Boost Your Mood & Spirit

Herbal Supplements For Energy, Concentration, & Stress Relief

Is It Time To Supp Up?!

Mood, energy, and cognitive support is a part of my every day conversations while working at a specialty supplement shop. In fact, learning about and using supplements has been a part of my regimen since my college experiences. This is when I delved deep into physiology and health studies coupled with yoga teaching training.

Today, I continue to put this knowledge to use while coaching customers and clients as well as family and friends about supplements (supps) ranging from athletic use, specific health goals, and whole body wellness.

I enjoy connecting with everyday working folks, students, parents, athletes, and seniors looking for healthy ways to boost their mood and spirit. Some if not most of the folks I talk to have constraints with time, energy, and money. This doesn't mean that they're looking for quick fixes, but they are searching for something effective to support their health journey.

These mini consultations have led me to highlight three go-to herbs namely Maca, Lion's Mane, and Ashwagandha. These herbs are well-known and highly researched for mental clarity, physical endurance, and an internal sense of calm.

Personally, with these specific supplements I have reaped the benefits of athletic recovery, focus for work and study, as well as relaxation, sleep, and general stress relief.

Of course, with taking any supplements it is wise to continue maintaining proper nutrition and hydration suitable to your lifestyle. Supps are to be an extra support to a more complete whole mind-body regimen including exercise, rest, and healthy foods.

Friendly Reminder

When considering the right kind of supplements to fit your wants and needs, I recommend connecting with a natural health professional. Health coaches, nutritionists, and naturopathic doctors have the knowledge, experiences, and resources to guide you along your journey.

It's important to read and research on your own as well, so I recommend the following books to add to your references: The Yoga of Herbs by David Frawley and Vasant Lad, Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch CNC, and Beyond The Pill by Jolene Brighten.

Also, this blog post is the last part of a series intended for whole body wellness including information and applications stemming from yogic principles and practices. If you're interested in rounding out your practice, trying something new, or aiming to review feel free to visit the full series here: Mind, Body, Spirit Reset

Maca

My introduction to Maca began with a journey geared towards hormonal balance, energy production, and mood support around the lady cycle. Later, I discovered that it can also serve as a natural alternative to conventional sports nutrition before and after workouts. The beauty of Maca is that both women and men can take it. Because of its adaptive quality, it serves the needs of the individual's physiology.

Add Maca to your morning routine to start your day off with a boost of energy, mood uplift, and some focus. When in the form of a powder you can add it to oatmeal, a fruit smoothie, or a protein shake. It has a nut-like flavor and is easy to flavor or sweeten up to your liking. As a pill, you can take it on the go with convenience.

Most supplement companies and brands dose their Maca capsule options to around 500mg per cap. You may have to take at least 1,000mg to notice its effects in the capsule form. Otherwise, as a powder you'll probably have around 5,000mg per scoop.

If you're sensitive to supplements or not sure about the dose, I would suggest starting with a lower dose and steadily increasing it if necessary. Of course, collaborating with your health professional can help with the process.

Lion's Mane

When you think of mushrooms I hope that you're seeing beyond pizza toppings and shaman lead healing quests. Lion's Mane is a mushroom that can help with cognitive support including memory and focus. Safe to take every day, this natural supplement can aid in study, work, fitness, and whole body well-being.

If I am on the go I take Lion's Mane in a pill form, but I prefer it in a powder form mixed in with coffee, tea, or a meal shake. It comes in handy for me at work as I continuously need to problem solve throughout the day and rely on memory recall as I help customers and clients find healthy solutions to fit their lifestyle needs.

Lion's Mane became a regular supplement for me while exploring nootropics. If you're not familiar with this word, nootropics refer to substances that support cognitive functions including memory, sharp focus, problem solving, and more. I found Lion's Mane to be a natural boost for my attention even around creative activities like writing music. The most common feedback I hear from others is that it helps during reading and researching as well as multitasking projects.

Ashwagandha

When I was dealing with mild fatigue, Ashwagandha helped me to bounce back to my natural energetic self. This was particularly helpful when I was both working and going to school full time. In short, this herb can help with stress relief, relaxation, and sleep support.

I recommend taking Ashwaandha if you're experiencing hard energy crashes and brain fog throughout the day. It can aid in your rejuvenation process, balancing cortisol levels so that you can respond more efficiently to everyday stress. Also, if you drink around two to three cups worth of caffeine including coffee and energy drinks, Ashwagandha can serve as a gentle cleanse and reset.

Caffeine is considered a stimulant, so it encourages your body to stay alert, focused, and active which is good for exercise, study, and work. The downside is that this stimulation can last around five hours in the system whether you feel its effects or not. The wonderful thing about Ashwaghanda is that it pacifies your system, encouraging relaxation and rest. Due to it's calming effects, this herb may be best taken around 30-40 minutes before bed.

Supp Sum Up

Maca can help with natural long-lasting energy and a boost in mood. Lion’s Mane can be useful for study, work, and projects geared around focus and memory. And Ashwagandha can assist in relaxation and sleep support.

Let's remember that all supplements are best used in conjunction to healthy habits with nutrition, exercise, rest, and sleep. They are not meant to substitute any of these everyday wellness needs, however they can support your health goals along the way.

May your supplement journey be enlightening and enjoyable. May your mood and spirit encourage the light within you to shine its brightest and may this light spark pure joy in others.