Optimal Catecholamine levels mean you are focused, energetic, have drive and enthusiasm for life. You do not experience cravings for “uppers”. The catecholamines are Dopamine, Adrenaline and Noradrenaline. Think of the Cats as the “Spark of Life”!
If you want to be able to focus, complete a task, wake up with optimism, and feel “on top of it”, you will definitely want to try L-Tyrosine. With this amino acid, you really should start at 250 mg, because some people are really sensitive. (If you are normally sensitive to meds or supplements, be sure to start super low!). Tyrosine was my “a-ha” moment of change - suddenly the trees were greener, the sky was bluer; life was in full color! Do not take it after 2pm as it is stimulating and may interfere with sleep! Precautions are to be careful if you are prone to migraines, have thyroid issues or high blood pressure. Lastly, I have found in practice that my alcohol addicted clients need 2-10x MORE than other people that have the same symptoms. That means you may need to take up to 3000 mg PER DOSE and take that 2x a day!
You will need to have adequate levels of zinc and B6, two very important cofactors to convert amino acids to neurotransmitters. You can also get these nutrients by eating lots of leafy greens and animal protein (salmon, tuna, poultry) for B6, and oysters, red meat and pumpkin seeds, almonds and cashews for Zinc.
My protein-packed breakfast recipes!
