Instant gratification:  it’s a rush of endorphins and neural activity that can make even the most driven person make questionable choices—but could you delay your gratification as well as a child or a cuttlefish?  You read that right; a cognitive test designed to measure the ability of a child to delay gratification has now been passed by a cephalopod, perhaps putting us all to shame. The popular marshmallow test was a test designed to see if children could be left alone with a marshmallow by Stanford researchers in the 1970s.  Children were told that if they waited 15 minutes and...

With many of us coming up to the one-year mark of being at home due to the pandemic, it can be easy to get caught up in comparing what we did/are still doing during our time at home.  Some people seemed to whiz through it and experienced an even greater uptick in productivity without having to deal with the office bureaucracy, and others of us went numb and binged tv; while others of us ran out of things to do and were more bored than ever.  If you felt like you couldn’t focus on anything in the same way that...

Researchers announced the first two-way conversation with a person in a deep state of sleep a few weeks ago.  It’s the first successful type of messaging to a person during sleep.  Whether you’re looking at it in terms of the vast possibilities this offers or are looking at it through an Orwellian lens, it’s probably got you wondering how you might be able to take advantage of the time while you’re asleep.  After all, if the people in the study could still do math and fight goblins (as one participant reported), what might you be able to accomplish during your...

If you’re familiar with nootropics, you probably know what a useful tool they can be for working with our neurotransmitters.  It’s just as likely that if you’re interested in nootropics, herbs, and supplements that you are interested in learning to use these tools to help boost your cognition, improve your memory, and help you focus. A powerful neurotransmitter called acetylcholine is produced within our bodies to assist the nervous system.  It’s especially concentrated in areas of the brain related to learning and memory and is one of the fastest ways to help you feel sharper and think more clearly.  In...

As fans of nootropics and innovating ways to make the most out of our lives, we are accustomed to breaking through glass ceilings and pushing past our limits.  There is a space that comes after landing in new territory (cognitive, spiritual, or physical) where we have to regain our footing and acclimate to the novel place in which we find ourselves after we reach new levels.  We find ourselves facing these new horizons all the time, these “new normals,” as part of the growth process, so why should we feel so uncomfortable facing a new normal on a global scale?...

Out of all our organs, the most easily overlooked organ is our liver.  While it’s easy to exercise for our hearts and lungs, stay hydrated for our kidneys, and eat fiber for our intestinal system, what do we do for the liver? The liver works constantly to help process everything that we take into our bodies.  Everything from foods to medicines to caffeine to the vitamins and supplements we take to keep ourselves healthy requires action on the liver’s part in order to metabolize and process. There aren’t many direct ways to take care of your liver other than trying...

If you’re familiar with L-Theanine, you’ll know that L-theanine is an amino acid that is found in tea leaves (green, black, and white), so it might be counterintuitive to think of taking L-theanine as a supplement with Green Tea Extract—isn’t there L-theanine in Green Tea Extract? Green Tea Extract, or EGCG, is a specific catetchin extracted from the leaves of green tea.  As such, it does not contain the other constituents of the green tea leaf, so it does not contain any L-Theanine. Green tea has been consumed for thousands of years for its health benefits:  it has anti-inflammatory properties,...

If you’re trying to boost dopamine levels, you may have heard of all the usual ways, such as getting more exercise, eating more foods specifically concentrated in tyrosine, and getting plenty of rest.  There is also a simple and natural way to boost dopamine that comes from a plant known as “velvet bean” or Mucuna L-Dopa. Why would you want to boost your dopamine?  Dopamine helps the body deal with stress, both physical and psychological.  It is the same neurotransmitter linked to the reward-risk-motivation-pleasure pathways in the brain, but it’s so much more than just a feel-good chemical.  Many  people...

You may have seen Valerian in tea blends and sleep-aid supplements.  Valerian is an herb that has been used since the Middle Ages to treat sleeplessness.    More people are searching for natural alternatives and turning back to an age-old remedy might be the right way for you to go. It has to do with the neurotransmitters in the brain.  Both Lemon Balm and Valerian are believed to work with the GABA neurotransmitter, but each in different ways, and together.  Lemon Balm keeps more GABA around for the brain because it inhibits one of the enzymes which breaks down GABA from...

Ashwagandha can help your body handle stress, support cognitive health, and support sexual health in men and women; but did you know that it also has benefits for exercise and can help your workout reach new heights? Ashwagandha is a plant used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine also known as Indian Winter Cherry.  Its scientific name is Withania somnifera and it contains chemical constituents called withaferins and withanolides.  As an adaptogen, Ashwagandha is normally used for exhaustion, stress, and nerves, but a study performed with a specific extract, KSM-66® Ashwagandha, has revealed that Ashwagandha can enhance your cardiorespiratory fitness! What exactly...

If you’ve never heard of “Winter Worm Summer Grass” mushroom, you’re not the only one!  This mushroom is otherwise known as Cordyceps Militaris, and it was named “Winter Worm Summer Grass” because it has a unique life cycle that begins as a parasite.  But don’t let that scare you—Cordyceps has some amazing properties which make it a very valuable medicinal mushroom. Cordyceps is used in folkloric medicine in East Asia, specifically China and Korea.  In Korea, they call it “Dong Chung Ha Cao.”  After many years of being used traditionally, Cordyceps has now been scientifically researched, and it has a...

If you’re searching for a safe, natural alternative to sleeping medications or would like to find mood support, L-Theanine might be the solution for you.  L-Theanine is a natural ingredient found in teas that can help you unwind and get ready for a good night’s sleep.  L-Theanine can also help you de-stress after a long, hard day.  Let’s explore how this simple and natural ingredient can do so much for you. L-Theanine occurs in tea leaves and is an amino acid.  Have you ever had that calm feeling after drinking tea?  Maybe it’s the tea ritual, the warmth of a hot...