(Un-)Becoming Who You Are? Self-optimisation Kiwi-style.

In an age of self-optimisation and an endless strain to get out of one’s own way, supplements that promise to improve your mood, creativity, memory and cognitive ability not unlike the nootropic NZT-48 in The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn are ubiquitious and proffered everywhere. 

In most jurisdictions, nootropics are classified as as dietary supplements, which allows grey areas for  manufacturers’ statements about benefits often being vague and/or supported by less-than-compelling scientific evidence as they do not require double-blind, placebo-controlled, pharmaceutical-style human studies before going to market.

The upside is that one does not need a prescription to acquire them and knowing quite a few people who swear by the mind stimulating, blood flow increasing and adrenalin raising effects of some nootropics, I delved deeper into the matter.

Intrigued by the hype, I set out to try some nootropics to see if there was something worthwhile to join my beloved coffee as a performance- and cognitive enhancing and energy boosting drug, knowing well that many nootropics are supposed to take time to build up in the body before one can actually feel their impact , the fact that they of course do not make one more intelligent as well as other contributing individual factors, e.g. how demanding the task at hand is and the susceptibility of human nature to placebo effects.

Ārepa is a 100% natural and caffeine-free nootropic from New Zealand, the primary benefits of which are to result in promoting mental clarity and calm, the improvement of focus under mental fatigue and the support of normal neurological function along with supporting physical performance / recovery and supplying a full-serve of vitamin C.

Ingredients-wise, Ārepa focusses on drawing benefits from the natural side of things, i.e. the antioxidant and polyphenol qualities of Blackcurrants; amino-acids like L-theanine, which is found in green tea and lauded for its stress and anxiety reducing qualities while avoiding drowsiness, and an idiosyncratic ingredient that pays homage to Ārepa’s home country:  Extracted from the bark of New Zealand grown pine trees, the broad-spectrum polyphenol Enzogenol meant to support and enhance cognitive functions.

Ārepa Performance comes in liquid (300ml) as well as in powder form, both of which are devoid of sugar, caffeine or other nasties and flavour-wise, I find it to be quite an enjoyable potion due to the tart flavour courtesy of the pectin and acid of the Blackcurrant. 

Now, what are the effects?

I found it interesting that the effects are not dissimilar from what I would gain from an efficient energy drink in terms of experiencing a jolt 20-30 minutes after ingestion with the benefits that it feels like a more sustained and slowly building mental clarify, which the added benefit that there are neither sugar crashes, energy slumps nor caffeine withdrawal.

With a natural range that provides products not merely for one-off consumption to assist with a key moment, but also daily consumption to assist with a deeper lying cognitive concern, paired with a rather moderate price compared to other nootropics, Ārepa is worth checking out when you are looking for a natural pick-me up, especially if you harbour a preference for slightly astringent berry flavours.

Let’s stay in New Zealand, shan’t we?

No Ugly is the telling and metaphorical name of another Kiwi brand, whose credo is based on opposing the endlessly tiresome competitive mentality of our day and age along with its dismal implications, i.e. ugly, non-ethical practises and ugly, non-nourishing ingredients finding their way into our food.

In essence, No Ugly offers health and wellness tonics that are filled to the brim with antioxidents like a New Zealand-native pine bark extract, vitamins, proteins, electrolytes and minerals.   

Vegan and low sugar in nature, No Ugly is the brainchild of creative heads who emerged in the world of advertising and who eventually saw the ligh, i.e. became aware of the importance of good nutrition and overall wellness as a concept to explore the creation of a brand that was the equivalent of a clarion call for people ready to wage a war on all things ugly and appreciated products with substance and purpose.

So far, so good, but does it work?

A tangible benefit is that each bottle of No Ugly is a good source of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins B1/B2/B3/B5/B6/B12, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Given the aforementioned, I find that especially after long and big nights,  it aids in the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and electrolyte balance. 

No Ugly comes in different variants, named after their purpose and focus ranging from telling names like collagen-ladden “Skin”, nap-inducing “Sleep”, green-coffee extract and L-theanine stacked “Focus”, probiotics centered “Gut” and one zeroing in on enhacing to evicting all nasties that do not pay rent, i.e. “Detox”.

What I like about No Ugly is that it ranges at the affordable end of the spectrum and aspires to be a visionary brand with a higher purpose as apart from well-being, focus is set on sustainability, a recycling program and care about the environment.

While it would be quite a task to keep the whole range on one’s disposal, picking up a No Ugly depending on what I am trying to accomplish has become a trusted go-to.

---

images from company websites