Supplements

  What are BCAAs? BCAA stands for branched-chain amino acid. The name comes from the fact that the amino acid ‘side chain’ is structurally forked or branched, which is part of the reason for their unique function amongst amino acids. There are three amino acids that comprise the BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine, and valine and all 3 are considered ‘essential’ since the body cannot synthesize them on its own, and therefore they need to be obtained from the diet via food or supplementation. The BCAAs are found in protein-rich foods, with the highest concentrations in chicken, beef, fish, eggs, and whey protein. Our bodies digest these...

  If you’re reading this, you’ve experienced stress—and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Stress is all around us and almost all of us are familiar with it in one way or another. It can be caused by just about anything we’re exposed to on a daily basis – work, relationships, kids, financial obligations, worries about the future. But stress is complex and eludes simple definition. It includes the stressor and the stress response, psychological and physiological components, as well as acute and chronic effects. Stress itself isn’t the problem. Without it, we wouldn’t have the drive to get up...

MagicLION™ – Natural Neurogenic & Nootropic #embracethelion is more than just a marketing hashtag, it’s a call to awareness for the people. It’s an introduction to a new class of ingredients that many people haven’t even heard of, yet the majority of them need in today’s fast-paced world where multi-tasking is a prerequisite of survival. Unfortunately for most, our mental energy is limited, and the presence of distractions at work, at home, on television, the internet, social media and our mobile devices creates an environment where the depth of penetration of any single piece of information is very shallow. We end up...

  One of the primary reasons for supplementing with BCAAs is to trigger muscle repair via protein synthesis as well as lower post-workout soreness. Their benefits are described in detail in an earlier dedicated post Get The ANSwer on BCAAs. But to recap, during endurance activities, BCAA levels decrease because they get consumed by skeletal muscle for energy. Decreased Valine levels in particular can modify neurotransmitter balance to enhance the perception of fatigue. Using BCAAs while you workout can help maintain adequate levels to prevent that perceived exhaustion, offer additional fuel for your muscles and protect against muscle breakdown (catabolism). Coupling...

  Most of us have seen the movie ‘Limitless’ and the concept of a mind-expanding drug compound (NZT) that grants the user laser like focus and super-human cognitive ability. While a drug as powerful as NZT may be a fairy tale or perhaps still in development, there are several naturally occurring herbs that can provide significant cognitive enhancement and act functionally as nootropics. A nootropic is defined as substance that improves mental and cognitive function; things like memory, creativity, focus, executive function and mental energy.   There are several classes of nootropic substances, many of which are classified as prescription...