By Christine Cheng, R.Ph. and Fred Cheng, R.Ph.
Ever felt like the word you’re looking for was right on the tip of your tongue? Ever gone to the grocery store for just a few items and forgotten what you needed when you got home? Don’t worry! You’re not the only one. Especially this past year, with most of us being under more stress than usual, it is not just our memories that could use a boost, but maybe our moods, too.
Starting with a good foundation of adequate sleep, good nutrition, and adequate hydration is important. Aim for a solid 6-8 hours of sleep every night. Don’t stress out if you wake up in the middle of the night, every night, but are able to fall asleep again. Try to include a colourful array of fruits and vegetables into your daily meals along with lean sources of protein at every meal. Try to get the majority of your hydration from plain water. There is debate on how much we need to drink, but a good rule of thumb is if your lips are dry, you need to hydrate more!
Supplements can be helpful in giving our brains a boost. There is a specific group of supplements called, “nootropics” that can enhance cognition and memory and facilitate learning via differing mechanisms. One of our favourite brain boosting supplements is NEUROFORCE, which contains a few nootropics. In this formula, there is DHA (docosahexanoic acid) to help nourish the physical health of the nerves, vinpocetine to enhance blood flow to the brain, PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) to help stimulate nerve growth factor, Bacopa monnieri for its neuroprotective antioxidant effects, and Alpha GPC (l-alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine) to help boost the levels of acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine in the brain. At just one softgel a day, we have had great feedback on this product.
ELITENEURO from Innovite is a unique, single ingredient product that can help boost cognition as well as support mood. Derived from a South African herb, its mechanisms of action include boosting phosphodiesterase 4 function (associated with neuronal function and brain development) and serotonin levels (important for mood). This supplement has been shown to help with decision making, impulse control, enhancing processing speed, improving concentration as well as relieving stress and irritability. This could also be a very useful tool for students who are studying for exams and want to enhance their focus and get some stress relief!
Sometimes, when we feel like we are in a rut, the best thing is put a little “spice” into it. It could be as simple as trying new path or trail for a walk or hike, trying a new coffee shop, getting take out from a different restaurant, or trying a crossword when you’re a word search kind of person. If you decide to try a supplement, chat with your healthcare practitioner before you start to choose the one that is appropriate and safe for you.
Christine and Fred Cheng are a passionate, charismatic sister-brother pharmacist team at their unique, family-operated Pharmasave stores in Cloverdale and Steveston, B.C. They specialize in natural remedies and compounding for both human and veterinarian use. Find them on Instagram and Facebook! Everything mentioned in their article is available InStore.
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