The Mind's Reaction to Substances

The human mind and body seem to be designed to be able to adapt very well to the effects of various substances that have effects on them. For example, when someone has been using amphetamines for a consistent period of time(3 or more days in a row), the effects of the drug will inevitably become severely diminished after a certain period of time. This concept is known as 'tolerance', and the fact that it happens is undeniable.

Preventing Tolerance to Substances:

Although we know that tolerance does indeed occur, we do not yet know exactly why it occurs, and if there are any ways we can prevent it. Though there are a few respected theories on why it occurs. When it comes to drugs that affect the mind such as amphetamines, the extended use of these drugs causes the brain to overproduce the neurotransmitters such as
dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. A common theory is that since we need these neurotransmitters to function, the brain is designed to recognize an imbalance, and correct it by releasing less of these neurotransmitters to protect the brain.










It's almost as if we as humans were designed so perfectly that it's nearly impossible to manipulate certain functions of our mind and body through the long-term use of drugs. It seems that our body and mind are designed to balance out any interruptions in the normal balance that it encounters. Because of this, drugs are essentially designed to trick our minds into functioning in a certain way.

It seems that our minds do not react as drastically when it comes to substances that come directly from nature, and aren't made inside a laboratory. If you look at natural plant-based substances such as kava root, this substance seems to maintain its effects even after consistent use. The effects of kava may be slightly diminished, but not nearly as much as the effects of long-term amphetamine use. This topic is something that is widely avoided in the medicine industry in the west. However, I do think that as time goes on, we will start to embrace the benefits of natural remedies more.

Effective Supplements vs Ineffective Supplements

It seems like everyone takes some type of supplement these days. Whether it's a green tea extract that supposedly helps burn fat off effortlessly or just your typical multi-vitamin that is becoming oh-so-common. This brings us to the important question that everyone would like to know, do supplements actually work as good as the manufacturers say they do, and better yet, do they even work at all?

As most of you reading this have probably already realized the amount of bro-science in the health industry is just insane. This is especially true when it comes to supplements and herbs. One person says this supplement is good, another says it's horrible and stay away from it. This can lead us to be extremely confused and unsure about whether or not we should even bother with supplements, to begin with. I mean, after all, they aren't even regulated like our food is. I'm gonna share with you 3 strong principles to use when considering what supplements you should consider buying.

1) Stay away from Really Cheap Products:  I know, buying those super cheap supplements as opposed to the ones with the higher price tags can be so tempting. In theory, this sounds like a good idea, but buying cheap supplements is similar to playing a hand of blackjack. Sometimes you may get lucky and the product was well made, but many other times the product turns out to be complete crap. Good supplements generally are not super inexpensive. A lot goes into making a good product, and this applies to pretty much everything. Many companies have been known to even sell supplements that are completely different from what they say on the bottle. Like I said, this business has very little regulation, so if a company wants to rip you off they will do exactly that.

2) Don't take too many Supplements at once: Taking too many supplements at once can actually cause you more harm than good. Certain supplements do not interact well with others, and sometimes this can lead to unwanted side-effects such as stomach cramps, headaches etc. Figure out exactly which supplements that you feel you need, and stick to those for a while and then you can eventually decide if you think they're working before trying different things.

3) Be Honest about the Effects: If others are claiming to have posotive effects from a product that you seem to be getting nothing out of, do not just keep buying the same product. Certain people's bodys lack certain things, and some supplements will work great for some, while not work at all for others. Try to be honest about the products effects especially when it comes to products to have known and documented effects that cannon be mistaken. For instance, supplements such as kava have documented and noticeable effects. If you were to take a kava supplement and notice absolutely no effects, then chances are the product is cheaply made and doesn't work period for anyone, not just you.

Hopefully this will give you some stronger confidence when choosing which supplements to put into your body. Just remember that anything you put into your body can potentially be harmful to you, and just because someone says something is healthy for you, that doesn't mean it actually is.