The Naturopathic Doctor's Toolkit for Stress, Sleep, and Hormones

EveryBodyTalks — Episode 152

The Naturopathic Doctor's Toolkit for Stress, Sleep, and Hormones

Guest: Dr. Erin Stokes, ND · Hosts: Jenn Giamo & Lori Schulweis


Cold Open

Dr. Stokes: The thing is, you can design your life—like we're talking about. And the beautiful thing is that every single day, you get to start again. So even if your life design feels like it got a little wonky today, that's the beauty of it: you get to design your life starting tomorrow.

Try not to make it overwhelming, though. That's why I'm a big fan of micro habits. Stepping outside with your coffee is honestly a micro habit. Going on a short walk around the block. I've been known to walk around parking lots when I'm visiting somewhere, because it doesn't matter if you don't have an hour for a run outside. Just walk out the door, and know that studies have shown that within five minutes your mood will improve and your focus will improve. Even if you think you don't have time for it, you actually do—because you're going to come back to your desk more productive. I promise you. In fact, you may even come up with the solution to whatever you were working on while you're on your walk. It happens all the time.


Chapter 1 — Meet Dr. Erin Stokes: From a Surgeon Family to Plant Medicine

Host: Hey everybody. Welcome to another episode of EveryBodyTalks, a podcast where we explore the wide world of wellness. Sometimes we talk to experts, sometimes we just talk to each other—but we're always talking to you. If you want to watch this episode, go to our YouTube channel and subscribe at EBT Podcast. Every week we discuss topics from nutrition and exercise to mindfulness and self-care.

Today we're talking to a naturopathic doctor and the Medical Director at WishGarden Herbs, with over 20 years of experience in clinical practice and innovative education. She was raised in a family of surgeons but was drawn to the natural world, and she's dedicated her career to bridging the gap between rigorous science and botanical medicine. Since earning her naturopathic medicine degree in 2001, she's stayed true to the foundational principles that drew her to the field: honoring the body's innate healing capacity, treating the whole person rather than isolated symptoms, and serving as both doctor and teacher.

A passionate advocate for the "doctor as teacher" principle, she specializes in translating technical medical knowledge into engaging, actionable wisdom that empowers people to transform their health through the power of plants. She's here today to talk about how we can design our lives to unlock better sleep and build stress resilience with the help of herbal medicine and lifestyle practices. So please welcome to EveryBodyTalks, Dr. Erin Stokes. Hi Erin, how are you? Welcome to the show.

Dr. Stokes: Hi Lori and Jenn. Thank you so much for having me today. I'm excited for this conversation.

Host: Let's start there. You come from this family of doctors, and you're a doctor yourself, but you've embraced the natural world. Tell us how you got here.

Dr. Stokes: We all have our story of what led us to this moment. For me, I was raised in a family of medical doctors—my grandfather was an orthopedic surgeon, and so was my dad. So I explored the idea of medicine from a young age, but I was also drawn toward the natural world. I planted my first herb garden as a teenager and realized there was a different path for me, one that blends the best of both worlds: the science and the wisdom around science, along with our natural, inherent healing capacity.

I think we as individuals can also draw on the best of both worlds—from conventional medicine and natural remedies. I'm not an "either/or" person; I'm more of an "and." We have the opportunity in our lives to draw from all these sources of wisdom and healing. I love to talk about natural medicine, the power of plants, and the power of each of us to truly transform our health.


Chapter 2 — Why Good Sleep Starts the Moment You Wake Up

Host: I want to start with the day-to-night connection you talk about. We talk about sleep a lot on this podcast, but I like your approach—you say the journey to a good night's sleep begins the moment you wake up. Can you explain the physiological link? How do our morning hours affect our ability to fall asleep 16-plus hours later?

Dr. Stokes: I'd love to. This is another way we can take the power back into our own hands, which is one of the things I love. Every morning when we wake up, how we choose to design our day is going to impact our ability to fall asleep that night. So many of us have heard about what we do in the evening—sleep hygiene and all of that—and that's very important. But it really starts the moment you wake up.

To make that tangible: one of the most practical things you can do for both your evening sleep and your stress levels is to step outside into the morning light as early as you possibly can. Even going out to your backyard or patio for five minutes will start to set your circadian rhythm. That's the internal biological clock every one of us has, and has always had. We're much more in tune with the cycles of light and dark than we give ourselves credit for. Sometimes we think we can just power through, but we have this inherent ability to tune in to the light.

And here's what happens, very specifically: when you go outside into natural light, your melatonin drops. That's important, because it's daytime—you want melatonin low during the day and higher in the evening. So melatonin drops so you're not feeling sleepy, and serotonin, that feel-good neurotransmitter, rises. A five-minute step outside, or a five-minute walk around the block, starts setting that clock for the evening ahead.

That makes a big difference compared to—and some people do this, especially if they work from home—not stepping outside until later in the morning, or even lunchtime, because you've got deadlines and you just power through in front of the computer. That's not going to set you up for the best night's sleep.

Host: Lucky for us, we have dogs, so we're always out first thing. Now it's light when I leave for work, but for a while it was dark and I'd catch part of the sunrise on the way, which is really nice.


Chapter 3 — Morning Light, Cortisol & Your Circadian Rhythm

Host: You said as early as possible—does the exact timing matter? If I wake up at 7, do I need to get out there within a certain window?

Dr. Stokes: It's really about when you wake up. Getting up at 7 is great, and if you can get outside within 30 minutes, that's perfect. It also helps with your cortisol awakening response. All of our elegant body systems have a pattern, and cortisol should actually be highest in the morning. A lot of times we think "cortisol bad, we don't want cortisol"—but cortisol has a role, and it's important. It's part of waking up easily in the morning.

You see it in kids: they don't need a cup of coffee, because those systems are usually still intact. You want cortisol elevated in the morning and low in the evening, and that's all connected with light. So even if it's a cloudy day, don't skip it—just being outside in the light makes a difference.

Host: So is the idea that you'll naturally wake up with the morning light?

Dr. Stokes: Obviously in the winter months you won't wake naturally with the light, but a lot of people describe that feeling when they've had really good sleep—you wake up, there's a little light, the birds are chirping, and you think, "I just had a great night's sleep." Waking up with the light feels incredible.

Host: I notice I tend to sleep better in the summer, oddly enough—I know it's hot—but it's because I'm outside all the time, exposed to that light. It's tough in the winter in New York, because you really want to hibernate. But you can feel the difference, which is huge.


Chapter 4 — Protein at Breakfast & the Sleep Connection

Dr. Stokes: You do feel the difference. And once you get into the habit—I know bundling up in the winter can be painful—it's similar to another important habit: getting protein in within 30 to 60 minutes of waking up. So many people have told me what a difference they feel between the days they get that protein in first thing and the days they don't. When you're not getting it, you feel more stressed.

Protein is almost a signal of safety to your body. I'd really frame it that way: you're telling your body, "Everything's good, I'm being nourished." Because our bodies will interpret the low blood sugar that comes with not having enough protein as stress. It's a physical stressor, and our body is just trying to maintain homeostasis—so it contributes to stress during the day.

What some people do is just not eat enough during the day. And I get it—I'm a working mom, I've been there. But then we end up eating a really big dinner because we haven't had enough nutrition, and we may eat it late, which really impacts sleep.

So you might wonder, "What does eating protein at breakfast have to do with my sleep?" A lot, actually—because you're setting the stage for a whole day of being satiated and having adequate protein. And protein isn't just important for energy; it's important for maintaining muscle mass as we get older. No matter your age, you want to maintain that muscle density. Once you start feeling the positive impacts of these habits, you keep them—and there are scientific studies showing that even a five-minute walk, or just getting enough protein at breakfast, makes a big difference.

Host: Tuning in to how you feel is so important. On those days—or sometimes weeks—when I'm under stress, the time just flies by, I'm drinking coffee, and I'm wondering, "Why is my heart racing? Why am I having a panic attack?" And it's because I haven't eaten anything; all I've had is caffeine. Stabilizing your blood sugar throughout the day matters for sleep, too.


Chapter 5 — Your Stress Personality & the Fight-or-Flight Response

Host: You've said everybody has their own stress signature. Talk about these different stress personalities and how they affect us.

Dr. Stokes: I'd love to. We have a universal stress response that we're all familiar with—the fight-or-flight response. And I like to reframe stress, because it gets a bad rap. People say, "I'm so stressed." But stress is also what causes growth; an organism under stress tends to grow and change. So not all stress is bad—I want to start there.

Our stress response is designed to protect us; it's an elegantly designed system. Think of a time you were driving and a car pulled into your lane—you reacted quickly and efficiently and avoided an accident. That's your stress response in action. In fight-or-flight, your heart beats quickly, you're getting circulation to your brain and muscles, you're ready to fight or flee, you might start perspiring, and you get a kind of tunnel vision: very focused, but definitely not seeing the big picture. It's universal, and it's meant to protect us.

What our bodies are intended to do afterward is come back to baseline. Since we're all dog lovers here—have you noticed that when your dog has a heightened interaction with another dog, afterward they literally shake it off? We're meant to react, do what we need to do, and then shake it off. But do we shake it off?

Host: Not usually. We hang on for dear life. It's so hard—those are exactly the skills I struggle with. It happened to me this morning walking over here through Central Park. I had my two dogs on their leashes, and this woman walking toward me stopped and gestured. I thought, "Oh, she wants to say hi to my dogs." She was actually annoyed that I was in the walkway. I was so taken aback. I said something, she snapped back, and I carried it with me for the next 20 minutes. I'm never going to see that woman again, I didn't do anything wrong, my dogs didn't do anything wrong—and I'm still holding on to it.

Dr. Stokes: And who is that affecting at the end of the day?

Host: A hundred percent. So in that moment—how would you respond, so you don't have the reaction I had?


Chapter 6 — Nervines: Herbal Support for Your Nervous System

Dr. Stokes: Honestly, I might have that reaction too—the whole dog-and-human thing can be so fun, but it can also get a little charged. So you feel how you feel. From there, I'd probably do a little self-talk: "Who is this impacting at the end of the day? I'm never going to see this woman again." And a little compassion—I don't know what her story is.

And I might take some herbs if I were feeling really charged. There's an herbal blend I grabbed for exactly this—it's called Emotional Ally.

Host: I wanted to ask about that one. I wasn't sure what circumstance would prompt you to take it.

Dr. Stokes: The lady in the park—that's a great example. Its full name is a liquid herbal tincture called Emotional Ally, subtitled "a big herbal hug." Why? Because it contains herbs in a category called nervines, which help the nervous system balance and relax in the moment. These aren't heavy, sedating herbs you can't take during the day—they're gentle, nervous-system-balancing plants that have been used across different cultures for hundreds, in some cases thousands, of years.

When do you use it? A lot of people keep Emotional Ally in their bag or purse for those in-the-moment moments. On a macro scale it could be a big transition—a move, a job loss, a breakup—but in the micro moments, here's an example. My sister-in-law had this formula; she went to a conference and had an upsetting, surprising conversation that left her unsettled. She remembered, "Oh, I have that Emotional Ally Erin gave me," took it, and texted me that night to say she really thought it helped. It doesn't change what happened—it softens it. It helps ground and center your nervous system.

These plants each have different constituents that help your nervous system balance. One of the plants in here is milky oats—actual oats. It's known as a nervous-system trophorestorative, so it helps balance your nervous system in the moment and is also good for rebuilding your nervous system after periods of stress.

You might ask, "How do you even know this?" These herbs have been used for centuries, and now we have modern science for every one of them—you can look up scientific studies. Modern science validates the traditional historical use, whether that was in Europe or here. Sometimes herbs come from elsewhere—Deep Stress, for example, contains ashwagandha, which comes from India and Ayurvedic medicine. Aren't we lucky? In this time we're living in, we're drawing on plant wisdom from all around the world.

And it's easy to take. This one—Deep Stress—is a pump top. The label tells you exactly how many pumps. You can put the pumps into a little water or tea and drink it. Or, if you're more experienced, you can take it straight—though I wouldn't recommend that for first-time users; it's a little much at first.

Host: How long does it take to feel the effects of Emotional Ally?

Dr. Stokes: It's intended to work in the moment. I don't mean within one minute, but probably within 10 or 15 minutes you'll start to feel an "ahh." And again, these aren't heavy, sedating herbs—this is not a nighttime formula. We have Sleepy Nights for that. This is for the in-the-moment "I need a little help" feeling. Because we're designing our lives, getting outside, hopefully meditating in the morning—but sometimes we need a little help from our friends. And I mean that. I use these tinctures all the time.

Host: First of all, Jenn loves the word "tincture."

Host: I do love the word tincture. I like to say it.


Chapter 7 — What's Actually in a Tincture (and How to Take One)

Dr. Stokes: A tincture is a traditional herbal extraction. There's a tiny amount of alcohol in water, and it's a traditional way of extracting the herbal constituents. You're getting the herbs in their best, concentrated, easy-to-absorb form. You'll often taste a bit and definitely smell them—these are plants, so they're going to have an aroma and, for many people, a taste. I find them a gentle, effective way to enhance your own health and well-being and work on whatever you're dealing with—whether that's sleep, or, for example, the Kick Ass Allergy formula, which is also designed to work in the moment.


Chapter 8 — Kick Ass Allergy: Herbal Relief Without Sedation

Dr. Stokes: If you're not feeling results in 5 to 10 minutes, you can take it again. Did you have positive results with the Kick Ass Allergy?

Host: I did, and Jenn took it too. I have very bad allergies—I take an over-the-counter med at night and first thing in the morning. We're taping this in spring, and it's rough out there. So when I noticed an extra sniffle or sneeze, I used it and went outside—and had not a sneeze, not a sniffle. That's how I knew it was working, because the Allegra is just always in me.

Host: And to your point about no sedative effect—I took it one day leaving here, walked across the park, and didn't realize it had worked until she texted asking how the allergy stuff went. I was all the way across the park and hadn't sneezed once. Is there a time it stays in your system, when you should retake it?


Chapter 9 — Sleepy Nights: The Gentle Sleep Formula Explained

Dr. Stokes: It's more about how you're feeling, because everyone's unique—as opposed to Sleepy Nights, which I know you also use. That one you take right before bed. I'll literally take it as I'm about to go to bed, then brush my teeth, then I'm ready.

One of the beautiful things about Sleepy Nights is that it's also your middle-of-the-night buddy if you need it. One of the most stressful things for people about sleep is the worry that they'll wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to fall back asleep—that's one of the most common things people mention. So many people have told me that just having it by the bedside, knowing they can take it if they need to, helps. Some even say they don't always take it—they wake up, know it's there, and sometimes fall back asleep on their own.

That's because it's not formulated with any melatonin, valerian, or heavier herbs. So people ask, "Really, I can take it even if it's 4 a.m. and I need to get up at 6?" Yes, you can. It only has passionflower, skullcap, and hops—three herbs. Gentle but effective. And I love that you don't have to remember to take it an hour or 30 minutes before bed. Take it right before, then go to sleep. Our founder and master formulator, Catherine Hunziker, describes it as a bridge to help your mind and nervous system settle so you can drift off.

Host: Random question, since we've been talking about the dogs—are any of these safe for dogs?

Dr. Stokes: These are intended for people—good question. There may be dog equivalents out there, though I'm not aware of one. But we do have a whole children's line, a pregnancy line, and postpartum formulas. WishGarden was really born out of the midwifery tradition, serving women during all phases and stages of their lives. So we have pregnancy-specific and hormonal formulas as well.


Chapter 10 — Exercise, Caffeine & Other Life-Design Levers

Host: You mentioned "life design," and I love that term. Are there other tweaks we can make during our day—or our lives—to build better stress resilience?

Dr. Stokes: Definitely. Exercise, for one—and I know you're both fans. Time and again, exercise has been shown to help balance our cortisol response, so when we exercise during the day, we respond to stress better. We need a multifaceted approach, and herbs are an important part of it, but even a walk helps. What holds a lot of people back is thinking, "I don't have time for the gym or that class." Just force yourself out the door, go on a daily walk, and watch how it shifts your stress.

Then there's something lurking in the shadows we haven't talked about: caffeine. Caffeine is a major culprit with stress and sleep. For sleep in particular, I tell people to stop all caffeine by noon.

Host: That's definitely become true for me as I've gotten older. I used to be able to have a coffee at 5 and be fine; now it's just not good. The exercise piece is interesting to me too—I joke that if I didn't exercise as much as I do, I'd probably be a serial killer. My stress response still isn't great, and I exercise a lot.

Dr. Stokes: You're describing the power of exercise—and pairing it with some mindfulness. I know "mindfulness" can feel overused, but going to yoga, getting in touch with your breath, meditating. Someone recently asked what my non-negotiables are, which I think is a great question. I said my morning meditation, first thing—I'm so serious about it, because the days I haven't done it, there's such a difference.

What happens with these habits is that the positive feedback loop becomes so strong you won't not do it. And I've had so many people tell me that when they reduce their caffeine, they become a different person. I'll share a recent story, because anecdotes are helpful. A week or two ago, I was supposed to be on this podcast, but I got what I think was food poisoning and was pretty sick. I love to freshly grind my coffee and make it in my French press, but there was no way that day. So I stopped coffee, and then stopped caffeine entirely, for about a week. I started sleeping so much better, my stress reactivity totally changed, and I had some big projects—I just got to work and did what I needed to do. I thought, "Wow, that's the power of caffeine."

I love coffee, and I'm not trying to demonize it—I'm having a tiny bit again. I just say: don't underestimate it. It's powerful.

Host: You're convincing me to give it up. I'm not someone who goes through caffeine withdrawals—there are days I realize at 3 p.m. I never had my coffee. But even the focus you mentioned would help; I'm a little ADD to begin with, and when I'm working and drinking coffee, I'm all over the place.

Dr. Stokes: And the very first thing—don't drink caffeine before water. Hydrate before you caffeinate.

Host: I just got yelled at.

Dr. Stokes: You're not getting yelled at! But it's a good habit. If you keep a glass of water by your bedside, just wake up and drink it, then go get your coffee. One quick little thing.

So the point is, you can design your life. And the beautiful thing is that every single day you get to start again. Even if today felt a little wonky, you get to design your life starting tomorrow. Try not to make it overwhelming—that's why I love micro habits. Stepping outside with your coffee is a micro habit. A short walk around the block. I've walked around parking lots when I'm traveling, because it doesn't matter if you don't have an hour for a run. Walk out the door, and know that studies show that within five minutes your mood and focus will improve. You'll come back to your desk more productive—and you may even solve the problem you were working on while you were out walking.

Host: I could probably cure cancer if I stopped drinking so much caffeine.


Chapter 11 — The Food-First Approach: Magnesium, Omega-3s & Vitamin D

Host: I want to talk about food. There are inevitable gaps in our diets. Which specific nutrients have the biggest impact for someone trying to rebuild stress resilience?

Dr. Stokes: Great question. Magnesium is number one that comes to mind. The top food sources can be broadly grouped as beans, greens, and nuts—I like to keep things simple. If you think about most people's diets, a lot of us aren't getting enough of those, and studies on what people are actually eating show many of us aren't getting enough magnesium. We know magnesium is important for muscle relaxation, it helps promote a sense of calm, and it's involved in over 300 biological reactions in the body, including nervous system health. So it's one to look at, and for many people a good one to supplement.

I also think essential fatty acids are really important—omega-3s, when you look at our cellular structure. Supplementing with fish oil can be a good choice, though food first is always my philosophy: incorporating cold-water fish like salmon can be really helpful.

Vitamin D is another. We're moving into the longer days, and vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin—if you get sun exposure, your body can manufacture its own. Just know that if you wear sunscreen, you're blocking vitamin D production—a lot of people don't realize that. I don't want you to get sunburned, but maybe go outside for 10 or 15 minutes without sunblock. The only way to really know how much you should take is to get tested; it's an easy blood test, and many doctors—my OB/GYN tests it regularly with her patients—now check for it. People ask, "Should I take 1,000 or 2,000 IU?" and the honest answer is "it depends," because it depends on your levels. People can be deficient even in summer. Vitamin D acts almost like a pro-hormone in a lot of ways, and it's important for bone health, immune health, and mood—which is directly connected with stress.

For younger women in their reproductive years, iron is huge. Low iron can show up as difficulty concentrating, low mood, which makes you feel more stressed. I still believe a lot of women are iron deficient and it goes undetected. It gets noticed more in younger women with heavy cycles, and it's tested during pregnancy—but another time women can become iron deficient is perimenopause, when cycles can become irregular and heavier. People often aren't thinking about iron deficiency in that age group. When you're losing blood, you're losing iron. Iron is really important for cognition and overall how you're feeling.


Chapter 12 — Iron Deficiency, Perimenopause & Energy Crashes

Host: I always associate low iron with brain fog and low energy, but it can also be a depressed mood, which then puts people under more stress.

Dr. Stokes: Exactly. And I'm an advocate for taking a high-quality multivitamin to fill the gaps in your diet, because it's a big help. I eat really well and I'm a food-first person, but some days are better than others. Today's a busy day—it's not my top nutrition day—but you do the best you can.

Host: That's all anyone can do. Having that safety net of a multivitamin, knowing that even if you didn't eat great today, you still took it this morning and got what you need.

Dr. Stokes: And again, it comes back to how you feel—you can tell when you haven't gotten proper nutrition or you're deficient in something that's making you tired or moody. And perimenopause doesn't help. B12 is another one to think about—people over 50 are more commonly deficient in it, and it's important for energy.


Chapter 13 — B Vitamins, Adaptogens & Building Stress Resilience

Dr. Stokes: When I talk about the B vitamins, it's that connection between energy production, stress, and mood. We're all interconnected, and the stress-and-sleep piece is very interconnected through cortisol—when we're under stress, we have elevated cortisol in the evening, which makes it harder to sleep.

The good news is that through plant allies, nutrition, and designing your lifestyle, you can take that power back. I'm a big advocate for people not feeling powerless, or at the whim of life and stress, when there are things they can do. And I don't want it to feel overwhelming—we've talked about a lot today, but it can really begin with one step. "Okay, I'm going to do the thing where I get outside in the morning. That's all I'm going to change right now. I've got other good tools to work on later."

Host: What you said about meditation really resonated. I've been thinking I have to meditate—I'm going to start. It can be just one thing.

Dr. Stokes: And with meditation, you can get Insight Timer—no affiliation, it's just my favorite. They have a lot of good guided meditations. If you feel like you can't do it yourself, do a guided one. No problem.

Host: It's important to know what tools are available to you. There's so much confusion and overwhelm out there, and the way you broke it down—these are simple things anybody can do, like walking outside. And then there's the support of plant medicine, which I find really interesting. We're such a "pharmacy first" culture—always asking what the next pharmaceutical is. This is such a gentle way to deal with stress.

It was funny: when the tinctures arrived, my first instinct was, "What am I doing with this? This isn't me." But you have to give something its due and try it. Once you do, you think, "Okay, I can get on board, because it doesn't feel like I'm taking another pill." And I love the names—motherwort, milky oats.

Dr. Stokes: I loved your email saying you took the Sleepy Nights and slept like a baby.

Host: That was me. I took the Sleepy Nights, and something woke me up—I think it was the dog—but I felt like I'd been drugged, in the best way. I was stumbling around, like, "Oh my gosh, this stuff." I was asleep, which is rare. Such a good feeling. I'm going to take it again tonight.

Host: I actually took it the night before going back to work after a break. The night before you go back to something is misery—and it got me to sleep, despite the anxiety of getting up three hours earlier than I'd been.

Host: One more question about the sleep remedy. My issue is that I have trouble falling asleep; once I'm asleep, I can mostly sleep through the night—but I wake up exhausted, no matter what time it is. I could sleep 9 to 7 or midnight to 9 and I'm never ready to get out of bed. Would this help with that morning grogginess?

Dr. Stokes: Hopefully. The herbs themselves won't make you feel groggy. But bigger picture, that morning feeling makes me think you might not be getting deeper, restorative sleep—you're not getting into the deeper sleep cycles. I'm just hypothesizing; I don't know your full health history. But I'm hopeful the plants may help your nervous system drop in a bit more so you feel more rested.

Host: I'd be curious to look at my sleep score—we measure everything now—especially HRV and how long I spend in deep sleep. I tend to feel my heart beating faster than it should during the night. It used to hover in the low-to-mid 50s; now it's 62 or 63 while I'm sleeping, which seems high.

Dr. Stokes: It could be hormonal, and it could be alcohol—I don't know if you drink in the evening. We didn't talk about it, but alcohol definitely impacts sleep. I just read a good line in some research: alcohol is a sedative, not a sleep aid. Because it's sedating, people say, "It helps me fall asleep more easily"—and it often does. But it doesn't support a healthy sleep cycle, because it wears off as you metabolize it.


Chapter 14 — Herbal Alternatives to Coffee & Energy Support

Host: Besides caffeine, is there another herbal pick-me-up you could take in the morning in lieu of coffee?

Dr. Stokes: I won't say it's a one-for-one replacement, but that's the idea behind adaptogens—like ashwagandha, to help your body adapt to stress. We have a formula called Rise and Energize with more uplifting herbs; we'll have to send you some. There are herbs out there like maca that people talk about. It's not exactly one-for-one, but when you work on your whole stress response, it does help with energy too.

Host: I take methylated B vitamins, and that really wakes me up—it gives me energy. It's different from the herbal supplements in that I have to eat something before I take it, or I get nauseous. But the methylated B has been significant when I remember to take it and when I eat first.

Dr. Stokes: Yes—eat first, and take it in the morning. It's a little rare, but I won't take B vitamins late in the day. Some people find that if they take their Bs late, they have vivid or crazy dreams, since it supports energy. We're all unique. I'd never take it at dinner; it would wake me up too much.


Chapter 15 — Gut Reaction: Rapid-Fire Questions with Dr. Stokes

Host: At the end we do a segment we now call "Gut Reaction." I don't know any of these questions, so they're quick—yes-or-no, one word, one answer.

First: for an instant stress reset—a brisk hike in the mountains, or a quiet barefoot walk in the grass?

Dr. Stokes: Brisk hike in the mountains.

Host: Your desert island herb—stranded on a desert island, you can bring one medicinal plant. Which one?

Dr. Stokes: Holy basil. It's an adaptogen, there's a strength to it, and it's also uplifting. I take it as a daily single.

Host: Holy basil—I'd never even heard of it.

Dr. Stokes: It's also in our Deep Stress formula.

Host: The one non-negotiable item on your nightstand?

Dr. Stokes: Sleepy Nights. It sits there if I ever need it.

Host: Morning fuel—coffee, matcha, or a custom herbal tonic. What's the very first thing you drink when you wake up?

Dr. Stokes: The very first thing I drink is water. And I'm shifting more from coffee to matcha—I'm a big matcha fan.

Host: This one's a personal debate between us: socks on or socks off to sleep?

Dr. Stokes: It depends on the season for me. Winter, sometimes socks on; summer, always off.

Host: I'm always socks on.

Host: And I'm always socks off—otherwise my feet feel trapped.

Host: Your plant personality—if you had to pick a plant that matches your personality, what would it be?

Dr. Stokes: That's such a hard one, because I love the plants so much—I don't have a gut reaction. I like the strength of holy basil. I like the courage of thyme—thyme is also in Deep Stress, and historically it was carried into battle for courage, so it's become an emblem of courage for me through a challenging time in my life. And I really like skullcap, which is a gentle, calming, grounding plant. So I draw on different plants.

Host: Skullcap—where does that originate?

Dr. Stokes: It was used widely in European herbal medicine. Here's something interesting: all the different nervines have different indications—it's not just "for the nervous system" broadly. Skullcap is really good for frazzled nerves; you'll literally see that description in multiple texts. It's almost that feeling of being overcaffeinated, even if you haven't had any caffeine—that edgy, "don't touch me" irritability. I'm not saying that's my personality! I think mine is more the soothing, grounding side. That's what I love about skullcap—and it's why it's in Sleepy Nights.

Host: Can you take skullcap on its own, or do you have to pair it?

Dr. Stokes: You can take it on its own.


Chapter 16 — WishGarden Herbs as an Educational Resource

Host: I feel like we have to go to one of those herbal medicine stores.

Dr. Stokes: You can go to wishgardenherbs.com—and not just to buy the tinctures, which you absolutely can. We have hundreds of blog posts on our website. You could search "WishGarden Herbs skullcap blog" and learn so much about its history and how it's used today. You can do that with any of these plants. I mention the website because it's a great educational resource—you can dive right in.

Besides me, as the naturopathic doctor and Medical Director, we have an entire team of trained herbalists—quite a few. They're the people writing these articles, and they're really knowledgeable. So if you're wondering, "Skullcap—what's that? Holy basil?"—search "WishGarden Herbs holy basil" and you'll learn what formulas contain it and how it's used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Host: That's so cool. You can dive into the world of herbs.

Dr. Stokes: I love it—it's so fun.

Host: Or "herbs," as my friend Fran would say. If you're from England, you say "herbs."


Chapter 17 — Wrap-Up & Final Thoughts

Host: Erin, thank you so much for being here. This was a lovely, eye-opening conversation.

Host: Super informative. I can't wait to take the sleep tincture tonight.

Dr. Stokes: Thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed it, and I'd love to come back—we could do deep dives on all these different herbs.

Host: We'd love that.

Host: That was really interesting. It reminded me of one of our very first podcasts, with Katie Silcox—we talked all about Ayurveda. Early on we thought, "We could do this," but we were also learning so much. This one, we learned even more.

We're so lucky to be able to try these out and see what works for us. Like she said, everybody's individual—how long something stays in your system, how much you need based on your own chemistry. You can find WishGarden Herbs at wishgardenherbs.com. They were kind enough to send us samples so we could try them, and they really are extraordinary, and all natural. The allergy formula in particular I can attest to—as can you. So give that a look and a listen, and thanks for listening.

This is EveryBodyTalks. Talk to you next time. Take care.