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Green Tea and Weight Loss

When it comes to green tea, many people drink it for its anxiolytic properties. Theanine, an amino acid found in all tea, provides these benefits. However, there is another aspect to green tea that has people’s attention: weight loss.

Green Tea for Weight Loss

Green Tea for Weight loss Not only does green tea improve longevity, numerous scientific studies now show that green tea drinkers lose weight faster than non-tea drinkers.

There are a couple of reasons for why green tea helps reduce weight. The first obvious explanation is the caffeine found in all tea. Caffeine acts as an appetite suppressant and can also induce thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is how your body generates heat and energy from your food which is how you burn calories.

However, there is another fat-fighting force at work in green tea: polyphenols, specifically catechins. Polyphenols are found in most types of tea, but green tea in particular has a very high concentration of catechins. As discovered in a study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, catechins reduce fat accumulation as well as improve your cholesterol health.

The researchers studied a group of 35 men with similar waist circumference and BMI. The men were split into two groups, fed the same breakfast and dinner, and maintained the same overall diet in regards to calorie and fat intake. One group was given a bottle of Oolong tea fortified with a green tea extract containing 690mg of catechins, while the other group had plain Oolong tea with 22mg of catechins.

After three months the results were very telling. The group with the higher amount of catechins lost more weight and saw a greater reduction in BMI, body fat, and waist circumference. Furthermore, their bad cholesterol levels decreased.

Green Tea Extract and Weight Loss

Instant green tea powder Now all of this news is excellent. Drink more green tea and you can reap a number of rewards from increased longevity due to antioxidants to improved weight loss. However, to do so you will need to ingest a large quantity of green tea. In fact, unless you really, really like green tea obtain the necessary amount of catechins may be difficult.

This is why many people choose to supplement with green tea powder for weight loss. This powder is incredibly versatile. You can make it into green tea if you so choose by adding water or you can get creative and sprinkle the powder over various foods. You can even encapsulate your green tea powder if you prefer.

Tips for Max Weight Loss

Drinking green tea and using green tea powder are excellent ways to start your weight loss journey. Here are some additional tips for max weight loss:

Start and maintain your tea drinking and supplementing routine
Always keep a steady stock so you do not run out unexpectedly.
Do NOT add cream or milk to your tea; this voids its weight loss benefits
A healthy diet will further improve the weight loss benefits of green tea.

Should you choose to use the powder to make tea, you may find it needs some sugar. You can add sugar, or, if you are watching calories, you can use a non-calorie sweetener such as stevia instead.

To ensure maximum weight loss, you will need to start a good tea drinking and supplementing routine. As stated before, you will need a lot of green tea to reap the benefits or you can supplement to save time. Whichever route you take, you will need to stick to it.

Make sure you have your necessary supplies on hand so you don’t run out accidently. You could also try setting a specific tea time for your day to relax and unwind or use it to replace your morning coffee. Another good way to naturally incorporate green tea into your diet is to drink it with lunch and dinner in place of soda.

Warm tea can also satisfy the afternoon munchies because of its EGCG content. EGCG helps lower glucose which directly reduces cravings. Finally, do not add cream or milk to your tea. While this is a popular method of tea consumption for the Brits, it does not help with weight loss.

Additional Tips

Green tea with lemon While drinking green tea boosts weight loss, a healthy diet will produce greater results in a shorter amount of time. Also, try out new tea flavors from time to time or add a slice of lemon to enhance your green tea. By mixing it up from time to time you can help ensure you do not get bored and abandon your new healthy habits.

Source

Nagao, T. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2005; vol 81: 122-129

The Relax Stack for Stress Reduction, Relaxation, and Sleep

The Relax Stack is perfect for taking the edge off after a long day and for experiencing deeper, more restful sleep. Its unique combination of mind-calming and sleep-inducing ingredients can reduce stress and leave you better rested and ready to face the next day.

If you’re suffering from a lack of sleep, stressing out from working hard, or just needing to chill out, the Relax Stack will have you feeling better in no time.

What’s in the Relax Stack?

The Relax Stack contains Rhodiola, Ashwandandha, GABA, and melatonin. Some of these supplements may sounds familiar; melatonin is widely used by itself as a sleep supplement, and GABA is known for its stress-relieving properties.

While Rhodiola and Ashwandandha may not sound familiar, they are just as effective as any other supplement in the stack. Rhodiola is a plant whose roots can be used to reduce mental fatigue, and Ashwandandha is another plant whose roots and berries are effective in combating anxiety and sleep deficiency.

How does the Relax Stack Work?

The stack helps to relieve stress and mental fatigue that can keep you awake at night. GABA helps to get rid of mental stress, while Rhodiola can make the effects of physical stress less apparent.

It might seem counterintuitive to take supplements that reduce fatigue in order to sleep better, but fatigue and sleep are not the same thing [1]. Physical fatigue can actually cause a lack of sleep due to the toll it takes on the body and on the mind. Less fatigue means less stress, and an easier time drifting off to sleep.

The anti-anxiety effects of Ashwandandha’s will help to clear your mind of worries. Once in a relaxed state, your body can respond better to melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep cycles. Increased melatonin levels tell your body that it’s time to sleep, and produce a natural, refreshing state of restfulness.

How to Use the Relax Stack

For maximum benefits, all of the elements of the Relax Stack should be taken in proper dosages.

Individuals should take one gram of GABA and 3 milligrams of Melatonin once per day. The plant-based supplements Rhodiola and Ashwandandha should be taken twice a day, unlike the other ingredients. They are most effective at 250 and 500 milligrams per dose, respectively. The stack also comes with stevia and citric acid to help mask any unpleasant flavors the supplements may have. Individuals should use 100 milligrams of stevia and one gram of citric acid per day.

When taken in these proportions, all of the ingredients of the Relax Stack provide a gentle and effective way to sleep better and feel better as well.

Sources

1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9256516

Bacopa Monnieri Benefits Those with Anxiety

Bacopa Monnieri is a nootropic herb that is known for its benefits as an anxiolytic. It is highly ranked in Ayurvedic remedies, and is incredibly powerful when it comes to combating anxiety.

Bacopa Monnieri extract has even been shown to work better than traditional approaches to reducing anxiety because it increases cognition and alertness rather than reducing it [1]. Bacopa benefits people across a wide age range, and has been shown to increase memory as well as improve mood.

How Does Bacopa Monnieri Work?

The anti-anxiety effects of Bacopa are still being researched, but can be attributed to a combination of saponins in the herb and its ability to increase serotonin. Saponins are chemical compounds that are part of a plant’s immune system. When they are consumed by humans, they can have effects like anxiety reduction and improved mood [2]. The supplement helps to improve neural communication by helping nerve cells send out signals. Basically, it helps your brain to have better control over its reactions, which helps to manage stress and anxiety faster.

Because Bacopa also causes an increase in serotonin production, it results in a surge of “feel-good” hormones that aid in anxiety reduction. Bacopa Monnieri is a great option as an anxiolytic nootropic, and a powerful one at that, because it affects the mental condition and can improve not only mood, but memory and performance as well.

Bacopa Monnieri Benefits

Finding the correct Bacopa Monnieri dosage benefits those suffering from anxiety — This supplement can help relieve anxiety.

While Bacopa Monnieri is powerful as an anxiolytic, it truly is most effective because it is neither a stimulant nor a depressant. While other supplements for anxiety may cause drowsiness or overstimulation, Bacopa does neither of these.

It will improve cognitive function rather than impairing it for the sake of reducing stress. While Bacopa can act as a mental sedative, it won’t cause tiredness and will instead focus the mind.

Bacopa Monnieri is also an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage and preventing their breakdown. This is just an added perk to the supplement that can effectively reduce anxiety without causing other negative mental side effects.

Bacopa Monnieri Dosage

Dosage will largely depend on the extract of Bacosides. For example, a formulation of 20% Bacosides will call for 750mg once per day. Dosage will also depend on the individual’s levels of stress an anxiety. The supplement can be taken at any time since it won’t cause drowsiness or overstimulation meaning it won’t interfere with your sleep cycle.

The Bacopa supplement is best taken with food, and can be easily worked into a daily routine by having it with a meal. In a very short time, adding this supplement every day can help reduce anxiety as well as provide more mental focus and an improved memory.

Sources

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23195757
http://phoenixhealth.me/Botanical%20medicine/Bacopa%20for%20the%20Brain.pdf

Using St. John’s Wort to Boost Mood

Depression affects 121 Million people worldwide. In its severe forms, it leads to 850,000 deaths each year. [1]

There are many kinds of medication that can be prescribed by doctors to treat this condition. St. John’s Wort, on the other hand, is an herbal remedy avialable over the counter for mood.

What is St.John’s Wort?

St. John’s Wort belongs to the plant species Hypericum perforatum, and is also known as Tipton’s weed, rosin rose, goatweed, chase-devil, or Klamath weed. There are many species worldwide and they can mostly be found in North America, Europe, Turkey, Middle East, India, China and Brazil. [2] Australia is the world’s top producer of the plant.

Its name was given because it blooms around June 24, the birthday of John the Baptist. “Wort” is an old English word for plant. It is used for multiple problems such as for chronic fatigue syndrome, exhaustion, migraines, and muscle pain. An oil extract from the plant can also be used for easing scrapes, bruises and other inflammations. [3]

How does it Work?

What If I Can’t Take SJW?

Some individuals cannot take St. John’s Wort, such as those who take contraceptive pills. It also interacts negatively with a variety of other medications, so be sure to discuss it with your doctor first. Some alternative anxioltyic supplements include:

Rhodiola Rosea Supplement
Ashwagandha Powder
Theanine Supplement

Scientists do not yet fully understand how St. John’s Wort works in relation to mood. Its effect is generally attributed to its content of hypericin, hyperflorin, and flavonoids which help elevate dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. [4]

Dopamine is a stimulant that produces good mood. In elevated levels, it makes the user more focused, confident and interested in what he’s are doing. Norepinephrine is similar to dopamine and produces alertness and motivation. Serotonin on the other hand manages mood, appetite, and sleep. With low levels of Serotonin, one will become anxious, irritable, and have trouble sleeping. [5]

During a six week trial involving patients with mood issues, a hypericum extract of 300 mg or 600 mg was given to one group while the other group used Paroxetine in 20 mg capsules. After six weeks, it was discovered that hypericum extract is as effective as paroxetine for patients with moderate or severe mood issues.[7]

Dosage

St. John’s Wort is available in both liquid and pill form. For regular use, a dose of 300 mg taken 3 times a day with meals. [8] The effects of the supplement may be seen in 3-4 weeks and it is recommended that you don’t stop taking it before that. [6]

Sources

1. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725202240.htm
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John’s_wort
3. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/329.html
4. http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/herbal-remedies/question468.htm
5. http://thedea.org/yourbrain.html
6. http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/st-johns-wort
7. http://www.bmj.com/content/330/7490/503
8. http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/st-johns-wort

Nootropics: Willpower and Determination

Today’s the day that you skip grabbing your usual bag of chips and finally get that diet kickstarted. Really. This time you’re serious. Well, maybe you’re actually staring at the empty bag crumpled on your couch, wondering how you finished the whole thing that fast (and resolving that tomorrow is the day you’ll really start).

It’s a lesson you’ll encounter again and again when you try to start a new habit or kick an old one: willpower is a tricky beast, and it isn’t always as easy as firmly making a decision and sticking to it. So what is it then, exactly? Why are people so bad at making a decision and sticking to it? Read on for some insights on how to get motivated, and an overview of key nootropics for motivation.

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Offsetting the Adverse Effects of Common Nootropics

nootropic stacks — Nootropics can help with cognition and memory.

Thanks to your recent foray into nootropics, your memory is better than ever. You commit new information to memory with relative ease, recall old memories in a flash, and are able to work your way through even the densest academic material. Smart drugs are great for increasing cognitive functions in a variety of ways. Better yet, only rarely do smart drugs have toxic thresholds or the potential for harmful overdose. Now, that doesn’t mean that they’re entirely without undesirable side-effects.

It turns out that, with certain compounds, your boosted brainpower comes with a price. Whether it is blunted emotions or wired edginess, there’s a chance that your empowered cognition is costing you something. But fear not! With careful and intelligent supplementations, you can balance out negative effects with synergistic nootropics, allowing you to reduce or erase negative effects while keeping your benefits. Here’s a look at a few of the most common “social costs” of popular nootropics and how to counteract the negative effects.
Continue reading “Offsetting the Adverse Effects of Common Nootropics”

ALCAR/ALA Stack: Benefits and Side Effects

ALCAR and ALA can help combat the effects of aging on the brain.

When studying nootropics, you will discover that these supplements have several nuances. You can educate yourself thoroughly on the exact mechanisms of pretty much every available compound, trial them individually, and still barely scratch the surface of smart drug supplementation.

The reason?

Nootropic stacks, or cross-nootropic potentiation. Basically, combine any two or more substances, and you’re going to see effects that go above and beyond what you’d simply expect from one or the other.

Nootropics are complex substances, and the brain is a complex piece of biological machinery. The more compounds you’re ingesting at the same time, the better the chances that you’re going to trigger some unexpected effect.

ALCAR/ALA Benefits

This combination is the concept behind recent trials which suggest that combining ALCAR (acetyl l-carnitine powder) and ALA (alpha lipoic acid) could have dramatically boosted benefits for health and cognition. Continue reading “ALCAR/ALA Stack: Benefits and Side Effects”

Racetam Stack: Safe and Effective Use of Racetams

Racetams are nootropics, or brain boosters.

Racetams are the first family of nootropics; without them smart drugs might have never been. Racetams are a class of nootropic compounds that share a pyrrolidone nucleus, but in many cases not much else. Fortunately, Racetams go well together and the differences in each work out for the best, creating stacks you cannot get with just any nootropics.

Before we get into the combinations, let’s take look at the racetams and remind ourselves what each does individually.
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How to Make Your Own Chill Pill

When aniracetam is the main active component of a stack, it’s safe to assume relaxation and improved mood are in store (and that a choline supplement is going to be included as well).

As difficult as stress is to avoid on a day to day basis, it isn’t impossible to greatly reduce its impact on your life, and improve your well being as a result, and that’s just what The Chill Pill Stack will assist you in doing.

To paraphrase a very wise man, people aren’t stressed by things, they are stressed by their perception of those things (Epictetus, if you’re wondering). This is why there seem to be as many different causes of stress as there are people on the planet.

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Ashwagandha Rhodiola and other Anxiety Relief Supplements

What Is Anxiety?

Many supplements including Rhodiola are great for anxiety relief — Anxiety can affect you in many ways

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and at times can prove beneficial. Unfortunately, there are people who experience an excess of this response, and no matter how unnecessary they may understand the anxiety to be, there is nothing they can do about it because it is not something that can be controlled logically.

From PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) to social anxiety, all the way on to OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), disorders featuring anxiety are the most common mental issues experienced by Americans.
Continue reading “Ashwagandha Rhodiola and other Anxiety Relief Supplements”