Smart & Happy

We all want to feel good emotionally and have a sharp brain. The world we live in can be very taxing on our emotions and mood with demands for our attention, deadlines and over stimulation that can trigger an abundance of emotional reactions, leaving us depressed, anxious, restless, stressed out, hyperactive, and out of touch with who we really are and what we want from life. We know now that mood can affect our physical health; we are more susceptible to disease when we are depressed.

Everyone has a range of emotions with lots of subtle nuances, which is how we experience the human condition. Feeling sad and depressed is a normal part of living as is feeling elated and happy. Many people think you need to feel pain to appreciate pleasure. However, extended periods of depression may be a sign of a chemical imbalance, physical deficiency or psychological difficulty.

Like the saying goes, “Ignorance is bliss.” Being smart may not make us less depressed, but having our brain functioning as best it can is important to our overall health. Clear thinking is a wonderful part of life. Being mentally “sharp” can make life easier, more efficient and more productive, which can help us feel better about ourselves.

People have also equated food and lifestyle to how it affects mood and mental acuity. Too much coffee, sugar, overeating, sleep deprivation, excessive alcohol consumption and working long hours can leave us feeling less than perfect. The notion of diet and lifestyle adversely affecting mood and intellectual keenness is easy for most of us to understand since most people have already made the association between the two on their own. If there are things that physically make us feel depressed, sad, angry, anxious, nervous, foggy, apathetic, lackadaisical, unfocused, and tired, then it makes sense that there are others that can make us feel more emotionally and mentally balanced.

Herbs

Herbs have been used for centuries to help with mood, mental acuity, stimulation and calming. There are many actions of herbs that affect mood, energy levels and brain function. Some herbs increase circulation to the brain to nurture the nervous system and the brain, thus improving functionality. With a similar action to pharmaceutical anti-depressants, several herbs raise levels of neurotransmitter chemicals called serotonin, which makes the neurological action of the brain more efficient. This is an important aspect to regulating anxiety and mood. Herbs can also support the hormonal action the body uses to cope with stress, especially the adrenal gland, which gives us the “fight or flight” response.

St. John’s Wort

St. John’s wort is the most well known mood-enhancing herb due to a multitude of research showing it's effects on mild to moderate depression. Many of the studies show that St. John’s wort works as well as its pharmaceutical counterparts yet without any of the side effects. As compared to some pharmaceuticals, St. John's wort increased cognitive functions while some pharmaceuticals decreased them. Tests show improvements in antidepressant activity, anxiety, apathy and low self-worth. Antidepressant results occurred after 4 to 8 weeks of use. Another study found that St. John's wort might be beneficial in Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD). St. John’s Wort has also shown to help with masked depression in which a person does not feel emotionally depressed yet the body reveals the signs of depression, like fatigue, aches and pains.

St. John's wort has also been found to increase deep sleep (although not length of sleep) and aids in sleeping regulation for both hypersomnia and insomnia. This mild sedative quality may also assist with headaches, exhaustion and muscle pains.

It is still unclear as to how St. John’s Wort actually works, yet it has been shown to result in a rise in levels of serotonin, the same way antidepressant drugs work. It may also lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol or affect receptor sites for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), another neurotransmitter chemical.

While the “active ingredients” have not yet been determined, it appears that no single constituent is responsible for St. John’s wort’s action, but rather the synergy of all the major constituents. These constituents include hypericin, hyperforin, psuedohypericin, flavonoids and xanthones.

Ginseng

Ginseng is one of the most popular herbs in the world. Its use can be traced back 5,000 years, and it is revered for a multitude of uses. Because of its long history, the traditional uses of ginseng are well known and have inspired much clinical research and acceptance as a healthful herb. The main types of ginseng include Panax ginseng from Asia, Japanese ginseng (Panax japonicus), sanchi or tienchi ginseng (Panax notoginseng) and wild American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). Siberian ginseng, Eleutherococcus senticosus, is not a true ginseng, although it does share some of panax’s properties. Some of the best-loved effects of ginseng are physical and mental performance enhancement, stress and fatigue relief, as well as normalized body functions and overall health and vitality.

Our rapid response ability, or “flight or fight”, is kicked in when we encounter stress such as fear, grief, loss, anger, worry, anxiety, time pressures or environmental stress. Our adrenal glands give off adrenaline to accommodate our need for energy for “fight or flight”. Ginseng supports our capacity to handle stress by helping moderate and mediate hormonal reactions caused by our “flight or fight” reflexes. It also causes the hypothalamus and pituitary to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which stimulates the adrenal cortex only when under stress. Ginseng increases the size of a part of the adrenal gland called the zona fasciculate. The anti-fatigue effects from ginseng are very different from standard stimulants, such as caffeine, which gives the body energy whether it is needed or not. Ginseng supplies energy only when needed. Another difference between ginseng and caffeine is that caffeine depletes the adrenal glands and causes them to shrink,(a condition known as adrenal exhaustion), whereas ginseng strengthens the adrenals and their function.

Ginseng also improves oxygen utilization at a cellular level, which helps with physical performance. When muscle cells have a lack of oxygen, they deplete energy-storing glycogen, thus causing muscle soreness and fatigue. By improving the oxygen efficiency to the cells, ginseng shifts energy away from glycogen and toward fatty acids, which augments physical performance and diminishes fatigue. Research has also found that ginseng improves mental and physical performance whereas caffeine and methamphetamines increase physical performance but slow learning and mental performance.

Ginkgo Biloba

Many studies have found ginkgo biloba to be a wonderful herb to support healthy brain function, memory and even possible cerebral insufficiencies like Alzheimer’s disease. Traditionally in China, ginkgo leaves were drunk as a tea to ward off the effects of premature aging on the mind, vision, hearing and circulation.

Ginkgo improves circulation to the capillaries, or very small blood vessels, in the brain, eyes, ears, limbs and other parts of the body. By improving circulation to the brain ginkgo promotes a fresh supply of oxygen and nutrients that help keep the brain robust. The antioxidant action of ginkgo helps to counteract free radical cell damage in the brain and nervous system, and helps strengthen blood vessel walls. This may be how ginkgo’s “anti-aging” works.

Much like St. John’s wort, Ginkgo may also help enhance neurotransmitters in the brain, making the neurological action more efficient. This is an important aspect to regulating anxiety and mood. The combination of improving the neurological pathways in the brain, nurturing the brain and protection from free radical damage to the brain and nervous system can have a very positive effect on mental clarity and brain performance.

Herbs in Combination

We can see how a single herb can have many effects on our bodies. By combining herbs in the right proportions for the right purpose, we can produce an effect that is greater than the sum of the herbs individually. This is known as a synergistic effect. By supporting the body as a whole to strengthen the mind and diminish the actions that can interfere with sleep, attention and optimal cognition, we can make impressive progress in the health of our mood, mind and energy.

Brain Care Blend™

Brain Care Blend is a combination of gotu kola, dulse and eyebright that helps nourish the mind. This is a great combination to help stay focused and keep the mind energized. Gotu kola is an Indian herb revered for centuries in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for its tonifying qualities for the mind, nervous system and circulation. In ancient Hindu culture, it was considered one of the great anti-aging herbs, often noted for halting prematurely graying hair and for promoting awareness. It has shown both stimulating and relaxant properties for the nervous system.

Dulse is a sea vegetable found in Scotland, Ireland and Canada and used as a strengthening staple food high in valuable nutrients. These include protein and iodine, a key mineral for regulating metabolism. Around the world, folk herbalism credits many of the edible sea plants with having benefits for the mind and eyes. Eyebright is another favorite herb in British folk herbalism that has a long history of use for supporting good vision, an important aspect of our intellectual performance.

Serenity™

According to traditional healing systems, when we feel edgy, agitated and unable to relax, it is often due to one of the vital organs being too hot or active, thus creating heat in the system. Often the source is from the gastro-intestinal tract, which releases heat in the digestive process that radiates up the body to stimulate the heart and mind. This can create restlessness and mental chatter, like when you are physically tired at night but the mind is wide awake. While this is a natural phenomenon, eating a heavy, fatty or spicy meal, or eating too near bedtime may accentuate the problem.

Serenity uses a unique approach based on Native American and Eclectic herbalism of the 19th century for cooling the overheated digestive tract while soothing the nerves. It combines two classic herbs for draining excess heat out of the digestive tract: burdock and Oregon grape. Also included are beth root and milk weed, both of which Native Americans used for soothing spasms. Milkweed is also encountered in homeopathy as a remedy for indigestion. The formula is rounded out by black cohosh, which was commonly employed as a general nerve tonic, muscle relaxant and calmative.

Polarity Balancer®

Processed foods filled with preservatives, artificial colorings and “flavor enhancers” like MSG are increasingly suspected of adverse effects on the body, particularly the nervous system. Many children with hyperactivity have been shown to benefit from excluding these substances from the diet. Adults are also subject to negative effects such as unclear thinking and headaches from these food additives. In holistic naturopathic philosophy, these toxins are thought to have unusual magnetic charges that can interfere with the nervous system, and are traditionally thought to lodge in mucus accumulations. Internal purification to detoxify the system of these substances is important to alleviate the harm done by food additives.

To help with detoxification from food additives, Polarity Balancer contains two of the best known all-around purifying and tonifying herbs, yarrow and burdock. For centuries, folk herbalists in Europe and Asia have employed rhubarb root for supporting liver, gall bladder, bowel and urinary health. Watercress is historically credited with benefits for healthy thyroid and urinary metabolism, and slippery elm assists with fluid balance. Incorporating more pure, wholesome foods into the diet and eliminating known sources of food additives and MSG may be very beneficial.

Lifestyle Considerations

There are a number of ways we can modify our lives so we can have less anxiety, sleep better, focus on mental tasks and lessen mood swings. Most of these are common sense ideas and general health considerations. Cut down or eliminate caffeine and sugar, eat a healthy balanced diet, watch for stress triggers throughout the day (driving in traffic is the most stressful thing we do on a daily basis), take some time out to rest, don’t overwork yourself, and exercise.

Do not do anything stimulating for one hour before going to bed. This especially includes watching television or looking at a computer screen, where the light stimulates the pineal gland, upsetting the natural rhythm that tells us to go to sleep. Be aware of food allergies that can trigger mood swings. Do not skip meals, which can affect mood by causing blood sugar to drop. Take the time to do something you love everyday: listen to music, read a book, have a great conversation with a friend, take a walk. These can have a great influence on your mood.

While we all have a range of emotions and times that our brain is functioning better than others, we can equip ourselves to better handle stress, fatigue, anxiety and depression so we can move through these obstacles quicker and in a way that is more harmonious with our lives. Herbs are a wonderful partner in improving our lives on both a physical and emotional level.