I've had a few readers write to me asking about holistic ways to reduce stress and anxiety. While serious stress and anxiety disorders need to be dealt with with the help of a qualified practitioner, there are a few methods and supplements that can go a long way toward helping to deal with daily stress.

The central nervous system has two modes of being known as the sympathetic and parasympathetic response. These two divisions of the nervous system control muscle contraction, regulate the heart and also stimulate or inhibit glandular secretion. The parasympathetic nervous system is the one that we find our selves in normally - calm, collected, cool headed. It is sometimes referred to as the "rest and digest" mode. This is contrasted with the sympathetic nervous system, known as the "fight or flight" mode.

Long term stimulation of the "fight or flight" system kicks in the adrenal glands which release the stress chemical epinephrine (adrenaline) into the body. This is pure stress - the often uncontrollable urge to run away or to fight back. It increases heart rate, opens up the bronchial passage to take in more air, shunts energy away from processes that aren't necessary for immediate escape, like digestion, dilates the pupils and generally just prepares the body for immediate action.

This stress reaction is supposed to be short-term. It kicks in long enough for us to get away from that sabre-toothed tiger, and then we relax again and go about our lives. However, modern life seems to inspire a continued state of arousal from the sympathetic nervous system. This constant bombardment of stress chemicals in the body can lead to increased inflammation, depression and anxiety, damage to the hippocampus (part of the brain dealing with memory) and resultant memory loss, insomnia, reduced seratonin levels (the "happy" neurotransmitter), increased abdominal fat and insulin resistance and many other symptoms. It also leads to a state of adrenal exhaustion, where the adrenals are unable to produce adequate quantities of hormones because of being constantly stimulated.

In order to reduce anxiety, the first thing I would suggest would be to make efforts to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Dr. Mark Hyman points to research on what is sometimes referred to as the antidote to the stress response - the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is a cranial nerve which starts in the brain, runs down the neck, through the chest to the abdomen. It controls the parasympathetic nervous system and thus the relaxation response. In short, stimulating the vagus nerve activates the "rest and digest" system, calms you down and gives our adrenal glands a break.

Stimulating the vagus nerve is actually quite simple. Yoga, meditation, deep breathing or even taking a hot bath are commonly known as relaxing activities specifically because they stimulate the vagus nerve. Because the vagus nerve runs down the neck and through the chest and diaphragm, some deep, belly breathing exercises have been found to stimulate it.

Here's an exercise from From Mark Hyman's UltraMind Solution: "right now take a deep breath into your belly to the count of five, pause for one second, then breathe out slowly to the count of five. Keep your belly soft [...] do this five times. Notice how you feel in your body and mind." This little exercise stimulates the vagus nerve and activates the "rest and digest" system, reducing stress chemicals and turning off the adrenals. You can do this breathing exercise whenever you're feeling stressed and you can do it a few times in a row if you're particularly stressed.

Once you've mastered the breathing technique, there are some herbs and supplements with relaxing properties that you may want to try. Here are a few:

1. Kava Kava - Used for fatigue, anxiety, stress and insomnia, this herb is calming, leads to an overall sense of well-being, clear thinking and relaxation of muscles. Resulting sleep is restful, often dream-filled, and there are no groggy after-effects the following day. 100mg three times per day has been found to relieve anxiety in a German study. Over-consumption leads to intoxication, so be careful with this stuff.

2. St. John's Wort - Best known as an anti-depressant herb but it is also used for anxiety. Some studies on St. John's Wort have found it to be as effective as antidepressant medications (but should never be combined with these). This herb can be helpful in those with serotonin deficiency.

3. 5 HTP - A more active form of tryptophan, an amino acid component of serotonin. Serotonin is the predominant neurotransmitter hormone that influences mood. It's responsible for happy signals - making us feel relaxed and optimistic and gives us a general sense of well-being. Lowered serotonin leads to anxiety, depression and difficulty with sleep. Those with a serotonin deficiency have found success in supplementing tryptophan.

4. Ginseng - Asian Ginseng root extract or Siberian Ginseng root are adaptogenic herbs both helpful in adapting to stress.

5. Rhodiola Root - Widely used to relieve anxiety and panic, shifting moods and a depression caused by everyday stress. It also provides positive support during periods of heightened mental and physical stress.

6. Valerian Root - Probably one of the better known herbals for relaxing. A cup of valerian tea has been found to relax the central nervous system and is often used as a sleep aid (take it before bed, not when you need to attend to daytime activity) and has also been found to decrease nervousness, anxiety, panic and nervous tension.

7. Cordyceps - This Chinese mushroom has traditionally been used for supporting the adrenal glands.

There are a few other considerations to reducing anxiety and stress. Stress depletes the nutrients needed to relax and so supplementing a few will prove helpful in increasing relaxation. These include B vitamins, vitamin C and magnesium, all important for rebuilding exhausted adrenals. Also exercise - exercise de-stresses and improves your resistance to stress, improves mood through balancing neurotransmitter function and it boosts your overall motivation. Eating a whole food diet is also essential to ensure you're getting all the raw materials for healing including magnesium, calcium, zinc and selenium. Sugar and other simple carbohydrates, as well as caffeine and other stimulants can both negatively affect mood by throwing off blood sugar levels and should be avoided.


The Healthy Foodie is Doug DiPasquale, Holistic Nutritionist and trained chef, living in Toronto. You can email him with questions at dugdeep@gmail.com.