Nutrient Connection: Supplements Transforming Mental Health

Are you one vitamin away from a calmer, happier you? While pharmaceuticals remain the conventional treatment for anxiety and depression, groundbreaking research reveals that the nutrients in your daily diet might hold the key to transformative mental wellness.

The science is compelling: B-complex vitamins reduce stress and boost brain function, vitamin D lifts mood, omega-3s support cognitive health, while GABA and L-theanine mimic anti-anxiety medications without the concerning side effects. These natural alternatives address the chemical imbalances that contribute to anxiety and depression, offering hope for the estimated one-third of people who find their symptoms return despite medication or who struggle with pharmaceutical side effects.

What makes this approach revolutionary is its accessibility and holistic nature. As nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo emphasizes, nutrition remains "a powerful and underutilized tool for mental health." This episode breaks down exactly which supplements support mental wellness, with specific dosage recommendations and a FREE downloadable list you can discuss with your healthcare provider. Beyond supplements, we explore how avoiding triggers like poor sleep and stimulants while building supportive community connections creates a foundation for lasting improvement. The empowering revelation? While 50% of our mental health may be genetic, 40% comes from lifestyle choices entirely within our control.

Ready to reclaim your mental clarity naturally? Download our comprehensive guide to mental health-supporting vitamins and minerals from the show description. Share your wellness journey with our community by tagging New Normal Big Life or nnblblog on social media – we'd love to celebrate your progress toward living your biggest, most fulfilling life.

Visit our blog for a list of citations.

Chapters

• 0:00 Nutritional Alternatives to Pharmaceuticals
• 3:09 Lifestyle Factors in Mental Health
• 5:11 Adventure Sports Micro Story
• 7:04 Key Vitamins for Mental Wellness
• 11:38 Holistic Mental Health Approach
• 14:57 Closing Thoughts and Resources

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:19

New normal big life and improve cognition, while vitamin D and omega-3s boost serotonin, easing depression. Gaba and L-theanine promote relaxation, mimicking anti-anxiety meds without the side effects. Experts like Dr Uma Neidoo emphasize nutrition's role in mental wellness, advocating for bioavailable supplements. Avoid triggers like poor sleep or stimulants. Bioavailable supplements Avoid triggers like poor sleep or stimulants and build a supportive community to enhance these benefits. Discuss these natural options with your doctor to complement traditional treatments and reclaim your mental clarity. Dive into our full guide for actionable insights and a downloadable list of vitamins and minerals that support your mental health wherever you get your podcasts. Hi friends, welcome to the New Normal Big Life podcast. We bring you natural news and stories about nature that we hope will inspire you to get outside and adventure, along with a step-by-step plan to help you practice what you've learned and create your own new normal and live the biggest life you can dream. I'm your host, antoinette Lee, the wellness warrior. You're one vitamin away from a calmer, happier you.

Speaker 1: 1:29

Anxiety and depression can feel overwhelming, but what if a solution lies in your daily nutrition? While conventional medicine often prescribes pharmaceuticals to address chemical imbalances, emerging research reveals that vitamins and minerals can significantly support mental health, offering natural side effect, free alternatives or complements to medications. So let's explore how these nutrients can transform your mood and cognition. Cognition is processing and understanding information, and if you're a TBI survivor like me, you know the importance of being able to understand what you're hearing and seeing and reading and process that information in a way that's useful to you. But there are limits to conventional anxiety treatments. But there are limits to conventional anxiety treatments.

Speaker 1: 2:27

Western medicine often attributes anxiety to the monamine theory, linking mood disorders to neurotransmitter imbalances caused by genetics. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, this model overlooks external factors like nutrition, lifestyle and environment. We're reminded by happiness researchers like Dr Sonja Lummersky that 50% of what makes us who we are are genetic expressions that are turned off or on. 10% of what makes us who we are comes from our environment, what we're exposed to, what we're taught, and the other 40% are lifestyle choices that are 100% within our control. So that 40% of what makes you who you are, or what makes your mental health what it is, is absolutely within your control, and that's what this episode is all about.

Speaker 1: 3:20

Pharmaceuticals like SSRIs and benzodiazepines, which alter brain chemistry, help many initially, but 33% of antidepressant users say symptoms return, according to Harvard Medical School. Side effects from SSRI include weight gain, sexual dysfunction and dependency, which can make stopping these medications challenging. Dr Uma Nadeau, a nutritional psychiatrist, emphasizes that nutrition is a powerful and underutilized tool for mental health. In a blog article written in Harvard Health, sarah, a 34-year-old teacher from Ohio, shares Antidepressants helped me at first, but the side effects were brutal. Adding supplements changed everything.

Speaker 1: 4:08

Before we cover the next topic in this episode, I want to introduce you to the adventure sports lifestyle with what I like to call a micro story about an adventure that I've had. The adventure sports lifestyle and my deep connection to nature is essential to my good health. So here's the story. Having wildcrafting or foraging skills means I'll never go hungry, from spring until late fall. I can even dry, dehydrate late fall. I can even dry, dehydrate and can some of what I harvest from nature and my homestead garden. The natural areas around my home have wild cherries, wild asparagus, wild carrots, dandelions, salad greens, fruit trees and many more edible nuts, vegetables and fruits. Nature is my diverse and ever-changing grocery store. I did that. I hope this inspires you to get outside and adventure alone with friends or the people you love most, and I hope you'll also check out some of our other podcasts on foraging, wildcrafting and making dandelion gummies.

Speaker 1: 5:11

Now back to the show where we're talking about a nutritional powerhouse supplements for mental wellness. Here's a breakdown of key vitamins and minerals that can support mental health, backed by research and real world experiences. Remember, always consult your healthcare provider before starting supplements. I'm a big proponent of supplements. I've been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and clinical depression. However, if you meet me in person and you can probably hear in my voice on my podcast I'm a happy, healthy, well-adjusted person, even though I have to manage my mental health, and I manage my mental health without any medications. Yes, I did use some medications for a while, as well as talk therapy and group therapy, but at this point in my life I don't need any of those things. But I do heavily rely on vitamins, minerals, supplements, great sleep, lots of water and living my best life outdoors.

Speaker 1: 6:20

So let's start with the B-complex vitamins. B-complex vitamins are known as the stress busters. B-complex vitamins include vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, b6, b7, b9, b12, and they're all vital for brain function. A 2019 study found higher B vitamin intake linked to lower depression and anxiety. You don't need to remember all of this or frantically write it down. You'll be able to download a free copy of this list of vitamins that you can take and discuss with your doctor. Take with you on a shopping spree to get these vitamins so you can take and discuss with your doctor. Take with you on a shopping spree to get these vitamins so you can just sit back and listen for now and find the down-deloadable link in the show description.

Speaker 1: 7:15

Niacinamide or B3 mimics, anti-anxiety medication and aids benzodiazepine withdrawal and aids benzodiazepine withdrawal. That's benzodiazepine withdrawal. You should note that niacin causes a harmless flush or temporary redness and heat sensation in your face and it reduces tension and promotes sleep, so it's very beneficial. Despite this minor inconvenience. You can find citations for my research in the show description to do your own research and remember you can also download this list from the show description.

Speaker 1: 7:51

The suggested dose of B vitamins is B1, 1.1 milligrams. B2, 1.1 milligrams. B3, 14 mg. B5 5 mg. B6 1.3 mg. B7 30 micrograms. B9 400 micrograms. B12 2.4 micrograms daily.

Speaker 1: 8:16

Vitamin C, called the anxiety antidote, is known for its antioxidant properties. It has acute anti-anxiety effects. Combined with B-complex, vitamin C reduces stress and boosts cognition Great for your brain health. The suggested dose is 5 mg daily. Vitamin D is not only a cancer preventative. It's known as the mood lifter. Higher vitamin D levels correlate with better moods and less depression. Higher doses of vitamin D may be needed for those with darker skin or in northern climates. My doctor recommended 5,000 international units, or IU, of D3 daily. And my winter blues vanished, says Seattle resident Jamal. I found the same in my own life, living here in the ice belt. The suggested dose is 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily or higher under medical supervision. My doctor prescribed 6,000 IU of vitamin D3 for me.

Speaker 1: 9:26

Omega-3 fatty acids is the brain boosters, rich in EPA and DHA. Omega-3 fish oil may ease stress-related symptoms by supporting brain health. The suggested dose is 1,500 mg of EPA and 500 milligrams of DAH daily. Gaba, or G-A-B-A, is the calming amino acid. Gaba, an amino acid, reduces central nervous system excitability mimicking bisodiazepines effects. For the suggested dose, consult a doctor or naturopath for personalized dosing.

Speaker 1: 10:07

Inositol is called the worry reducer. Inositol, a sugar-influencing mood-related hormone, benefits anxiety and OCD obsessive-compulsive disorder. The suggested dose is up to 12 grams daily, ideally in a smoothie. Next is L-theanine, the relaxation enhancer. L-theanine is found in green tea. It reduces acute stress, improves cognition and it's a powerful antioxidant that I drink unsweetened with my lunch and dinner. The suggested dose is 400 milligrams daily before or after meals.

Speaker 1: 10:46

Magnesium Not only is magnesium great for regulating your heart rhythm, magnesium is the cortisol controller. Magnesium regulates cortisol, the stress hormone, and supports GABA, aiding sleep and reducing anxiety. It's also great for your heart eating sleep and reducing anxiety. It's also great for your heart, since taking magnesium bisglyconate, I sleep better and feel calmer, says Priya, a nurse from Chicago. The suggested dose is 320 milligrams nightly. Next is 5-HTP, the serotonin booster. 5-htp enhances serotonin, improving mood. The suggested dose is 100 milligrams daily with food. After this break, we'll talk about other changes to make for improved mood and mental health.

Speaker 1: 11:35

World events are constantly teaching everyone some very painful lessons. Without warning, everything we take for granted can suddenly fail, and if you're not prepared in advance, you really don't have a chance. The fact is, the modern world runs on a just-in-time supply schedule. Even the biggest grocery stores can carry only enough food for a few days' worth of normal shopping. So when disaster strikes and chaos ensues at your local stores, the odds are simply against you. If you don't have emergency food and gear stockpiled in advance, you will probably suffer.

Speaker 1: 12:10

My partner, ready Hour, is here to help you ahead of time. Ready Hour has a long history of providing calorie-rich, reliable and delicious nourishment for life's unexpected situations, and critical emergency gear too. They're part of a family of companies that have served millions of people like you for decades. My family and I use Ready Hour products for camping, mountaineering and disaster preparedness for five years now. They're not just reliable, they're also your affordable option too. Long-term survival foods shouldn't break the bank. That's why they have great sales and payment options for you. It's your bridge to safety and survival when things just aren't normal anymore. So make your next decision, your smartest decision. Be ready for tomorrow. Today, trust Ready Hour. Ready to shop. Use my affiliate link in the show description.

Speaker 1: 13:04

Beyond anti-anxiety supplements, taking a holistic view on mental health, your environment shapes your mind. Avoiding triggers like stimulants, poor sleep or toxic relationships is crucial. Reframing your perspective and focusing on community and safety creates lasting change. Finding a supportive group to help me more than any pill, says Mark, a veteran from Texas. Build connections, prioritize sleep and discuss supplements with your doctor to craft a personalized plan.

Speaker 1: 13:36

Small changes have a significant anxiety suppression impact. Vitamins and minerals offer a natural path to better mental health, complementing or even replacing pharmaceuticals for some Like me. For instance, by addressing nutrition, lifestyle and community, you can take control of your anxiety and mood. So make sure that you're getting together with people, not just your family, but making friends or even just talking with strangers when you're out running errands, because it's important for humans to connect to other humans. It's also important to spend time outdoors. Being outdoors is so good for your mental health. You can take control of your anxiety and mood with what might seem like many changes, but there are a lot of small changes that are easily implementable. So let us know how you're doing. Share your journey in the comments.

Speaker 1: 14:39

Until next time, friends, I'm Antoinette Lee, your wellness warrior here at the New Normal Big Life podcast. I hope one day to see you on the river, in the back country or in the horse barn living your best life. So tag New Normal Big Life or nnblblog or nnblblog on social media so we can celebrate your good health and big life. You can find us on X If you're a visual learner. Coming soon, you can watch an informative and entertaining version of this video on YouTube, on the new normal big life channel, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Speaker 1: 15:12

Share this episode with someone who needs it. Comment on our posts and drop us a message or email. Nothing's specific or too personal when you have a health or adventure sports topic you want us to cover and support others in this community. Since 2012, the Health Ranger store has been answering your calls for a trustworthy, responsive and affordable source of health focused products, built from scratch, with its own US-based fulfillment center and dedicated in-house customer support. They've got you you covered, from nutritional supplements and superfoods to storable foods and preparedness gear. They offer competitive prices on top quality, lab tested items. I'm excited to partner with the health ranger store to bring you the purest, most reliable products out there. Ready to shop. Use my affiliate link to get started.