I am a huge advocate of herbal and holistic treatments for health and wellbeing. But I can tell you if you are taking herbal medicines while also weekly drinking alcohol, eating highly processed foods, takeaways, food high in salt, sugar, and neglecting the whole fresh foods (like fruits and vegetables) that are full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, then you are wasting your time!!

Seasonal living is a constant practice of adjusting our daily routines and habits in accordance with the changing seasons and natural rhythms of the earth. This approach to living recognises that our bodies and minds are interconnected with the natural world, and that we can better optimise our health and wellbeing by aligning ourselves with the patterns of nature.

One of the key areas where seasonal living can have a profound impact on our overall health and wellbeing is our circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is the internal 24-hour clock that governs our sleep-wake cycle, a process that is controled by the release of hormones that tell our body either ‘it’s time to wake up’ or ‘it’s time to sleep’, and it is influenced by a variety of factors including light exposure, meal timing, and physical activity to name a few.

Humans are not built to produce the same amount of output every day, day after day, like a production line machine. We cannot produce both quantity an𝘥 quality work at this rate either…

and yet, we seem to be permanantly fixated on how ‘productive’ we have been.

This toxic form of productivity has to stop. Do we even know what true productivity means anymore?

The key is finding the balance between action and rest. Being able to see rest as an equal partner to action. A balance on the opposite side of a continuous cycle.

Have you ever thought about how different men and women’s bodies are, how we function and (as that famous book tells us) act as if we are from different planets?

Have you ever looked at your male friend, sibling, relative, or partner and wondered how, when you are so different, we are all treated the same by out health system?

What’s so important about womens health you may ask? Can it be so very different?

When so much in this world is designed and tested around the male body and composition womens health and wellbeing is very much lagging behind…

As we move from Winter to Spring it is time to reawaken our minds and bodies from Winter slumber.

Energetically this is a shift from the cold hard earth of Winter to the light and airy Spring. The earth is warming and re-awakening as the sun returns, and we too must slowly revive our bodies and adjust to the changes in momentum.

The Energy of Spring

Spring is the energy of Air, the archetype of the Maiden; young, new, the birth of new life.

All of that, the light energy after the heavy and darkness of winter, can feel very heady and exciting. Spring is a season, four reigniting passions, projects, and hobbies set of lain dormant over the winter, all the last year.

Yep, that's right. There are in fact eight different types of rest! Which do you need most right now?

When we think of rest we often only think of being sedentary eg. sitting/laying on the sofa, or passive rest eg. sleeping/taking a nap where the whole body and senses are resting and inactive.

But our body as a whole system is so much more than this. Our 'body' and our well-being are dependant on our Spiritual, Emotional, Physical Active, Physical Passive, Mental, Social, Sensory, and Creative health.

These are seven of the different types of rest, and this is why, even after days of sleeping well, you cans till find yourself as burnt out, depleted, and fatigued as ever!

The change in season will usually also mean a change in pace. As we move from winter to Spring that is a quickening of energy and socialising, as well as a need to reawaken the digestion and systems of the body.

Our digestion and metabolism tend to slow down over winter with the colder weather, and types of foods we tend to eat through winter to sustain our body and stay warm.

However, there are many foods, edible wild plants, and herbal remedies that can be used to easily + gently cleanse your body as well as stimulate and awaken the metabolism, liver, digestion and energy.

There is a lot of talk about ‘stress’ here at Emily + the Plants, and really that’s no surprise seems as one of the highest factors in cfs/me + burnout onset is prolonged and elevated stress.

But what actually is STRESS?

If you don’t understand what stress is, what forms it can come in, and what it’s actually doing to your body internally, then really it’s just some vague term or threat like the boogie monster, right?

What is Stress + Where Does it Come From

First things first, there’s more than one cause of stress that can happen for your body. Just because you don’t necessarily 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 stressed, doesn’t mean you’re not! And stress isn’t always just a mental thing. Stress can show up —⠀

As humans we tend to prefer things we can see and understand. Organs, blood etc. So something like your endocrine or glandular system can often fly under the radar when it comes to our health, even though it’s arguably one of the most important aspects of our health. In this post we will look at what the endocrine system is, and why your endocrine system is so important for your health. As well as holistic and herbal ways you can support your endocrine system.

What is the endocrine system?

The endocrine system, in its simplest explanation, is everything involving hormones in your body.

The endocrine or glandular system is made up of all the glands in your body (no surprise), including : the adrenal glands, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, thymus gland, pancreas, and the sex organs (either the testies or ovaries).

Our skin is the biggest organ of our body, vital for our health and wellbeing, and yet often gets neglected or is an afterthought when it comes to skincare + our beauty regime.

Our body uses the skin’s permeability as one of four ways to release + excrete toxins (the others being our breath, urine + stool). Without these channels of eliminating waste, toxins, excess hormones, foreign bodies + germs the body can become overwhelmed, inflamed + out of balance.

OR

Imbalances within our body; such as hormone imbalance, can often show up in our skin condition as the body works to fix the problem or get rid of toxins that are causing imbalance internally.

This can look like acne, breakouts, oily or dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, rashes and irritation…

All of us have within us the innate knowledge and ability to make the right choices for the health of our body, mind and spirit.

But often busy modern life interferes. We don’t want to face our true feelings + emotions so we create busy and materialistic ways to numb ourselves.

We have been taught by society/our peers to ignore our needs and emotions.

When we are struggling with big emotions, problems, or things in life aren't going well or really resonating with you as a person, it is often our response to block or numb ourselves to the problem, instead of facing it.

Ironically, it’s times when things are the worst we often neglect self-care practices (if they were even there to start with), when these are the times we need them most!

Humans are creatures of habit.

We like our routines and the predictability of how we do things. even when those things aren't conducive to making us healthy and happy.

It isn’t always easy to see where we are holding ourselves back, or where our daily habits may be letting us down.

So that no matter how hard we try to improve our health or how we feel mentally + emotionally, we can’t quite get there.

The problem is our habits and actions we take aren’t always the right ones. Mindless action is only of benefit to you if that action takes you in the right direction!

Intention is a powerful thing.

When we are present, and do things with intention, make choices with intention we not only take action, but it is action in the direction of where we truly want to go.

Winter can be tough.

When you suffer from long term or ongoing illness winter can feel extra hard on your mind and body. Aches and pains become more pronounced, the cold can be an extra layer of exhaustion, and the lack of daylight has a tendency to affect our mood and immunity…

It’s so important at any time of year to have a routine that helps you not only feel and stay healthy, but also gets you excited to start the day & means that you approach every day with the best mindset, energy, and intention possible.

That doesn’t have to be the same routine all year round though. Your routine should shift and change to naturally align with the changing seasons and the changes these being about in your body, health, and wellbeing needs.

Did you know there are different kinds of rest?!

Yep, that's right. There are in fact eight different types of rest! Which do you need most right now?

When we think of rest we often only think of being sedentary eg. sitting/laying on the sofa, or passive rest eg. sleeping/taking a nap where the whole body and senses are resting and inactive.

But our body as a whole system is so much more than this. Our 'body' and our well-being are dependent on these eight forms of rest to ensure our sustainable health + wellbeing.

There are many elements contributing to a woman's monthly cycle and bleed that can make it uncomfortable. Most of these are caused by an imbalance of hormones. Treating period pain can be approached in a few different ways — dealing with the immediate discomfort from both an internal and external approach, AND dealing with the underlying root causes and imbalance.

Natural remedies for period pain

There are a number of supplements you can take, as well as massage techniques you can use with essential oils and in your baths that relieve period pain.

Cramps and painful periods, known medically as Dysmenorrhea, plague many women. Sometimes so severely that it can disrupt even the simplest of day-to-day tasks. Treating symptoms naturally and gently using the natural remedies for period pain here, is better for you and your body than using chemicals and over the counter pain killers.

Menstrual cramps should be treated like any other muscle cramps. Your aim is to relax the muscles as much and as quickly as possible…

Sometimes hormones are the underlying root cause of our ongoing health problems and we don’t even realise it.

Because hormones work with and affect every system of our body, and work in such delicate balance they can negatively impact so many aspects of your health, life + wellbeing…

Welcome to part two of this hormone series, covering the general aspects of your moon cycle + using herbal medicine as a natural cure to treat all your hormone imbalance as a whole to improve problem symptoms.

Stress. One of the topic areas I talk about most here on the blog. Why? Because it is not only one of the top root causes of health problems, but can also negatively impact so many areas of our health and wellbeing. One of which is a females hormones and menstrual cycle.

A females menstruation lasts around 28 days, and the rise and fall of a dozen or more different hormones throughout that 28 days is what triggers and controls things like the release of an egg, the build up and break down of the uterus lining, and how long her monthly bleed lasts for, amongst a host of other big and minute changes. As well as her fertility and ability to get pregnant.

How Does Stress Affect Your Hormones

Hormones are essentially chemicals that move around your body telling your cells and organs what they need to do.

In any belief, way of thinking or living there are pillars; key areas that need to be addressed and considered. These pillars are the basis or foundation of a system or way of being that provides values to uphold. A solid foundation you can build upon. The foundation that supports you + lifts you up so you are able to focus on other goals and activities.

You could call these pillars your habits + rituals. The things you do and repeat on a regular basis… because what you repeat you become.

If you focus on poor habits and self care you get poor health + wellbeing where you struggle to maintain momentum and/or happiness.

In contrast when you focus on healthy habits + self care (in all the pillars), choices that you know improve your health + wellbeing, you thrive.

Stress has become one of the top causes of health problems and one of the most common things we have all dealt with at some point in our lives.

This modern world of ours has pushed to the sidelines a lot of the things that help humans to stay healthy + happy, and so now our minds, body’s + wellbeing are starting to suffer. Cases of burnout, depression and anxiety becoming more common than ever before.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic fatigue in general are predominantly nervous system related illnesses. This means that anything which aggravates your nervous system and increases inflammation, makes your health worse!

One of the worst causes of inflammation in the body is stress.

We all have different stress triggers — things that cause a stress response in our body, or make us feel ‘unsafe’

The body’s natural response to stress is our fight-flight-freeze-fawn response. A hormone reaction that causes elevated amounts of cortisol + adrenaline to be released into our blood stream giving our body the strength + reactions it needs to escape immediate danger

The problem is this response was built to help our ancestors escape the jaws of a sabre-tooth, and is a little out of place in the modern world

Unfortunately our body doesn’t recognise the difference between the threat from a sabre-tooth and our reaction from being shouted at by our boss or trying juggle work + family life on a schedule