Cognitive Function and Anxiety

--- tags: health --- # Cognitive Function and Anxiety ## 1. Cognitive Function The brain's ability to think, understand things. Mostly not emotional, though if one is really depressed, sadness comes in. Mostly, do you find yourself overwhelmed understanding things that you used to understand? Not understanding taxes or bills or letters? Have a desk of a million things piling up (but not because you are OCD)? Even getting irritable when someone suggests you think about something harder? Do you find yourself increasingly irritable or tearful? Consider that maybe your brain is running low on essential ingredients. Below are the ones I consider essential (when I am on a low budget) plus some additional definitely helpful "optionals", which definitely add to a better experience of life, once I have a little more pocket change. Try to stay with good brands. ### Essential supplements - 5-HTP - [NOW Foods 100mg caps](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/5-HTP-100-mg-by-Now-Foods.htm?), 3-4/day with water/juice, or - [Protocol for Life 200mg caps](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/5-HTP-200-mg-by-Protocol-For-Life-Balance.htm?), 1-2/day with water/juice, or - [any of the higher quality brands](http://vitamins-supplements.professionalsupplementcenter.com/search?w=5htp&btnSearch=Search) - Research has typically focused on 300mg/day dosages. (That would be 3 100mg caps per day, here.) I got great results with that, but after a couple of weeks I bumped it up a tad more to 4, and decided I was even more content with that dosage. - Lithium- Orotate - [Advanced Research](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/Lithium-Orotate-120-mg-by-Advanced-Research.htm) 5mg (I take 1/day) - Hans Nieper was a genius. Too bad he couldn't make any money for Rockefeller Medicine.. :-) - Liposomal Glutathione - If you take the liquid form, make sure it has been refrigerated at every step of distribution and storage and shipping - [Montiff Glutathione](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/L-Glutathione-Reduced-250-mg-by-Montiff.htm), 2 caps per day, or - [Empirical Labs](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/Liposomal-Glutathione-by-Empirical-Labs.htm) 1 tsp/day, or - [Seeking Health](https://www.seekinghealth.com/products/optimal-liposomal-glutathione), 1 tsp/day, or possibly - [Aurora](https://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/mega-liposomal-glutathione-750-mg-organic-fruit-flavor-16-fl-oz/vid1008) 1 tsp/day - Montiff [Vitaminz-Plus](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/Vita-Minz-Plus-by-Montiff.htm) 3/day with food - Montiff [B-Complete](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/B-Complete-by-Montiff.htm) 3/day with food - Montiff [Tri-Phos-B](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/Tri-Phos-B-by-Montiff.htm) 2 in the am, 2 in the pm, with water or juice - this includes even more of the P5P form -- the more bio-available form -- of Vitamin B6, which is needed as a co-factor in so many chemical pathways in the body including cognitive - Montiff [Mineral Complex](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/Mineral-Complex-with-D-and-Ipriflavone-by-Montiff.htm) 3/day with food - Montiff [All-Basic](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/All-Basic-677-mg-by-Montiff.htm) 9 per day with food - L-Arginine - I use the [5,000mg Mixed Berry powder from Fenix Nutrition](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/L-Arginine-Complete-Mixed-Berry-by-Fenix-Nutrition.htm), 1 scoop in the morning with water and optionally a little juice (tastes good) ### Optional but very helpful additional supplements - Ginkgo Biloba 120mg 1-2x/day - Any decent brand at [Swanson](https://www.swansonvitamins.com/q?kw=ginkgo%20biloba) or [Professional Supplement Center](http://vitamins-supplements.professionalsupplementcenter.com/search?w=natrol%20ginkgo%20biloba&btnSearch=Search), etc. 120mg 1-2x/day - Magnesium - There are many brands and varieties that will work. I currently take [3 of these](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/Magnesium-glycinate-by-Pure-Encapsulations.htm?manufacturer=Pure%20Encapsulations%C2%AE) a day, with food - Caveat: According to the [Root Cause Protocol](https://therootcauseprotocol.com/), one should take magnesium only after having taken the Adrenal Cocktail for a while (see below) ### Practices - See the Practices below. Besides stopping adrenal burnout, they also help from burning through serotonin. ## 2. Anxiety/Worry This is the sympathetic nervous system finally going into "fight-or-flight always on" mode, after decades of too much (left-brain) thinking and worrying, perfectionism, etc, and not "being in the now". To calm it: ### Supplements - **Ashwagandha** - Ashwagandha is Indian ginseng. It is an "adaptogen", meaning that it regulates things in both directions. In this case, it lowers cortisol levels that are too high, and raises cortisol levels which are too low. I find it amazingly effective -- once I got up to the right dosage. - Extracts are much stronger, and take less dosage than raw ashwa. Start small, move up every couple of days until you feel things calming down. That's your dosage. - I take [this brand](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TWS9XVN) but the [150 capsule bottle](https://www.costco.com/youtheory-ashwagandha-1%2c000-mg.%2c-150-capsules.product.100494260.html) which I can get at Costco more inexpensively. I'm not saying it's the best, as it's only the first one I've tried. But it works for now. It has a combination of extract and raw. I take 3 in the am and 3 in the pm of this one -- a pretty strong dose. - [Jigsaw Health Adrenal Health](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/Adrenal-Cocktail-plus-Wholefood-Vitamin-C-Powder-by-Jigsaw-Health.htm?) - (part of the [Root Cause Protocol](https://therootcauseprotocol.com/)) - take this a while before taking magnesium (above), to get the adrenals supported first - Sugar Control - keeps mood even for me, since I tend to get a little hypoglycemic, which apparently can happen when adrenals have been chronically overstressed. - So I take both of these: - [Glycemic Manager](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/Glycemic-Manager-by-Integrative-Therapeutics.htm) or [Sweet Eze](https://www.amazon.com/SLENDER-FX-SWEET-EZE-Bottle/dp/B007E58WJK) AND - Chromium Picolinate 200mcg 1/day such as [Pure Encapsulations](https://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/Chromium-picolinate-200-mcg-by-Pure-Encapsulations.htm) or [any other decent brand](Ohttp://vitamins-supplements.professionalsupplementcenter.com/search?w=chromium%20picolinate&btnSearch=Search) ### Practices - **Follow breath periodically to stay in the Now** According to Eckhart Tolle ([The Power of Now](https://bookscouter.com/book/9781577314806-the-power-of-now-a-guide-to-spiritual-enlightenment?type=buy) and [A New Earth](https://bookscouter.com/book/9780452289963-a-new-earth-awakening-to-your-life-s-purpose-oprah-s-book-cl?type=buy)), if you make a practice of simply following your breath for 3 or more breaths, several times throughout the day, it blocks out "thinking", brings you back to the "now" (which is equivalent to your true nature). - **Meditate 15-30 minutes 2x/day**: Your choice completely which resonates with you. If you are looking for suggestions, I have found I like both the free online Advanced Yoga Practices ([start lessons here](https://www.aypsite.org/10.html)), and Sadhguru's simple [Isha Kriya](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwQkfoKxRvo). I've also gotten great depression relief from simple [Zen](https://www.amazon.com/Pillars-Anniversary-Updated-Revised-1989-02-27/dp/B01N0BQOHD). - **Hatha Yoga** has a lot of proven research showing that it *greatly* reduces stress. Many people (about 30-40%) even go off their medication entirely. Here is [just one example](https://www.innerengineering.com/) (scroll down to sections on "Benefits" and "Research Findings"). - **Practice stopping worrying whenever you see yourself doing it.** Make a point of not worrying about the future, or judging the past. Stay in the now. This is the ultimate form of "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy", known for thousands (millions?) of years. - **Don't try to analyze the panic: It's nothing but the cortisol.** When you get pangs of anxiety or worry, don't read too much into them. You've an over-sensitive sympatheic nervous system, and it gets triggered by the slightest concern. Worrying about this just makes it an additional (and needless!) worry. Just realize it's just the cortisol, and let it be. Be "with" it, don't push it away. But don't analyze it, either. It will go down a little bit each day until you are back to normal. - **Minimize screen time. Avoid battle/confrontation media.** For at least the next year or two, keep movies, youtube, or other online stuff to an absolute minimum. Do not spend hours a day watching these things. Keep it to a small amount. If you can get it down to zero, so much the better. These all push the dopamine (and cortisol) levers. Especially the action films. Anything high-stress, avoid. If you have to watch stuff, keep it to really happy, easy-going things like The Sound of Music or cute bunnies and kittens on YouTube. You get the idea. You might think this is a small factor, but it's not; it is HUGE. - **Avoid political, religious, or any other discussions** (including radio) which are high-stress, and get people's ire up. - **Avoid stressful people.** - **Get light exercise.** Walk. swim. - **Get into a jacuzzi or whirlpool** if you have access to one, and just relax. - **Try Wim Hof's breathing and cold-water methods.** Many Youtube videos on the breathing practice. It's free. And so is cold water. :-) - Dancing, singing.. Anything that makes you **smile**! - **Get adequate sleep** whenever you can. - In emergencies, you can take something to get you to sleep, whatever you doc is okay with: Benadryl, Phenibut, etc. But get sleep, even if you have to take something for it at first, to break out of the cycle of insomnia causing even more worry and stress on you.