Are you keen to lower your coffee intake? Consumed by brain fog? Struggling to get to the gym? Or feeling jittery due to too much caffeine? If the answer to any of these is yes, it might be time to check out nootropics. A buzzword in the wellness world right now, nootropics are said to help stimulate you, encourage focus and aid brain health without any of the nasties caffeinated or sugary drinks come with. Intrigued? Read on to find out all about the game changing drink and coffee alternative that might make you ditch your daily cup of joe.
I haven’t had a coffee in about seven years now, bar a rogue espresso martini on a hen do in 2018, but we’ll let that one slide. Do I feel better for it? 100% Do I miss it? Of course. But after years of tummy upsets, brain fog and a minor, but nevertheless consistent, level of anxiety post-caffeine hit, it was time to hang up my flat whites for good.
I’ve never really found an alternative to fill the coffee gap, so when I was asked to trial Mind by Indi, a new supplement made up of 10 of the world’s most potent brain boosting foods, that promises to give you instant clarity, mental energy and focus without all the downsides of coffee, I couldn’t see a reason not to.
To be honest, I was skeptical. It was all sounding a little bit Limitless with Bradley Cooper and my knowledge of supplements was that nothing is instant, you need to be consistent and take daily doses for at least six weeks to see results. Not with Mind. After my first serving I genuinely felt a bit of a buzz. Not in an icky, wired kind of coffee way, but I definitely had more focus, I felt like I could hone in on more complicated tasks and had more mental energy during the afternoon slump.
For most, coffee (in moderation) is fine. It’s a lovely way to start the day with a morning ritual, a stop at your local cafe before work or a weekend catch up with friends, but if you feel like you’re drinking too much of it or reaching for it too late in the day, Mind is genuinely something that can fill that gap.
That’s all down to the quality list of ingredients Indi has been developed with. There’s bacopa monnieri and rhodiola rosea which are rich in adaptogens and can improve performance under stress – a game changer when you work to tight deadlines. Two, far more familiar ingredients – beetroot and cocoa – are both nitrate-rich to boost brain blood flow; and then there’s haskap berry which boasts anthocyanins known to improve memory. Lion’s mane, a real trend in the wellness realm right now, is derived from mushrooms and is bursting with brain benefiting goodness – it’s said to protect against dementia and reduce mild symptoms of anxiety and depression too. And finally, Mind contains 80mg of slow release caffeine from the guarana plant and is the real game changer. Due to tannins in the superfood plant, the caffeine is released far slower, meaning it won’t spike your sugar levels, make you feel that horrible wired feeling and won’t disrupt your sleep, even if you drink it in the afternoon.
So what was my verdict? I honestly cannot rate Indi’s Mind supplement enough. I literally felt the effect within 10 minutes of drinking it and I definitely felt all of the benefits the nootropic promises – focus, energy and mental clarity. It doesn’t last all day but I’ve introduced it into my daily routine, especially if I have a really important task I need to crack on with, are finding it hard to focus on something more mentally taxing, or simply if I’ve had a rough night with a sleep-thieving toddler. It’s also great for prompting workouts. I do short, virtual workouts from home to work around my mum/work/life schedule and whilst I never regret a workout after doing it, getting started is often the hardest part. Mind definitely made me feel a bit more pumped up and gave me that necessary can-do “let’s get this done” attitude.
It’s also super easy to prepare – you literally add a scoop of powder into a juice, smoothie or a milk alternative. It’s totally palatable, nice even and I’ve tried my fair share of soluble supplements, from gloopy collagens to yeasty probiotics and this is by far one of the best I’ve tried. I’ve taken to simply adding to coconut milk as the power already has a kind of chocolate milkshake taste with a hit of zingy raspberry. Plus, you only have to drink 200ml for it to kick in.
Price: £45
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON INDI’S MIND SUPPLEMENT OR TO SHOP YOUR FIRST BOX, VISIT WWW.INDISUPPLEMENTS.COM
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By The Handbook
You only have to drink 200ml for it to kick in.
