Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, and I were introduce in 2009 by a dear friend. She gifted me a bottle of dried & capped Tulsi in a care package that was put together to soothe me as I mourned the loss of my father and got ready to tie the knot. So I poked around in some of my resources, liked what I saw about this renownd Holy Basil and started a daily ritual.
As intrigue grew, my next stop was a book on Adaptogens so I could dive deeper into the fascinating subject.
The term adaptogen refers to a variety of herbs or fungi that work synergistically in the body to augment our resistance to stress, anxiety, trauma and exhaustion.
They enhance our body’s ability to deal with all of these common life qualities. They recharge our adrenals. Simply, as the name suggests, adaptogens help our body adapt. Some common and easy to find adaptogens are: ashwaganda, astragalus, licorice, reishi, shiitake & maitake mushrooms, aloe vera, chlorella and Tulsi.
The unique chemistry of Tulsi is highly complex. Tulsi leaves contain tons of beneficial compounds known as phyto-chemicals. These compounds possess strong antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, adaptogenic, and immune-enhancing properties that promote general health and support the body’s natural defense against stress and diseases. I grew some of my own this year. Just a small batch just to see how it would fare. I have not always had the best of luck growing basil from seed. This little plant fared just fine outside, so I am going to plant a few more of the seeds inside. I am hopeful for a bigger batch for a spring harvest.
All of this spicy information is here to offer you a diving board for some of your own research and experimentation. A wonderful book on adaptogens is Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief by David Winston & Steven Maimes.