GABA background - part 1

When I first discovered GABA, I felt like I had struck gold.
Within 20 minutes of that first capsule, my brain was no longer winding itself up, trying to anxiously focus on absolutely everything. 

Of course, I immediately went online and bought numerous bottles of all different variations of GABA supplements. 
I noticed something even more amazing - when I combined it with a coffee, I was a MACHINE!
I had incredible focus and mental energy for hours.

Then some pretty intense troubles hit my life and I was dreading walking through them. I'm not going to pretend GABA was a miracle fix-all, but it sure did help me get through the worst of it without losing too much sleep.
I also noticed I didn't have the shutdown I had become so accustomed to when anticipating the hurdles I would soon be facing.

As far as supplements went, GABA became my lifeline.

I kept it in my purse, in my car, I had a bottle in my kitchen, one beside my bed...it was a lot ? I started having people ask me for help with their stressful situations and I just blindly told them to take GABA. No matter the problem - take it! Cos it's a miracle cure, right? ?‍♀️
But others' feedback wasn't quite as glowing as my own had been (and I learnt a lesson in the process).
People were reporting feeling too tired (something I'd never experienced even at fairly high doses), some said it made them feel angry, some said it just didn't do more than take the edge off. 

Hmmm. So, I used a few guinea pigs and had them try various options to determine a better fit for different needs.  I eventually came up with multiple different products that targeted various preferences.

There was my new favourite Cortisol Defense. I'd take 2 at night and it would put me to sleep and help me stay asleep without waking up in full on panic mode. Once nights were taken care of, I found I needed significantly less support during the day.
Natural Calm, designed for a friend who wanted something no-fuss and who didn't want to wait 30-60 minutes for it to kick in. The blend gives a rapid sense of calm and helps support steady relaxation throughout the day. If you appreciate tinctures as they are - potent and gross-tasting - more power to you! I'll add them to some OJ and they're fine. But I am considering making this one into a syrup so there's a more palatable option! Let me know if that's something you'd be interested in. And then Laurie's Joy that was for another friend who simply couldn't tolerate any amount of GABA but wanted a happy pick-me-up, not a calming blend.

This formulation works differently from GABA supplements by gently supporting mood and energy through adaptogenic and uplifting herbs, helping clear the fog and bring a brighter, more positive outlook throughout the day without any sedative or heavy calming effect.
It tends to build over time with daily use, rather than giving an immediate effect, with the biggest shift often coming after a couple of months of daily use.

These were not the only options I came up with. There are several more on the site (check out the collection) and there are some I've just not released yet, but they've had some great reviews! These three seemed to be pretty good at addressing the needs for the majority of folk.