by Tim Samuels – documentary-maker, former mental health journalist of the year
What you eat affects how you feel – there is undeniably a food-mood link. The studies support this.
A 2019 trial, for example, showed how a switch to a Mediterranean-style diet led to significant and lasting reductions in low mood.
The global pioneer in this mood-food field is Dr Uma Naidoo, a Nutritional Psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School.
As well encouraging people to follow natural, healthy diets, Dr Naidoo also recommends the power of adding particular herbs and spices – which are packed with nutrients that can impact our levels of positivity, energy and how we deal with stresses.
“Nutrition is the pioneering new frontier for better mental health and resilience,” says Dr Naidoo.
But no matter how well we try to eat, many of these herbs and spices just aren’t part of our daily diets.
Here are Dr Naidoo’s 6 superstars:
- Saffron: this specious spice has been proven to amplify serotonin – the key hormone that stabilises our mood.
- Ashwagandha: This ‘King of Ayurvedic herbs’, used for more than 3,000 years, is an adaptogen – allowing the body to adapt to stressful situations.
- Turmeric: filled bioactive curcumin, this golden spice supports the function of the nervous system.
- California Poppy: Long cherished by Native American tribes for its soothing properties, this brilliant-orange plant – which contains alkaloids not found anywhere else – has been shown to help relaxation and balance the nerves.
- Reishi: Revered across Japan and China for millennia, this glossy mushroom contributes to natural immunological defences – and helps support the immune system.
- Maca: Found high in the mountains of Peru, this go-to plant for indigenous Andeans for two thousand years supports physical and mental performance.
Dr Naidoo has specially formulated a range of daily botanicals supplements, using these 6, along with many others, with Karmacist – specifically designed to naturally support mental resilience.
These 6 brilliant botanicals, packed with Dr Naidoo’s wisdom, can be found across Karmacist’s range of vegan supplements, including the Mood Formulation. The daily Mood supplements contain 15 scientifically-selected ingredients – including Saffron and Turmeric – to help overcome negativity, promote emotional balance and support managing stress.
The other Karmacist supplements are for Relaxation, Energy and Immunity.
Nature really wants us to feel at our best.
Tim Samuels is a documentary-maker, former mental health journalist of the year and Karmacist founder.
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