Some of us never manage to fulfil our potential, while others refuse to even consider the possibility. Why? Personality, you might say. Yet our feelings and even the colour of our thoughts – everything that shapes our choices in life – are governed by the ‘nerve chemicals’ (neurotransmitters) that govern our brain. The good news is that these bio-chemicals are made from food and they can be fine-tuned for greater happiness and satisfaction.
You could talk about chronic fatigue or even depression, but a ‘failure’ mentality still comes down to a bio-chemical imbalance. When the body is producing enough of the neurotransmitter serotonin, for example, you feel calm and unbothered, and you sleep well (see What price Serenity, page 11). Feeling eager to meet the challenges of the day, on the other hand, calls for a neurotransmitter called dopamine.
A lack of dopamine in your system can lead to apathy, ‘stress exhaustion’, reduced sex drive and depression.So it is dopamine that gives us the drive and motivation to achieve. If we have enthusiasm, then we have dopamine in our veins. The body also converts dopamine into noradrenaline in the early hours of the morning - the neurotransmitter that makes us feel happy and energised.

Overall performance is improved too. The effects of the amino acid tyrosine were studied on a group of 21 cadets on a demanding military training course. Ten were given a daily protein rich drink containing 2 grams of tyrosine, and eleven were given a carbohydrate rich drink with the same amount of calories. They were tested before the course and on the sixth day. The group given the tyrosine drink performed better on a memory and tracking task than the carbohydrate drink group. The researchers concluded that tyrosine reduces the effects of stress and fatigue on cognitive task performance.

WEIGHT LOSS BONUS
Increasing your tyrosine intake will also optimise your metabolism, because tyrosine is a precursor of thyroxin, the hormone that regulates the rate at which you burn energy. When thyroxin is low, you ‘metabolise’ slowly, feel tired and tend to gain weight.

ALCOHOL CONNECTION
Researchers suspect that some people have inherited a gene that makes them less responsive to dopamine, making them more prone to depression. People who are low in dopamine often crave or indulge in sugar, stimulants, drugs and alcohol, because all these stimulate dopamine release in the brain. High-risk takers, whether in business, sport or extreme adventure, may also be attempting to hike their dopamine levels. Supplementing with the amino acid tyrosine can help recovery from drug and alcohol abuse, and may help high-risk takers adopt a safer and more effective way to achieve their longer term goals.

CAN I TAKE SERENE AS WELL?
The answer is yes, these two make ideal partners. Take Serene before bed for a deep sleep and daytime serenity. Then take Achieve! the next morning to pick you up and keep you motivated throughout the day. One customer, who has been taking both supplements, wrote ‘I feel bio-chemically normal for the first time in my life!’

©Healthright

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