When I sat down to create my new line of formulas this past year, I thought of everyone in my life that I love. I tried to come up with a list of herbal tools that would truly increase their quality of life by providing relief and support for some of their most common complaints.
I thought of the struggles I myself have in common with them — obstacles that we’ve shared during late night heart to hearts and vented about together.
The one that came up over and over again and has affected the greatest number of people I care for is trouble with mood and motivation.
Because of this, I knew I had to include a formula that would support brain health in a way that helps your outlook feel a little brighter, and helps stressful times feel a bit more manageable.
*Please note that depression is an extremely complex topic that often requires professional medical attention such as counseling and medication, and should be tackled from all angles. There is never any shame in managing your mental health with medication, and this would never be a replacement for that. My formula is not designed to be a magic pill but rather a part of your toolbox with practitioner approval.
THE STORY BEHIND THE FORMULA
There’s nothing more comforting than knowing you have a tool for the difficult days in your arsenal, which is why I created mood juice. I want you to have something you can always turn to in order to lift your spirits and support your nervous system.
Rather than being a “magic bullet,” this formula is designed to calm, and strengthen the nervous system, supporting tension relief and gently supporting your sense of well being. My goal was to soothe your nerves, help you think clearly and positively, and help you feel happier naturally.
THE HERBS + BENEFITS
1. St. John’s Wort*
St. John’s Wort is considered an adaptogen and trophorestorative to the nervous system (meaning it helps to restore and rebuild the nerves over time).
2. Holy Basil
Holy Basil, also known as Tulsi, is traditionally used in Ayurveda for low spirits, brain fog, and anxiousness. It is an adaptogen and nootropic that helps the body adapt to stress, increases oxygen intake, and promotes energy and endurance. Although it contains no caffeine or other stimulants, it is thought of as containing gentle stimulant properties that can help with motivation and drive.
3. Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is used to soothe “sympathetic excess” of the nervous system, where the HPA axis is in overdrive. By increasing GABA levels, lemon balm was shown to reduce anxiety, increase calmness, and improve mood in rats via this study.
4. Skullcap
Skullcap is an extremely safe and reliable mild nervine that not only helps with nervousness, but insomnia as well. While herbs are usually studied on rats like the paper I linked above, there’s actually been a double blind study on humans where 15 women and 4 men took one of three types of skullcap preparations. They proceeded to rate energy, cognition and anxiety at intervals for two hours thereafter, and the researchers found that it “demonstrated noteworthy anxiolytic effects.”
5. Kava Root
Kava has been shown in more than a dozen placebo-controlled studies to be effective with good tolerability for treatment of generalized anxiety, with some evidence for stress, low mood and insomnia. It is extremely calming and comforting and one of my favorite stress-relievers.
6. Motherwort
As the name suggests, motherwort has a calming energy like a big hug from mom. It is classified as a nervine herb, and is helpful for worries that feel “pent up” in the body. Also in line with its famous name, Motherwort is helpful for postpartum anxiety and melancholy felt by new mothers.
HOW TO USE MOOD JUICE
Mood juice usually supports immediate soothing, however some may take up to 2 weeks to feel deeper mood-based benefits. To use mood juice, take 1 full squeeze of the dropper bulb 2-3x per day as needed in water, juice, or hot water to make a tea.
Do not use mood juice if you’re on antidepressants and always talk to your doctor before taking it with any other pharmaceutical drugs. St. John’s Wort can make you more sensitive to the sun, so be mindful of excessive UV exposure while taking. Also, because this blend contains kava root, always ask your practitioner before use if you have a history of liver problems or are taking medication.
I hope this blend gets you through difficult days and brings a sense of stability into your life!
If you’re interested in buying Mood Juice, check it out here!
*Please note: You may see precipitation or an accumulation on the dropper or in the liquid of certain herbs, especially St. John’s Wort. This precipitation is a natural occurrence as it indicates the concentration of medicinally active compounds within the liquid that is potent, filtered and free of particulate. This is a natural event and a sign of a desired and potent liquid.
