ARE YOU EXPERIENCING THE “BLUES”?
NOT FEELING YOURSELF THESE DAYS?
Much like the weather, our emotional outlook varies widely and can change over time. Yet, just as we can look out the window to see if it’s sunny or raining, most of the time we can “peek” at our internal state and know whether we’re feeling normal, healthy optimism or experiencing the “blues.”
What constitutes a good mood? While everyone enjoys different things, most people would agree that being in a normal, happy mood means you feel:
Calm
Relaxed
In control of life
Able to make decisions
Able to cope with whatever people and events come your way
Interested in life
Productive
Connected with friends and family
Generally optimistic about the present and the future
Philosophers and scientists throughout the ages have often believed that the seat of human emotion was the heart — that’s why it’s the symbol for love and affection. But today, science continues to confirm that our emotions are controlled by the brain. More specifically, by the complex interaction of chemicals in the brain known as neurotransmitters. The neurons, or nerve cells, in our brain don’t physically connect; they are separated by gaps called synapses, across which electrical impulses are carried by chemical “messengers” called neurotransmitters. Without these crucial brain chemicals, the brain would not be able to process information or send instructions to the rest of the body. There are hundreds of known neurotransmitters, most of which carry messages that convey facts about the outside world — sounds, light, sensations, etc. — and translate them into useful information that can dictate actions. For example: “The water is hot; pull your hand away quickly!”
Researchers now understand that certain neurotransmitters actually appear to assign emotional tone to external reality. In other words, while “fact-based” neurotransmitters allow you to see the level of water in a glass, special neurotransmitters — one of which may be a chemical called serotonin — help determine whether you will see the glass as half empty or half full.
Neurotransmitters are manufactured in nerve cells and transported to nerve endings throughout the brain, spinal cord, and all parts of the nervous system. Current research suggests that serotonin acts like a kind of “team leader” for a wide range of neurotransmitters that participate in the complicated “relay race” of sending messages throughout the brain and body. Not surprisingly, when there is insufficient serotonin to successfully “pass the baton,” a wide range of mental and emotional systems are affected.
Challenges to Emotional Equilibrium
Common sense tells us that a lot of the curve balls life throws our way can temporarily give us the blues. Studies show that these events can include:
Relationship problems
Unemployment, financial difficulties
Job-related stress
Retirement
Childbirth
Stressful events or life situations
Most people feel blue from time to time and assume it is a natural reaction to their life circumstances. But sometimes there isn’t any apparent cause for a sad mood. And sometimes the unhappiness creates a negative mental outlook or melancholy that may be marked by:
Fatigue
Tearfulness
A lack of drive and motivation
Loneliness
Self-doubt, feeling unworthy
Changes in weight or appetite
Forgetfulness
Loss of interest in things that normally bring pleasure
Bursts of anger or impatience
Fearing that physical aches or pains may indicateserious illness
Statistically speaking, a great many people in the United States may be affected by bouts of the “blues” that compromise their quality of life:
One in five women and one in 10 men experience bouts of melancholy during their lifetime.
Job–stress–related melancholy accounts for close to $12 billion in lost work days and an estimated $11 billion in other costs associated with decreased productivity.
Optimizing Mental Outlook
Exercise. There is evidence that repetitive physical activity stimulates the release of certain neurotransmitters, which can improve mood. Even if you don’t experience the “runner’s high” that often accompanies strenuous exercise, research continues to confirm that regular exercise is good for both your body and your mind. The exhaustion felt during “the blues” is more mental than physical; exercise stimulates the brain and brightens the emotional landscape.Lighten Your Load. Take a good look at how many “hats” you’re wearing and how many demands you’re trying to meet. Overwork and over-commitment, especially when prolonged, can trigger a vicious cycle of non-productivity and ever-increasing hours.
Relaxation is a skill that may have to be learned so you can give your body and mind some “downtime” to rest and renew.
Stay Connected. Establish and maintain regular social contact with friends, neighbors, coworkers, and support groups. Feeling alone makes any challenge seem bigger — reaching out can help you put your worries in perspective.
Nutritional Support. By providing the nutritional “building blocks” for proper neural transmission, a normal, healthy emotional “balance” can be nutritionally supported.
What Is MoodLift Complex*?
The primary ingredient in MoodLift Complex* is St. John’s Wort, and Shaklee uses only the highestquality extract of this herb. It is standardized to 0.3% hypericin, which guarantees that just one serving a day provides 900 mg of St. John’s Wort delivering 2.7 mg hypericin, which is the key phytochemical compound of the whole herb. This assures you of getting a consistent amount of hypericin, regardless of crop variations due to fluctuations in soil, sun, and environmental elements. In numerous quality studies of St. John’s Wort, positive results were seen with daily servings or intakes of hypericin ranging from 0.2 milligrams to 3 milligrams. The 2.7 milligram of hypericin in each recommended daily serving of MoodLift Complex* is safely within this range.
St. John’s Wort has been called the most well-researchedherb in the world and has a 2,400-year history of safe use as a traditional remedy for melancholy.*
St. John’s Wort (“wort” is Old English for plant), was named for St. John the Baptist, probably because the shrubby weedlike plant blooms around June 24, which is celebrated as the saint’s birthday.
In Germany, where St. John’s Wort is the number one herbal preparation chosen by people to maintain a positive mental outlook, dozens of recent clinical studies have confirmed its folkloric and traditional benefits. In addition to a long history of use, this research supports claims for the herb’s effectiveness in providing nutritional support for a positive mental outlook.* Throughout the world, St. John’s Wort is highly respected and widely used. Like all plants, St. John’s Wort contains a wide variety of compounds, some of which are believed to be unique in the plant kingdom. The gentle, positive effect on mood achieved with St. John’s Wort may be due to the combined action of these compounds on a number of mood-enhancing neurotransmitters.
NOTE: Farm animals eating large quantities of St. John’s Wort have experienced heightened sensitivity to sunlight. There is no scientific evidence to suggest risk of photosensitivity in humans.
Complementing the activity of St. John’s Wort in MoodLift Complex* is inositol. Inositol serves as a key building block for the phosphatidyl-inositol cycle, a “second messenger” system that picks up the nerve signal from various neurotransmitters, including serotonin, and allows for their proper transmission.*
Inositol, which is a normal constituent of the diet, has been reported in scientific studies to be markedly low in people experiencing periods of melancholy. The combined activities of St. John’s Wort and inositol offer a natural, safe, and unique way of providing dietary support for proper transmission of nerve signals and a positive mental outlook.*
MoodLift Complex* also contains: Eleutherococcus senticosus (formerly known as Ginseng). A shrub that grows widely in Russia, the root is traditionally used as a tonic for invigoration and fortification in times of fatigue or declining capacity for work and concentration.*
Complementing the activity of St. John’s Wort, Eleutherococcus senticosus is known as an “adaptogen,” aiding the body in responding to environmental stress.*Green oat extract. While oats have long been cultivated as an exceptionally nourishing, wholesome food, traditionally the green tops of the plant have been dried and used to provide nutritional support for a sense of well-being.*• No artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors, or preservatives added
Caffeine free
Vegetarian formula
How Does MoodLift Complex* Work?
The unique combination of ingredients in MoodLift Complex provides gentle, natural dietary support for the body’s natural ability to maintain emotional equilibrium.*
Clinical research shows that St. John’s Wort provides dietary support for a positive mental outlook after four to six weeks of use.* Inositol complements the activity of St. John’s Wort and has been proven to play a role in the proper transmission of nerve signals.*
Choose Shaklee for Safety, Quality, and Science
Combines time-tested herbal ingredients with advanced Shaklee science and technology.
Conducts 130,000 individual analytical and microbiological tests annually so you are assured of the integrity of our herbal products.
Performs more than 250 proprietary tests, beyond the industry norms. Test methods developed by Shaklee scientists have become industry standards.
Processes 1.4 million pounds of raw herbal ingredients a year, meticulously tested for quality, potency, and stability.
Offers you the benefit of over 4,730,000 man-hours of experience in our sophisticated Norman, Oklahoma,
manufacturing facility alone.
*THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE,TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.
This information was obtained for Shaklee Corporation’s Moodlift Product Brief.
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