3 Simple Actions to Get Your Mojo Back

Unlike the usual winter-blues, 2020 has seriously eroded much of our mojo by this time of the year. Everyone is facing different challenges, and many of us are facing stresses beyond the norm. Depression, sleeplessness, fatigue, breakouts, these are all signs that your body is under more stress than normal.

Reclaiming your mojo isn’t as easy as flicking a switch, but with the right support, you can help your body find its balance and get things humming again.

Here is our survival guide with 3 really simple strategies to help you get your mojo back!

1.  Focus on consuming the right energy enhancing and mood boosting nutrients

There is a growing body of scientific evidence in recent years, that recognises nutritional deficiency as contributing to the underlying causes of mood disturbance. Low levels of vitamins or micronutrients can come as a result of eating a poor diet or not being able to absorb the vitamins you consume.

Higher levels of stress and the increased consumption of alcohol, which often become a crutch in stressful times, also deplete nutrients from your body.

So first things first, you are what you eat.  Not all ingredients are equal, and making smarter choices can help you regain your mojo even quicker! Keep reading to learn how to incorporate these essential nutrients in some super delicious and fun recipes!

Vitamin Bs

B vitamins play a role in producing the brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions. Many people ​do not realise that​ low levels of B vitamins, including Vitamin B5 may be linked to increased risk and incidence of depression^[1].  The B vitamins, which are essential for a range of important functions in the body, including converting the food you consume into energy for your mind and body and are essential for our skin, immune and nervous systems. They are water-soluble vitamins meaning they are not stored in the body, so we need to eat foods that contain them and/or take a nutritional supplement that has good levels of vitamin Bs.

If you are already taking ​skinB5™ vitamins​, you are getting plenty of Vitamin B5, B3, biotin and folate.

One positive out of this pandemic is that many of us are a lot more conscious about healthy eating and we’re also cooking more at home.  Make sure you pick foods that are naturally high in vitamin Bs, such as salmon, leafy green vegetables, eggs, red and white meats, oysters, clams and mussels, legumes, yoghurt.

If you are vegan, good sources of plant based Vitamin Bs are tempeh (fermented soya beans), peanuts and peanut butter, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans and pistachios, muesli, nutritional yeast, oatmeal or rolled oats, mushrooms, avocado, sunflower and sesame seeds, tahini (sesame seed paste), fortified breakfast cereals and wheat germ.  

Vitamin D

Many of us know that vitamin D is essential for the proper absorption of calcium in your body.  But did you know, studies have shown a link between vitamin D deficiency and depression – people with low vitamin D were at a much greater risk of depression.^[2]

The body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin when outdoors. During summer months, most people should be able to get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight. But during winter we generally don’t get enough vitamin D from sunlight.

Getting outdoors for a walk or even eating lunch in the park can make a big difference. However, it’s important to wear SPF 50+ sunscreens, hats and even long sleeves to help prevent the damaging effects of UV rays that lead to premature aging of the skin.

Sources of vitamin D from food include: oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel, red meat, liver, egg yolks, fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals.

Mushrooms are a high source of vitamin D and suitable for vegans, which is why we included this ingredient in our ​Superfood Booster​. Dietary supplements of vitamin D are also available, but be careful not to consume more than the recommended dosage. Because vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, it does build up in your body and too much can cause toxicity.

Spirulina

This blue-green algae is dubbed the ‘’most nutrient dense food on the planet’’ and is my go-to source of wholefood multivitamins, which is why you will find this ingredient in the ​skinB5™ superfood​.

Spirulina is a wonderful all-rounder as it has an excellent nutritional profile and offers a broad range of both macro and micro nutrients. This makes it an excellent dietary supplement for people on vegetarian or vegan diets.

Amongst the many health benefits,  spirulina helps strengthen immunity, balance blood sugar, improve muscle strength and exercise performance.

A research study in 2018 showed spirulina’s potential to help manage mental health^[3].   The theory is that spirulina is a source of tryptophan which is an amino acid that supports serotonin production, and serotonin plays an important role in mental health.

Probiotics 

As outlined in our recent ​blog post​, mental health, gut health, acne breakouts and many other health conditions are interrelated – so when your skin breaks out, your body is telling you there are imbalances to address.

Many studies recognise that the gut microbiome — the bacterial colonies that live within the intestines — are closely linked with the brain. Around 95% of the body’s serotonin is produced by gut bacteria and conversely, it’s been demonstrated that psychological stress can negatively impact microbiome activity.

Another reason I added gut health ingredients prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes in the ​skinB5™ superfood complex​ is to help improve absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients,  helping to boost mental and physical wellbeing.

Omegas

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are two omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil that are believed to have the most potential to help manage mental health because of their vital roles in healthy brain development and functioning.^[4]   Good sources of omega-3 are:

• Fish and other seafood (especially cold-water oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines)
• Nuts and seeds (such as flaxseed, chia seeds, both included in our​ superfood product)
• Plant oils (such as flaxseed oil, soybean oil, and canola oil) Fortified foods

You can take a high strength EPA & DHA supplement, but there are really simple ways to consume a variety of omegas from wholefood – checkout our recipe videos Super Skin Nourishing Guacamole​ and our recent ​Instagram Reels​ highlighting our

Healthy Chocolate Dessert with yoghurt, blueberries and walnuts all rich in omega-3.

Ginseng and Ashwagandha

Ginseng is a popular traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herb that has been used for thousands of years to boost energy and vitality, help fight fatigue, reduce ​stress​, and promote relaxation.

Ashwagandha herb is considered one of the most important herbs in the Ayurvedic medicine system, a healthcare practice that started in India over 3,000 years ago. Ashwagandha is commonly used to reduce stress and promote a calmer and happier sense of being.

Both of these herbs are ​adaptogens because of their unique ability to “adapt” their function according to the specific needs of the body. ​The ​skinB5™ superfood​ booster includes these herbs to help boost your mental wellbeing.

Collagen

Glowing, radiant skin needs collagen and essential skin health nutrients.

Collagen needs no introduction, but did you know its ​production in your body starts to decline at about ​age 25 ​and eventually this leads to loss of skin elasticity, dry skin and wrinkles​? Stress can cause wrinkles as well because high amounts of cortisol, the stress hormone, can break down the skin’s collagen and elastin.

Research has found that chronic stress can increase inflammation, causing skin aging and accelerating the formation of wrinkles.^[5]

Replenishing collagen and boosting collagen production in your body via food sources is the best strategy to provide ​elasticity to the skin.  That is why I designed the skinB5™ ​63-ingredient superfood complex​ to be a rich source of pro-collagen vitamins C & D, silica as well as bioavailable marine collagen.

2.  Explore your creativity daily

Humans are creative beings even though you may not immediately consider yourself so .  Throughout your day, even in isolation, you can create opportunities to express your creativity to keep your spirit and spark alive.

Here are some simple ideas to try:

• Make yourself a healthy ​superfood matcha latte​, garnish it with different ingredients such as cinnamon and rose petals, document your process in a series of well styled photos and videos and share it with your friends and family. I am sure they will be delighted to see your creations!
• Challenge yourself to cook something that you don’t normally make at home and experiment with ingredients. How about trying to get some mood, immunity and skin health boosting bliss balls?  Click ​here​ for our delicious recipe!
• Experiment with new trends, such as the edible face masks! Need some pointers? Check out our recent ​Instagram Reels​ where I showed you how I created my version of edible face mask with simple ingredients I found from my kitchen.
• Start a longer term project to channel your creative mind and make new connections. Volunteering, virtual social groups to support each other, workout groups, meditation groups, these are great ways to connect with others and work together towards a common goal. Yes, many of these groups are now meeting online and no matter where you live, they are accessible to you.

Involve your family and friends and have some shared fun to get creative together.

Can’t visit each other?  Do it via video call!  ​Dress up even for virtual meetings: put on a pair of fancy earrings, wear something bright, a favourite shirt or red lipstick. When you look good, you feel great!

3.  Get physical

We human beings create energy. I often find that when I feel tired or down, I get an energy boost when I start moving.  Find ways to move your body as much as you can.

• Use a stand up desk so you naturally move more.
• When doing housework, consciously engage your muscles.
• Park further away from the stores so you walk more and power walk with your core muscles activated when you do your shopping – keeping that trolley straight is great for that!
• Get in touch with nature and soothe your soul by going for a long walk in the forest or spend some time gardening outdoors.
• Put on your favourite music playlist and dance!

Just like water that doesn’t circulate tends to become stagnant, lack of movement can make you feel sluggish and depleted. Finding ways to incorporate more incidental movement into your day can help you kick that feeling.

Eating well, moving more and sharing your joy is at the heart of better mental health. Putting even just one of these tips into action each day will help you on your quest to get your mojo back.

So don’t wait, pick one action to do today and share your journey with us on social @skinb5

Footnotes:

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770181/#B9-nutrients-11-02232

[2]  https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/vitamin-d-deficiency-a%20nd-depression-in-adults-systematic-review-and-metaanalysis/F4E7DFBE5A7B99C9E6430AF4722868%2060

[3] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326293829_Spirulina_as_a_main_source_of_tryptophan_for

_mental_illness_Improving_level_of_serotonin_through_tryptophan_supplementation

[4] ​https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/omega-3-fatty-acids-for-mood-disorders-2018080314414

[5] ​https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4082169/