On December 21, 2022, I was invited by Leentje Speybroeck from Leentje Coacht for her first evening of reflection for Yule with the theme Energy.
As part of this evening I got to give a talk on herbs and energy in the winter, and I thought you might enjoy reading this too!
One of the most frequently asked questions I get when people hear that I am working with herbs: “I am always so tired, do you have a remedy for more energy?” You may recognize yourself in that. As you can imagine, there is an easy short answer to this question, but also a longer more elaborate answer.
The easy short answer: there is coffee and red bull, which we all know is not a sustainable solution. And I am only talking about sustainable in the sense that this does not give sustainable energy, you are actually just blowing through your reserves when you reach for herbs like coffee. You get energy for a short time, but the coffee wears off and you feel even less energetic than before when the coffee rush has worn off. Not to mention the other effects that (too much) coffee can have on your nervous system, your digestion, your heart, ...
And that’s how many of the “energy giving” miracle cures work: they work in the short term, but in the long term they exhaust you. Besides coffee, the best known are Tea, Guarana, Yerba Mate, …
A more extensive answer: first find out why you are tired and then take appropriate action. There are so many herbs that can support you! When you start reading, all herbs can offer you something. But instead of taking all the interesting trendy remedies, it is often better to (have) investigate what exactly is wrong. And then (with help) choose the support that really goes to the cause.
There can be many different reasons why you have too little energy. Many more than I can list here. But sometimes we don't want to acknowledge that there are some very simple reasons why we are tired and we don't acknowledge the deep impact that these simple reasons can have.
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Sometimes we just want to do too much
We compare ourselves to others, that person can do X and Y and Z, why can't I do this. But we don't always have a full view of the situation of others and so we compare apples with oranges.
Deep ingrained in our heads is a capitalistic mindset of never enough and always wanting more and better. Not growing is stagnating and that is a disaster.
We (and our planet with us) would benefit so much from a Mindset Switch: Taking it easy is not being lazy, but a radical revolutionary act. You inspire others with it. Let this idea sink in quietly, plant it like a seed and let this idea grow.
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An overstimulated nervous system
We are constantly on, there are few moments when we can really relax. Our attention is claimed by so many different things. We even start to divide our attention, which prevents us from focusing on our goal (and feeling like a failure if we don't achieve it).
Try to schedule moments of de-stimulation, put your smartphone further away more often, turn off certain notifications, etc.
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Not taking the seasons into account
In winter it is cold and dark. Animals hibernate or migrate to warmer places. Plants drop leaves or die. Only in spring do they raise their heads again and seeds germinate.
Although it is not feasible to go into full on hibernation mode, or to hibernate in Benidorm for a few months, we can make small adjustments to take it a bit easier and keep warm.
Not saying yes to everything, not cutting out urgent things until there is more space (and maybe they don't even turn out to be necessary). A quieter period with moments of introspection. Dreaming and planning for the new year. Letting go of things and finishing/closing them. Even if it's only 10 minutes here and there, just sitting with a cup of tea and a candle.
Keep your body warm: warm clothes, an undershirt, a warm nest on the couch with blankets and thick socks. Hot drinks all day.
Candlelight (or mood lighting) instead of harsh electric light and a moment outside every day during the scarce daylight.
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“Wrong” nutrition
Nutrition is a very loaded topic, there are so many opinions, which often contradict each other ... Let me say that food does not fit the season. Not only from ecological convictions, but also physically your body needs different food in the winter than in the summer.
Cooking with seasonal vegetables, as pure and unprocessed as possible (≠ 100% raw food). Soups and stews: food that has been simmering for a while, supplemented with raw seasonal vegetables (e.g. a chicory salad). This instead of just salads with spring and summer vegetables or smoothies with exotic fruit, which burden and slow down your digestion and metabolism in the winter and thus cause stress and loss of energy.
I don't eat perfectly myself (anything but), but it doesn't have to be an all or nothing story. And especially with food: be gentle with yourself, don't make it even harder for yourself.
Below I would like to list a few herbs and other remedies that personally support me the most this season.
Important disclaimer: before you start taking a certain herb on a regular basis, make sure it is also suitable for you. I will explain a specific effect of certain herbs below, but they can also have other effects, which means they may not be suitable for you. Especially if you are pregnant, taking medication or have a certain condition, double check with your doctor or health therapist first.
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Vitamin D and magnesium .
For many people this really makes a difference in energy and mood. Discuss this with your GP or health therapist and above all: take quality supplements. e.g. magnesium from Mannavital
- Supporting your digestion :
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with carminative and warming herbs : these ensure that the engine of our digestion continues to run smoothly, that we digest better and do not get a heavy or bloated feeling. You can add herbs to your stews, soup, wok. Drink warming herbal tea. A herbal vinegar over your salad, …
Some examples: garlic, onion, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, but also oregano, thyme, ... And I don't mean to make it spicier, but to stimulate and support your digestion.
Mirabella's spice cupboard: Herbal vinegar Fire , Herbal infusion Warm & Cozy , Herbal infusion Nettle Chai , …
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With bitter herbs we can also support our digestion, by tasting the bitter taste a signal goes to the brain and that starts a whole process: more saliva, your stomach, bile and liver prepare themselves, your food is better digested and therefore you also suffer less from (a heavy) stomach and (bloated) intestines.
For example, you can eat chicory, drink chicory coffee, make dandelion root tea, …
Mirabella's spice cupboard: the Bitters: Orange , Grapefruit or Lemon
- Warming your body : the warming herbs above also ensure that your body warms up, for example, they ensure good blood circulation. A nice warm ginger tea or a hot chocolate milk to which you add some cinnamon, chili or cardamom. There are also cooling herbs: a mint tea or hibiscus is not a good idea in the winter, unless you supplement with warming herbs.
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Herbs for the nervous system: When our nervous system is overstimulated or under pressure, this has an impact on many other bodily functions. After all, the nervous system is our central computer that collects and processes all input from our entire body and sends appropriate signals back through the body. I can tell you a lot about the nervous system and herbs that we can use to support it, so much so that I give a whole workshop about it :)
Mirabella's favorites for the nervous system:
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Milky Oats: Oats that are harvested when they are still green and the seeds are not yet ripe, but liquid: when you squeeze them, a milky white substance comes out, hence the name Milky Oats. At this time, the oats are very nourishing and supportive for your nervous system. If you notice that you are often irritated and irritated, if you notice that your mental resilience is stretched too much, then Milky Oats can make your nervous system stronger and more resilient again.
Mirabella's spice cabinet: Milky Oats Elixir
- St. John's Wort: a great herb for melancholy and winter blues: picked on the longest day of the year to use during the shortest days of the year to bring some sunshine back into our lives. St. John's Wort also has a strong effect on the liver, making it unsuitable for use in combination with other medication.
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Cheerful and comforting herbs: Lemon verbena and Lemon balm, Tulsi, Linden, Rose, …
Mirabella's Herb Cabinet: Herbal Infusion Cocoon , Tulsi & Passiflora Elixir , …
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Heart warming herbs
Mirabella's Herb Cupboard: A hug in a bottle : a literally and figuratively heart-warming herbal elixir, with hawthorn blossom and berry, rose, cocoa, chili pepper and cocoa.
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Adaptogens :
Help the body adapt , adjust, to stress, and this can be all kinds of stress (physical, emotional, environmental, pollution, digestion, ...) Some adaptogens also provide extra energy, which is useful in some cases, but can also have a counterproductive effect if you have an exhausted nervous system.
Interesting adaptogens that you can study further: Ashwaganda and Reishi.
Mirabella's Herb Cabinet: Reishi Elixir
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Herbs for introspection
Because winter is also a time to really turn inward, process the past year and think about the new year, herbs that ground you and support a ritual are very nice. Lighting a candle and a smoke wand (= a bundle of herbs) is for me a sign to make it quiet for a while. Many people know white sage and palo santo for 'smudging'. But using local herbs for rituals and smoke is something from all over the world, not just something of native Americans. That is why I prefer to use local herbs for this. Candlelight and smoke wands, wonderful to start a journaling or meditation with. For this Yule period I think especially of soothing lavender, mugwort (intuition, cycle, ...) and rosemary (integrating and/or letting go of experiences and memories from the past year).
Mirabella's herb cupboard: various smoke wands or a workshop to make smoke wands yourself :)