NOOTROPICS “Smart Drugs” are drugs, supplements, and other substances that may improve cognitive function, particularly executive functions, memory, creativity, or motivation, in healthy individuals.
I have been wanting to experiment with Nootropics "Smart Drugs" for years but have been very hesitant, I had images of the movie limitless where the main actors rise to the best versions of themselves but equally spiral down. So I have been waiting patiently on the sidelines listening in on the conversation among the bio-hacking community. Most notably Dave Asprey is extremely public about the various types of nootropics, which he has experimented with for over a decade and even sold Ciltep, a natural nootropic made by Natural Stacks on the Bulletproof store for years. This is no longer the case since Bulletproof brought to market their own selection of cognitive enhancers including Smart Mode and Forbose (which I have not tried yet), which combined contain the key active ingredients in Ciltep, Forskolin and artichoke extract. You can still find one blog on the Bulletproof website which references Ciltep dating back to November 2014, listing Ciltep as no. 10 on the “The Biohacker’s Holiday Gift Guide” under the "for Advanced Biohacker" section. I knew if I was ever going to dive in, my gateway would be Ciltep given its endorsement for years by Dave Asprey and Tim Ferris both of whom I follow pretty closely, comments from fellow biohackers and overall integrity of the reputation of Natural Stacks. AND I really could not see myself going straight for a nootropic requiring a doctor’s prescription as is the case with Modafinal.
On my stop over in Miami from South America earlier this year, I decided to finally take the leap and find out for myself what all the fuss was about. The Miami stopover is usually when I also do some Intermittent Fasting and the combo worked out well as its recommended to take Ciltep on an empty stomach and the effects are definitely enhanced if you follow it up with a Bulletproof Coffee. The instructions read take 1 to 3 tablets on an empty stomach. On a Monday morning I decided to take the minimum dose of 1 capsule and followed it up with my bulletproof coffee. With my “on-going”to do list in front of me, which included a travel blog I had promised a friend I would write over a year ago! You know the ‘to do’that slips to the bottom of the list and you never seem to get around to it. I waited intently for something to happen but nothing. 15, 20, 30 minutes went by and I didn't feel any different. After the 30-minute mark something remarkable happened, it was as if someone had turned the lights on in my brain. I heard Dave Asprey say these same words to describe the experience on many Bulletproof Radio episodes but here I was experiencing it for myself. Clarity and focus unlike anything I had ever experienced before combined with an intrinsic motivation that was ready to tackle anything even the ‘to do’which had been sitting on my list for over 1 year. What a ride. I got more done that day then I would have normally gotten done in an average productive week but I was also more creative and solutions (Yes, abundance of ideas) to various problems just flowed to me. That night I slept like a baby. Its important to note I simultaneously supplemented with Natural Stacks’ Antarctic Krill Oil for Omega-3 to support healthy brain function and memory and support the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response. AND Natural Stack’s Curcumin the active ingredient in Turmeric known to activate the genes that turn on BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) a kind of Miracle-Gro for the brain propelling growth of new neurons. This was in addition to my usual baseline supplements stack of Vitamin D, C, B-Complex and Magnesium. The next day I tried it again 1 capsule on an empty stomach followed by a Bulletproof Coffee and off I went into a state of flow and creativity. By the end of this day though I began to feel totally exhausted. It was as if my brain was on overdrive. So I decided to hold off for a bit. Interesting I still felt its affects for the rest of the week. Such as my ability to communicate was more fluid and archived vocabulary words began to roll off of my tongue unexpectedly. This really impressed me. It felt as if I had now entered into a new dimension of higher cognition in my brain, of which there was no turning back from. By Sunday though I began to feel the effects of my ‘usual’normal. Things such as slight hesitation and delay in search of the right vocabulary word, walking into a room and stopping in my tracks trying to remember why I had gone there in the first place and easily distracted while engaged in an activity. This reminded of how Dave Asprey described his experience of not noticing so much when on smart drugs as much as noticing the difference when he was not on them. The bar had been raised indeed, after a taste of higher cognition I certainly wondered why in the world I would ever settle for anything less again. Well, there are some drawbacks to watch out for. For starters you need to get your restorative rest (non-negotiable) or you’ll spiral out of balance very quickly into a wired but tired state. Keep the dose in check remembering that less is more. Its now been 4 months since I first tried Ciltep and while I immediately wanted to put ink to paper about this awakening I needed this time to truly get acquainted with it before sharing my findings. I tried various scenarios playing with the dose, frequency, time of day of when I took it and whether it was after a meal or on an empty stomach and whether I followed it up with a Bulletproof Coffee. I’m 5'4 and weighing in at aprox. 49 Kilos and after 4 months of experimenting with Ciltep , I found that 1 Ciltep first thing Monday morning on an empty stomach followed by a Bulletproof Coffee was the magic formula for me. On one Ciltep, I could kick-start my week and ride the productivity wave into a relaxed weekend. This also kept the tension in my jaw and neck at bay, which I often found when I increased the dose to more than 2 Cilteps per week. What also became very clear, very quickly was that Ciltep is something you upgrade to once you’ve already achieved all that is possible with THE BASICS such as:
- Quality SLEEP
- Clean Nutrient Dense Nutrition (Like The Bulletproof Diet)
- Minimize Toxins exposure including Sugar & Alcohol
- Baseline Supplementing (Vitamin C, D, B Complex and Magnesium)
- Bulletproof Coffee (This was the first cognitive awakening for me)
- Engaged in some sort of Meditation practice
Without covering the above basics, Ciltep might take you off balance rather than give you the SUSTAINABLE edge you’re looking for. Most importantly listen to your body and figure out the perfect formula that works for YOU! I also highly recommend teaming Ciltep with Natural Stacks’ Antarctic Krill Oil and Curcumin to provide extra support for your brain. If you are looking to master THE BASICS and get yourself back to THRIVING rather than just SURVIVING, you can book me NOW for Individually tailored PERFORMANCE COACHING. I'm a Natural Stacks affiliate and you can use MSPETIT promo code for 15% off everything on their website and they have a lot of goodies!!!
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