Kava and Anxiety | Kalm with Kava

Trying Kava for the First Time? Here’s What to Expect

Kalm with Kava — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:25:18 +0000

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How Kava makes you happy, (not high)

Kalm with Kava — Tue, 23 May 2017 23:59:45 +0000

People are increasingly turning to drinking kava to boost their mood and make them feel happier. They are discovering that it is a great alternative to alcohol for social relaxation. People become interested in drinking kava when they are looking for a natural way to relax and have fun socially that doesn’t involve drinking alcohol, or taking prescription / regulated drugs. The questions they ask are focused on directly comparing the effects of kava to those of alcohol and drugs. For example: How will kava make me feel? Will kava make me high? When will it kick in? When will the effects wear off? What’s the dosage with kava? How much kava should I take? Kava is totally different from alcohol and drugs. It is a plant-based, natural remedy for enhancing one’s mood. That makes answering these questions, as framed, harder to respond to. Below we do our best to provide answers. Here’s the real information that anyone new to kava needs to know. Will kava make me high? The kava community and kava aficionados prefer not to use the term “getting high” when referencing the effects of kava. This is a term most closely associated with federally regulated drugs, […]

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How drinking Kava can help you sleep and adjust to Daylight-Savings Time

Kalm with Kava — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 12:28:06 +0000

Daylight-savings time (DST) begins on a weekend in March, when in the middle of the night the clock jumps forward an hour. While a simple one-hour shift may not seem like a big deal, research has shown that the clock change does mess with sleep patterns and the body’s natural, circadian rhythm – with some serious consequences. The good news is that there are a number of steps you can take to help minimize these negative effects and drinking kava as a herbal sleep aid is one of them. How daylight-savings time affects sleep patterns The effects of the clock changes each year are known to be worse in the spring. In March, with the introduction of daylight savings time, you will lose an hour of sleep, (assuming your alarm clock goes off at its usual hour). There will be one hour less daylight in the mornings and an extra hour of daylight in the evenings. This confused your internal body clock and it becomes out of sync with the new day to nighttime cycle. After daylight-savings time begins, for a full week or more, it’s common to experience difficulty waking up and to feel groggy in the morning— both […]

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The story behind our new Fiji Kava – Vula Waka

Kalm with Kava — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 03:36:22 +0000

I happened across the Vula Waka variety of Fiji kava about a year and a half ago when our Loa Waka farmer told us he had 10 plants of a special variety not grown very widely in Fiji that were ready to be harvested and asked if I wanted to try it. The kava enthusiast in me leaped at the chance. I’ve done a lot of research into kava varieties over the years, and hadn’t heard much of the Vula variety. There are over 105 varieties of kava and I’ve tried a fair number of these, but needless to say, not ALL! So, I was super excited to have the chance to be exposed to a new variety, especially one grown by a kava farmer I trusted and knew well. I awaited his shipment of this new kava product with great anticipation. When it finally arrived, the first thing I noticed was its unique aroma. Not at all peppery or sharp like many Vanuatu kavas and distinctly different from our Fijian Loa as well. This Fiji kava had a very mild, almost sweet smell. This was followed by a unique taste too – unlike any other kava I’d encountered before, […]

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Kava vs Kratom: The Important Differences You Need to Know

Kalm with Kava — Thu, 19 May 2016 07:15:55 +0000

Kava and Kratom are increasingly being sold alongside each other at kava bars and in stores online. While they may be similar in name and drink appearance, truth is, they are worlds apart. In this post, we look at some the similarities and differences and explain why it is important for buyers and consumers not to confuse the two. East vs West Culture Kratom is a tropical, evergreen tree in the coffee family, botanical name Mitragyna speciosa. It is native to Southeast Asia, (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, etc.) where it has been a part of traditional culture for thousands of years. There, it is traditionally chewed, in raw leaf form, by workers to stave off exhaustion, relieve pain, and as a mood enhancer. Kava is a plant of the pepper family, botanical name Piper Methysticum, indigenous to the Western Pacific (Vanuatu, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, and Hawaii). In these Pacific island communities, Kava is consumed before the beginning of an important religious ritual or ceremony. Most commonly though it is used as a beverage to relax and unwind from the day. Often served at Nakamals (Kava Bars), it is drunk socially instead of alcohol. Similarities: preparation, uses and effects […]

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The Science Behind the Natural Calm of Kava

Kalm with Kava — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 07:39:31 +0000

Time to learn more about Kava and kavalactones. How does kava work? What are kavalactones? Here we explain the science behind kava’s calming effects. Scientific research has led to a greater understanding of the active ingredients, or kavalactones, in kava root and the beneficial, natural calming effect that drinking kava provides. How Does Kava Work? Kavalactones The key benefit of drinking Kava is its ability to relax your mind and muscles; naturally giving you an overwhelming sense of calmness without hindering your mental clarity. Why and how does this happen? The answer is kavalactones. Kavalactones are the active ingredients found in Kava plants. There are 18 different kavalactones, with six being more important than the others. These six alone are responsible for over 90% of the active natural ingredients in any given Kava variety. These kavalactones with their corresponding numbers are listed below: Demethoxyyangonin = #1 Dihydrokavain = #2 Yangonin = #3 Kavain = #4 Dihydromethysticin = #5 Methysticin = #6 Effects of Kavalactones While the science of Kava is still in its infancy, it is known that certain kavalactone effects are associated with different physiological effects on the body. And that’s crucial for understanding more specifically how kava works. For example, one […]

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What is the Strongest Kava or Kava Product?

Kalm with Kava — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 09:40:32 +0000

The wide selection of kava varieties and kava products on the market vary in strength and potency. Here we discuss what makes for the strongest kava and give you a rundown of how to select between kava products and preparation methods to help you get the strongest kava and kava that meets your personal potency needs. The increasing popularity of kava in the United States and Europe has led to a proliferation of kava products, of varying strength, being offered online. This makes it harder to know what the strongest kava is, and similarly, which products provide weaker concentrations of kavalactones, the active ingredients in kava root, than others. Below we discuss your different product options and explain how they are likely to differ in strength and effect and make recommendations for the strongest kava. For the Strongest Kava – here’s our recommendations Go Authentic: Fresh Green Kava One of the strongest types of kava is “Green kava.” Green kava is kava made from a freshly harvested kava plant. The roots are juiced and diluted with water, resulting in a strong kava beverage. Most kava drinks are prepared using kava root that is washed and dried post-harvest, then ground into a […]

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Is Kava a Nootropic?

Kalm with Kava — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 10:16:37 +0000

Kava is known for a wide range of benefits when drank and even when used externally. We look past the calmness, relaxation, and anxiety relief, and research if additional benefits are on the same level as brain-loving nootropics. We get to the bottom of it. What are Nootropics? Nootropics give our brain a positive boost for productivity, stress relief, or mental alertness to get things done right in the most efficient way possible. If we want to get technical, nootropics help activate specific neurotransmitters in our brain. Think of neurotransmitters as little messengers that work with our brain to send signals and work in a specific way. Nootropics activate neurotransmitters to send messages and can improve many aspects of our brain including: focus, concentration, mental clarity and more. They’re available as capsules or drinks and designed to improve our mental functions in one or multiple ways. The best nootropic supplements cause little to no side effects, so they’re safe for long-term use (months to years). Is kava kava a nootropic? Kava can cause various different body and mind responses, but the most notable kava root effect is relaxation without cognitive impairment. Multiple studies have found kava to be effective in […]

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Two Surprising Benefits of Kava Tea

Kalm with Kava — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 15:20:31 +0000

Drinking kava can quieten an anxious mind, calm you when you are feeling agitated or angry and provide a more peaceful outlook on life. Learn why you should drink kava instead of alcohol as we explain how kava will help you achieve a happier life. If you’ve been wondering about the benefits of kava drinks and whether to use this powerful herbal supplement, we hope that on reading this, there will be no doubt left in your mind why you should be sipping the Pacific’s favorite relaxation drink. Kava Calms the Mind Unfortunately, high stress levels have become a normal part of life today. The pace of life, especially with the introduction of technology and the use of digital devices has blurred the boundaries between work and leisure and created a situation where our mind is always in ‘go-mode.’ Stress can be healthy and help stimulate peak performance, but after a certain point the stress-curve turns downwards and the negative effects of stress on our mind, body and life kick-in. To avoid this situation, experts recommend that you build activities into your daily routine that will allow you to slow down, focus on what’s important and pleasurable, specifically for you. […]

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Kava: A Natural Sleep Aid

Kalm with Kava — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 09:44:27 +0000

Kava is well known for its mind and body relaxation properties making it the ideal all-natural sleep aid for those who have trouble getting to or staying asleep. Heavy kava is the kava for sleep as it is best suited to nighttime consumption. If you have problems meeting the Sand Man, here’s why you might like to consider making kava your new herbal sleep aid. Kava for Sleep and Relaxation There are lots of reasons people sometimes find it hard to get to or stay asleep. One of the most common causes of sleep problems is stress. When the stresses of the normal working day or life are high, it’s common for your mind to race and you over-think all the issues you are dealing with. The result is an inability to get to sleep or a fretful night of tossing and turning only to awake still feeling tired in the morning. If that resonates with you, then taking kava for sleep could be your new best friend. A drink of kava will quiet the mind and calm you down. The active ingredients in kava root, kavalactones, affect the brain’s limbic system. Within the limbic system is the amygdala, the […]

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