To Help With Energy and Stress Levels
Adaptogens:
Rhodiola Rosea, Ashwagandha, Schisandra, Eleuthro, American and Asian Ginseng, Holy Basil, Reishi mushroom, Cordyceps (mushroom). These all help reduce cortisol which can help with energy levels and relieve stress. Most of these you can easily find online or at your local health food store. Holy Basil is also called Tulsi and different from regular or “sweet” basil. Cordyceps were actually the secret weapon for the Chinese track and field teams in the 1993 olympics.
CoenzymeQ10:
Also known as CoQ10, this helps your mitochondria (the powerhouse of your cell) to produce energy and is good for your heart and serves as a potent antioxidant. There’s two forms—ubiquinol and ubiquinone. Either one is fine and work the same in your body. The only time you may want to have one form over the other is if you’ve already had damage to your heart such as a heart attack, in which case ubiquinol may be better. Just always have to mention, look for the cleanest one possible without too many additives or other chemical agents. If you can’t pronounce it, it’s best to avoid it.
MCT Oil:
Medium Chain Triglycerides derived from palm or coconut oil are C8 and C10 (caprylic and capric acids respectively) fats with a chain of 8 and 10 carbons in their structure. They are absorbed directly by the liver and bypass digestion which gives you fast energy from high quality fats without carbohydrates and without a blood sugar spike and subsequent crash. Especially good if you’re on a low-carbohydrate diet or want to avoid blood sugar spikes. MCT oil gives you a cognitive performance boost and helps keep mental fatigue at bay for longer. This is my personal go-to when I want quick energy for brain and body without consuming carbohydrates and when I don’t want to eat a meal or bog down my body or mental performance with digestion. Although it can be derived from palm oil the best source is from coconut oil and preferably organic. If you want to get an even higher quality and better performing oil you can opt for pure C8 (caprylic acid) which is better and even faster absorbed than C10 (capric acid). The effects on energy and mental clarity are noticeable and worth having in your arsenal of energy boosting supplements.
Creatine:
I know this sounds weird because most people think of the gym or weight lifting when they hear creatine. But creatine is one thing that I think everyone would benefit from. It helps with energy production for brain and body. Simple old creatine monohydrate will do the trick and you can get it almost anywhere. It boosts your cognition and focus, not just physical energy, keeping you alert. It’s even good for immunity and eye health. Creatine is made up of 3 amino acids— glycine, arginine, and methionine.
EAAs:
There’s a reason why they’re essential. You know sometimes when athletes “bonk” or hit that wall and can’t go anymore? Sometimes it’s not because they need more carbs, it could be because they ran out of amino acids. Essential amino acids are an undervalued tool. From energy, skin health, balancing hormones, burning fat and building and maintaining muscle (which you want to do to have energy), EAAs (not BCAAs) are phenomenal.
To Help with Sleep
Some of the same things that help with fatigue also help with sleep because anything that reduces cortisol and stress will also help you calm down and get a good nights sleep. Other supplements that are good for sleep are:
Magnesium:
Needed for about 300 different processes in the body and helps a ton to relieve muscle tension and relax you before sleep. Just make sure you gauge how much you can handle. More than 1,500mg per day can cause loose stools or diarrhea. It’s in magnesium carbonate form with citric acid, which means once you mix it with water it makes magnesium citrate which is the kind they use for laxatives. Magnesium glycinate and magnsium malate seem to be the best absorbed. There are actually seven different forms and you would benefit from getting all seven but just getting the form that’s most readily accessible to you and that your body agrees with will still do wonders for your overall health.
Magnesium chelate - Especially good for muscle building and recovery.
Magnesium citrate - Laxative and has been shown to help with arterial stiffness in healthy overweight individuals.
Magnesium glycinate (bisglycinate) - Seems to be one of the most absorbable forms and used to treat symptoms of heartburn and acid indigestion.
Magnesium malate - Another form believed to be one of the most bioavailable forms of magnesium. This one is found naturally in fruits. This one can help with depression pain and migraines.
Magnesium taurate - This form is shown to be very good for your heart as it has been shown to have potential for being vascular-protective.
Magnesium orotate -Also good for the heart, enhanced recovery, energy and athletic performance.
Magnesium sucrosomal - This form helps you to produce energy. It also supports your immune system and is needed for bone health and development.
Melatonin:
You have to sleep to recover and heal. You can start with a 3-5mg dose or even low dose melatonin (0.3mg for older adults 60+, 0.5mg to 3mg for average adult) to help with restful sleep and give your body the rest it needs. It’s also a potent antioxidant and helps to strengthen your immune system, is anti-aging and supports your mitochondria and cardiovascular system. With melatonin, unless advised by a practitioner, you don't want to take high doses as this can desensitize your body's melatonin hormone receptors and make it so you don’t produce it naturally on your own. High doses can also cause sleepiness during the day.
GABA:
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid is neurotransmitter that helps inhibit anxiety and puts you into a more parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) state rather than a sympathetic (“fight or flight”) state which is definitely what you need in order to calm down and fall asleep. This one from Natural Stacks I found to be a good one because it has L-Citrulline which converts over to L-arginine and increases NO2 (nitric oxide levels) thus increasing vasodilation, blood circulation and increases the absorption of it. GABA is one of those nutrients that can be difficult for it to actually get into the brain and be effective. Many GABA supplements don’t have a mechanism to increase it’s absorption so this I found to be a huge plus.
5-HTP:
Stands for 5-hydroxytryptophan and is a precursor to serotonin (one of our “feel good” hormones) and is made from the amino acid
tryptophan (the thing in turkey that makes us sleepy). It’s another neurotransmitter and is good for sleep disorders like insomnia, pain, depression, headaches and migraines. You can even combine this with GABA and valerian root and get an even greater calming and relaxing benefit.
To Help With Everything
Digestive Enzymes:
Can also be called systemic enzymes. I put this one separately because it can help with both and honestly, I think it may be the most important one for overall health which in turn will help you address any issue you have. We need to be able to absorb the nutrients form our food, if we don’t then at some point we will experience a physiological breakdown in some way. All health issues are, at it’s core, either a problem of deficiency, excess, and stress (which you could categorize as excess). Any one of those lead to inflammation and organ disfunction.
One way to use digestive enzymes is for the obvious reason of digesting your food. Take a few capsules before or with a meal depending on the brand you’re using, and it can increase nutrient absorption and alleviate any symptoms of indigestion. Over time you’ll have better energy, sleep, mood, lower stress levels and increased focus and cognition because you’re simply giving your body the ability to absorb the nutrients you’re eating. Digestion is a huge stress on the body and it should be an overall net benefit to us if, and only if, we’re digesting and absorbing our food properly. If not, then we get tired, get that “food coma” feeling and end up with a bigger health problem down the road. Just make sure you’re not overeating either, as that can override or void the benefit of digestive enzymes. The right amount of food coupled with the power to digest that food equals better health in the long run.
One trick with digestive enzymes is, if you take them on an empty stomach they actually go to work breaking down old scar tissue in your body and repairing old injuries and damage. They can greatly help with swelling, pain and inflammation.
Precautions:
This is definitely not exhaustive but are just some things to help you get started or narrow down some options. I know it can be daunting to know what to take and where to begin.
Just make sure you check with your doctor and let them know what you’re taking and plan to take to ensure there’s no contraindications or reactions with anything else you might be on. Don’t feel like you have to try all of these. Sometimes may be counterproductive to take too many supplements at once as the body can’t utilize everything optimally if it has to sort through too much substrate in your system. So just try a few, see how you feel and adjust dosage or change supplements as you see fit and as you listen to your body.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and this information is not intended to be medical advice, to treat, diagnose or cure any disease. Always consult with your doctor as to whether or not you should take any medication, supplement or start a new program. I wish you health and happiness on your journey to the best version of you, which is what you determine and what gives you a reason to wake up every day.
Sources:
https://thegreenmaven.com/a-complete-guide-to-the-healing-benefits-of-adaptogens/
https://mushroomdesign.com/blogs/news/cordycepsolympicgames
https://nz.blabto.com/4767-cordyceps-mushroom-medicinal-properties-and-applicat.html
https://examine.com/supplements/coenzyme-q10/
https://examine.com/supplements/mcts/
https://examine.com/supplements/creatine/#
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/melatonin-how-much-should-i-take-for-a-good-nights-rest/
https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/podcast/melatonin-supplementation/
https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/supplements-articles/how-to-use-amino-acids/
https://draxe.com/nutrition/5-htp/
https://shop.bioptimizers.com/products/magnesium-breakthrough
https://examine.com/supplements/gaba/
https://draxe.com/nutrition/gaba/
https://draxe.com/nutrition/digestive-enzymes/
https://drjockers.com/systemic-enzymes-powerful-immune-support/
https://healnsoothe.com/