Wow, this thread became really active in the past 24 hours!
@mangoa: It's interesting you didn't notice anything. But then again I was probably deficient because of my own past diet and daily, moderate alcohol intake (along with coworkers who eat greasy, fried food on a regular basis), and my very high sensitivity to chemicals. I guess everybody is different, and the body/brain are indeed complex. I've only taken alpha-lipoic acid before in supplement form because it was a component of the acetyl-l-carnitine capsules I was taking (ALCAR). I never tried taking it by itself to discern the individual effects. But the capsules were highly acidic (at the time I thought it was from the carnitine, and not the other ingredient which had the word "acid" in it, haha). BTW what is roobios tea? Is it a GABAergic similar to chamomile?
@Chris: I think you nailed it with the caffeine-induced anxiety after stopping. Luckily it's mild, and I'm glad to hear you're back to pre-ASH levels. As far as butter, I've been eating something called Earth Balance, which is supposedly a natural butter substitute (oil blend of palm fruit, canola, safflower, flax and olive oils, water, less than 2% salt, pea protein, sunflower lecithin, non-dairly lactic acid and naturally extracted annatto for color) which is non-GMO, vegan, no trans fat, gluten free and non-dairy. It also contains 400 mg of ALA Omega-3. It seems to be helping overall with mood, and I put it on a lot of things. Otherwise I use olive oil as a butter substitute. As far as gluten is concerned, I try to limit to as much as I can, but from my understanding not all grains are bad, and whole wheat (non processed) can extend your life. You can also buy gluten-free bread, but I think whole grains are not going to be detrimental to your health.
For serotonin I plan to continue exercising, going for AM walks in the sunshine, eating black beans followed by brown rice, drinking milk for lactalbumin, and so on. It seems I don't have a need for lysine at this moment, though I plan to buy some so I can have it on hand to experiment with next time my levels dip substantially. It seems my diet is working well for keeping serotonin at good levels. For dopamine I take B9 and/or l-theanine when needed, and cherry tomatoes (I still don't know why they have such an effect, but for me it's definitely not placebo). For GABA I take theanine (going to start glutamine soon too, since it's also a GABA prescursor and helps build muscle), anxiolytic herbs like chamomile, lemon balm, etc., and may soon be trying gotu kola, though I'm still not sure if it's a GABA agonist or an herb that naturally increases GABA concentration in the brain.
In truth, the dietary changes I've made (incorporating fruits and vegetables and eating foods to address false moods and boost certain neurotransmitters), the use of l-theanine and other amino acids as needed and drinking calming teas once a week, along with exercise, has really made a profound difference on my life. I think I've hit a sweet spot, but I'm open to further experimentation so I have more options to take sparingly and experiment with. But for now everything seems to be in balance, though curiosity usually gets the better of me. I plan on going to an herbal shop in the near future and obtaining each anxiolytic herb separately (hops extract, California poppy, skullcap, lemon balm, etc.) and trying them by themselves in teas to discern their individual effects, then cycling them every week to mix things up.
@mrvontar: What effects does gotu kola have on you, and why are you taking it? I read tonight (see the l-theanine for the long term? thread) that it can create new dendrite growth and increase cerebral GABA levels. Any addiction potential or rebound anxiety? Also I'm concerned about the liver warnings on WebMD, which is why I haven't used kava (I drink two beers a night, so I try to avoid any substance that puts additional stress on the liver).
Edited by VerdeGo, 04 May 2015 - 04:34 AM.
We just need to remind ourselves not to get attached to pleasant states, as that tends to make the practice more difficult. I recommend checking out the site Dharma Overground which has an extensive forum for meditators in various traditions, and also that you read the site administrator's free ebook 'Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha'.
] and full of antioxidants. Tastes great, too! 
