The New Year is a perfect time to start fresh and take your self-care routine to the next level. Self-care refers to the everyday habits you practice that allow you to take care of and nurture your physical and mental health and well-being. A holistic self-care routine considers all 5 spheres of health – exploring each will help you see where you might need the most support.

Diet is always the best place to start – by listening to your body and finding out what it is truly craving, you build a solid foundation with which you can support your energy, immunity, sleep, and resilience.

The lifestyle and mental emotional spheres may include daily exercise and some stress management tools. Community and connection are also extremely helpful – reach out to friends and build a network of self-care enthusiasts. Last, but certainly not least, self-care can include carefully selected plants that support your specific health and wellness goals and needs.

CHECK OUT OUR 5 FAVOURITE HERBS FOR SELF-CARE TO SEE WHICH ONE RESONATES THE MOST WITH YOU.

Astragalus – an adaptogenic herb that increases energy and bolsters stress resistance. Astragalus is also a powerful immunomodulating plant with antibacterial and antiviral properties, so helps keep the cold and flu, and other infections at bay.¹

Cordyceps – a unique immunomodulating mushroom that supports optimal immune function, as well as stimulates energy production and athletic performance². Cordyceps are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory³ and make an ideal addition to your daily self-care routine.

Panax Ginseng – an adaptogen that increases energy and resistance to stress⁴; it is ideal to support your morning self-care routine by enhancing physical performance and cognitive function, as well as reducing mental fatigue. As an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ^5,6,7 Panax also helps protect overall health and wellness.

Passionflower – relieves restlessness and nervousness – ideal for anxious individuals, who have trouble quieting their mind at bedtime. Passionflower also possesses powerful sedative properties, which is why it’s a wonderful sleep aid, to support your night self-care routine and restore healthy sleep patterns.⁸

Tart cherry – great for pain conditions like osteoarthritis, myalgia, fibromyalgia, and muscle soreness. Tart cherry is also a natural source of melatonin which increases total sleep time and sleep quality and can be used to improve insomnia.⁹ It’s a perfect complement to anyone’s night self-care routine.

HERBAL SELF-CARE MADE SIMPLE

Even with the best of intentions, it can be hard to remember to take a wide variety of different supplements each and every day. This is why Botanica’s brand-new Perfect Protein Elevated Energy Booster, Immune Supporter, and Sleep Better blends are the perfect all-in-one supplement solutions to support your holistic self-care routine.

PPE Energy, featuring Panax Ginseng and adaptogenic Cordyceps, is ideal for anyone looking for an energy boost to kickstart 2022 with a bang.

PPE Immune Supporter features astragalus, portobello mushrooms, acerola, and zinc, for a powerful daily immune boost, and enhanced stress resistance.

PPE Sleep Better, combines passionflower, magnesium, and tart cherry – the perfect combination for optimal rest and regeneration.

These formulas can be added to shakes, smoothies, or your favorite smoothie bowl, for a generous serving of organic plant-based protein, plus a full daily dose of self-care supplements to nourish your body, fuel your muscles, and boost your energy. Check out our recipes for some tasty ideas.

At Botanica, we believe deeply in the power of plant-based medicine to achieve your health goals, and our mission is to make plant-based supplements easy to integrate into your daily routine. We hope these new formulas will be a welcome addition to your life.

References

1. Li X, Qu L, Dong Y, et al. A review of recent research progress on the astragalus genus. Molecules. 2014;19(11):18850-18880. Published 2014 Nov 17. doi:10.3390/molecules191118850 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6270929/
2. Xu YF. Effect of Polysaccharide from Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes) on Physical Fatigue Induced by Forced Swimming. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2016;18(12):1083-1092. doi: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.v18.i12.30. PMID: 28094746.
3. Yang X, Li Y, He Y, Li T, Wang W, Zhang J, Wei J, Deng Y, Lin R. Cordycepin alleviates airway hyperreactivity in a murine model of asthma by attenuating the inflammatory process. Int Immunopharmacol. 2015 Jun;26(2):401-8. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2015.04.017. Epub 2015 Apr 22. PMID: 25912153. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25912153/
4. Health Canada Ingredients Database accessed on December 8th, 2021 at: http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/atReq.do?atid=ginseng.panax&lang=eng
5. Park BG, Jung HJ, Cho YW, Lim HW, Lim CJ. Potentiation of antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties of cultured wild ginseng root extract through probiotic fermentation. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2013 Mar;65(3):457-64. doi: 10.1111/jphp.12004. Epub 2012 Dec 6. PMID: 23356855. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23356855/
6. Lee DC, Lau AS. Effects of Panax ginseng on tumor necrosis factor-α-mediated inflammation: a mini-review. 2011 Mar 30;16(4):2802-16. doi: 10.3390/molecules16042802. PMID: 21455094; PMCID: PMC6260618. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21455094/
7. Seo SK, Hong Y, Yun BH, Chon SJ, Jung YS, Park JH, Cho S, Choi YS, Lee BS. Antioxidative effects of Korean red ginseng in postmenopausal women: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014 Jul 3;154(3):753-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.04.051. Epub 2014 May 9. PMID: 24814037. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24814037/
8. Health Canada Ingredients Database accessed on December 8th, 2021 at: http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/atReq.do?atid=passionflower.passiflore&lang=eng
9. Howatson G, Bell PG, Tallent J, Middleton B, McHugh MP, Ellis J. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. Eur J Nutr. 2012 Dec;51(8):909-16. doi: 10.1007/s00394-011-0263-7. Epub 2011 Oct 30. PMID: 22038497.