Natural Connectors: Be at One

Action Plan For Getting Connected
The first step to feeling connected naturally is to tune up all your neurotransmitters. In other words, follow all the advice so far. This includes reducing your stress level, eating well, balancing your blood sugar, and reducing your intake of stimulants to an absolute minimum. A good all-around multivitamin/mineral is key. Also, Part Three will give you advice on exercises and lifestyle changes that will promote your sense of connection.

The nutrients listed in the following chart are worthy additions to a supplement program designed to enhance connection. This combination, taken every day, is likely to improve meditation, dreaming, insights, and understanding, as well as your mood and ability to relate. While the daily dose may seem complex, the good news is that there are ready-made formulas available that contain various combinations of these substances. (See the Resources section at the back of the book.) The ideal doses of the "connector nutrients" are less when combined than when a substance is taken in isolation.

You may want to begin with 60-75 mg of kava, especially if you tend to have some level of anxiety or irritability, and double the dose if necessary.

So, to sum up, you should take the following to get connected:

A good all-around multivitamin and mineral formula supplying optimal amounts of the B vitamins and the minerals zinc, manganese, and magnesium.

A "connector nutrient" formula providing 5-HTP, SAMe, or TMG; kava; and additional B vitamins to achieve the levels shown above. SAMe is best supplemented separately.

Daily Doses for Getting Connected
(Divide into two to three doses daily.)

*Do not supplement 5-HTP with antidepressant medication. One supplies the precursor to make serotonin, while the other prevents the breakdown of serotonin. Taking both could lead to serotonin overload. Don't exceed this amount if combining with sceletium.
+SAMe can be substituted by its precursor, TMG, which is more stable and less expensive.
**The kava dosage given here relates to the actual amount of kavalactones in the product, be it powder, capsules, or tincture.

From NATURAL HIGHS: Supplements, Nutrition, and Mind/Body Techniques to Help You Feel Good by Hyla Cass and Patrick Holford. Copyright © Hyla Cass, M.D., and Patrick Holford. Used by arrangement with Avery, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

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