Thread by @JohnConstas

Our world’s mental health is currently in shambles

The stress of daily uncertainty and fear wreaks havoc on your mind

Your mood worsens, productivity & energy levels plummet

This lockdown may have broken you down

But, you CAN recover from it

Your mind is your stress surveillance system

It has 3 main goals:

Perceive

Analyze

Respond

All of these processes require boatloads of nutrients in order to run smoothly

You definitely aren’t getting enough from your food if your diet is crap

Your first line of stress defense are your neurotransmitters

These brain chemicals are the biological signals your nervous system uses to communicate with itself

4 main ones are there to keep you balanced during stressful moments:

Serotonin
GABA
Norepinephrine/Dopamine

Serotonin is mainly responsible for balancing your mood

Its main purposes include:

-Calmness under pressure
-Positive mood
-Sleep cycle/ Appetite regulation

GABA is there to lower brain activity which is vital when your brain is stressed out/overactive

Its main purposes include:

- Support for immune and hormonal system
- Controls body movement
- Regulates anxiety

Norepinephrine/Dopamine are the “awake and ready to go” neurotransmitters for your brain

Its main purposes include:

- Alertness
- Concentration
- Energy
- Mood regulation

Each neurotransmitter requires different nutrients for its production

Serotonin = Tryptophan, Folate, 5 HTP, Vitamin B3/B6, Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin C

Norepinephrine/Dopamine = Tyrosine, Folate, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, SAM-e

GABA = Glutamine, Vitamin B6

All nutrients are essential for the manufacturing line

A lack in one backlogs everything

You burn through your neurotransmitters faster than you can imagine

If consumption increases with stress but production slows down

You eventually deplete yourself = Mental health problems

Your second line of defense is cortisol, your stress hormone

The communication happens between your brain and your adrenal glands

Stress = fire

Cortisol = water to put it out

Your body produces large amounts of cortisol initially (anxiety)

This revs the stress engine

The cycle goes on and on

Eventually your water reserves (cortisol) run out

Your hormones get out of whack

Your energy crashes and by this time, your neurotransmitters are also probably depleted

You are now a depressed hot mess

You need to replenish your brain first if you want to balance your stress response and start feeling better ASAP

If you fix your brain, the rest of your body follows

Adaptogens have their place and are excellent tools but use them at the right moment

https://twitter.com/JohnConstas/status/1188990728132792320?s=20

Your brain/body have an innate ability to heal from stress

The foods you eat play a huge role but supplementation is another great option to fast forward what a diet can do

Give your brain the tender loving care it needs and you will flourish

Here are the best nutrients to nourish your brain:

- B complex
- Eating lots of high quality meats
- Magnesium (flushes out toxins)
- Zinc
- Inositol (allows for better neurotransmitter activity)