Wanderlust Ashwagandha + Saffron

Withania somnifera

Native to India through to South East Asia this short, perennial shrub is now grown throughout the world.

Ashwagandha is often referred to as Indian ginseng even though botanically, ginseng and Ashwagandha are unrelated. In Sanskrit, ashwa means ‘horse’ and gandha means ‘smell’ which refers to the root of the plant having a horse-like smell.

Traditionally used in Ayurvedic Medicine as an adaptogen, a rasayana (tonic) and to:

• Maintain vitality
• Support a healthy stress response in the body
• Soothe and calm nerves
• Support refreshing sleep
• Relieve nervous tension
• Support the nervous system
• Assist with recovery from illness

Ashwagandha is a highly regarded plant used in Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India. It is traditionally used in Ayurvedic Medicine as a rejuvenative and restorative rasayana (tonic).

Crocus sativus

It is believed that saffron originated and was first cultivated in Greece, but today the spice is primarily grown in Iran, Greece, Morocco, India and Spain.

Saffron describes both the plant and the spice resulting from its dried stigmas. Known as ‘red gold’, it is the most expensive spice in the world. It is valued in refined culinary art and as a dye in textile and woodwork. Saffron has a strong, exotic aroma and a bitter taste and is used to colour and flavour many Mediterranean and Asian dishes, particularly rice and fish, and English, Scandinavian, and Balkan breads.

The name is derived from zafaran, the Arabian word for ‘yellow’.
This versatile plant not only has been used for food, dye agent and perfume, but also recognised for its medicinal properties known to;

• Calm the mind
• Reduce tension and relieve excess nervous energy
• Support emotional and mental wellbeing

In ancient times, saffron was used as a perfume, where it was strewn in Greek and Roman halls, courts, theatres, and baths; it became especially associated with the hetairai, a professional class of Greek courtesans. The streets of Rome were sprinkled with saffron when Nero made his entry into the city.