Our bodies are designed to handle times of extreme psychological stress. The death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, a car accident. We are built with the ability to metabolize these seasons of grief. But unfortunately, modern life, especially mid-life, is becoming a never-ending string of acute, traumatic stress events leading to prolonged feelings of anxiety, poor sleep and cognitive concerns.
You’re Not Alone
Sound familiar? If this is you, you aren’t alone.
When I work with women in my health coaching practice, I regularly suggest adding Ashwagandha into their supplements to help get their joy back.
Ashwagandha is an herb used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine, it’s a potent adaptogen (helps us adapt and become resilient) that offers a way to support cognition, menopausal symptoms, mood, and sleep.
Let’s Talk Perimenopause and Menopause First
Taking 300mg of Ashwagandha twice a day has been shown to provide a “statistically significant reduction” in menopause symptoms such as stress, hot flashes and night sweats, anxiety and sleeplessness. Ashwagandha when taken correctly reduces cortisol levels.
Why Managing Cortisol Matters
Cortisol is a love/hate hormone. We love it because it helps get us up in the morning and moving about to do all the things we do as high performing humans. But we hate it because if we don’t manage it, it sticks around and causes problems. Too much of this hormone leads to belly fat, physical signs of aging and prevents melatonin production which keeps us from sleeping.
By reducing abundant cortisol, we sleep better and that in turn enhances brain function, helps with cognition and aids in mental clarity. The herb's neuroprotective properties may also support long-term brain health, and cognitive function as we age.
A Natural Mood-Lifter
Best of all, Ashwagandha helps promote an overall feeling of calm. Not to worry, you won’t be zoning out at work after a protein shake, it’s a subtle sense of balance and a more positive outlook on life. We can all use that!
How to Get Enough
These benefits are all shown in studies where at least 300mg of Ashwagandha was taken twice a day. That means enjoy two VitaHustle ONE Superfood Protein shakes a day, or have one shake and then use a scoop or two in your yogurt, or baking, or boost your oatmeal in the morning.
But Will It Make Me Fall Asleep?
While I do recommend Ashwagandha for sleep in clients who are experiencing seasons of major stress; the dose for sleep is 550mg or more taken at bedtime. You aren’t getting that with one tasty VitaHustle shake. And I don’t suggest you drink your shakes (two of them to get the needed dose) right before bed for the obvious elimination reasons.
But if you’re looking for added sleep support, taking a high-quality Ashwagandha supplement at bed could be just what you need.
What You Should Know Before You Start
With every vitamin, mineral and herb (you’re getting 22 in each delicious VitaHustle serving), there are those who may want to do more research. Pregnant women are advised to avoid Ashwagandha, and while I do recommend bumping up your intake during those tough seasons of life we talked about earlier, I like to see people cycle higher doses. The safety studies have only been done on three months of consumption or less.
How I Personally Use It
Personally, I always do one Chocolate or Café Latte shake a day and then use the Vanilla powder to boost my food at breakfast or during snacks. When I'm under major forms of physical or psychological stress, I’ll then add in an Ashwagandha supplement at night.
The Bottom Line
This potent little root can be a game changer for the way you experience joy in your life no matter what season you’re in. The fact that you get this along with 85 other high-quality ingredients in one delicious superfood shake makes VitaHustle the best brand of plant-based protein for women like me!
Enjoy, and be well,
Kerstin Lindquist
VitaHustle Chief Wellness Coach
Host of the StRest Podcast
- [1] Lopresti AL, Smith SJ. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) for the treatment and enhancement of mental and physical conditions: A systematic review of human trials. Journal of Herbal Medicine 2021;28:100434.
