, physical fatigue during the day and heart palpitations on occasion. All of these ailments added even more stress. It was a vicious cycle. Her go-to methods for dealing with anxiety like yoga, therapy, meditation and even prescribed medication were offering some relief, but it just wasn’t enough.
Ashwagandha helps calm the sympathetic nervous system, which reduces the output of the stress hormone cortisol. —Michelle Thompson, M.D.
A relaxing remedy: ashwagandha for stress relief
Frustrated yet determined to find a solution, Joni asked a trusted friend who worked in the medical field for some advice. Her friend mentioned that there were some great natural supplements that supported stress management and overall wellbeing, and she suggested ashwagandha. Joni was intrigued and decided to research it further to learn more.
Joni soon found out studies have shown that ashwagandha, an evergreen shrub, contains chemicals known to stimulate the production of GABA, a neurotransmitter that has calming positive effects on the endocrine, cardiopulmonary and central nervous systems, which significantly reduces stress, depression and food cravings and helps with sleep. After consulting with her doctor, Joni decided to give ashwagandha capsules a try.
Joni began taking 300 mg of ashwagandha in the morning and 300 mg in the evening. And after just two weeks of taking the herb daily, Joni was shocked that she began noticing a big difference.
Her sleep improved first, and this had a trickle-down effect on the rest of her life. Her anxiety levels decreased, and by the fourth week, she felt calmer, more centered and better able to handle daily stressors.
Joni is so glad she was able to find an all-natural way to relieve her anxiety. She says, “I feel amazing, rested and able to handle anything life hands me!”
More health benefits of ashwagandha
Supports muscle growth
When there’s too much of the stress hormone cortisol circulating in the body, it impairs muscle growth. But when ashwagandha dials back stress, we build bigger and stronger muscles within eight weeks.
Boosts daytime energy
Ashwagandha boasts a unique compound called withaferin A, which revs the energy engines in our cells (mitochondria). The result? A daily supplement can cut fatigue by 80 percent in just five days.
Heals the thyroid
Stress takes a toll on the thyroid, but research in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine reveals that ashwagandha improves thyroid function by 42 percent in just eight weeks.
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