POWER PLANTS

Adapt your diet

ADAPTOGENS: THEY’RE NOT NEW, BUT THERE’S a good chance you have not heard the word before. They are natural substances (plants and plant derivatives) believed to have the ability to help the body adapt to physical, mental or environmental stresses. They have also been promoted as a way to raise energy levels and regulate hormones. In India and China, adaptogens have been used for centuries (though the term was coined in 1947 by scientists in the Soviet Union tasked with developing a product that would improve the performance of soldiers and athletes). Strong scientific evidence supporting their benefits is, at present, rather limited, but here are four adaptogens you might want to try: