Shift Your Mood Quickly & Naturally With The Power of Neurotransmitter Testing
- Brainz Magazine
- Jun 17
- 6 min read
Written by Jessica Michel, Health Reset Consultant
Jessica Michel is a health catalyst for high-performing creatives. She marries her background in functional nutrition and holistic lab analysis with intuitive insights to fully and resolutely rebirth your body for deep resilience.
How often do you wake up feeling heavy and hopeless? Do you struggle to stay creative when the pressure hits? Is it a battle to focus in the afternoon? When it’s time for bed, do you feel exhausted, but your mind keeps whirling and your body is restless, unable to relax? Your neurotransmitters may be at play. There is an easy way to check and, once you have your answers, there’s a simple, non-addictive solution too. Let’s dive in!
What are neurotransmitters?
Found throughout the body but concentrated in the brain, spinal column, and nervous system, neurotransmitters are chemicals that act as messengers. They carry instructions that affect how you feel, sleep, and focus. Your daily state is deeply dictated by the quality and quantity of these carriers in your body. Dopamine, Serotonin, Acetylcholine, Norepinephrine, GABA, and Glutamate are all examples of well-known neurotransmitters.
How do neurotransmitters affect my mood?
In short, when your neurotransmitters are at the level your body requires to function optimally, you’ll feel good. When they are deficient or in excess, you’ll feel off. For example, let’s say your Dopamine levels are low; you will struggle to feel excited, encouraged, and eager to move forward in your life. Whereas, if your Norepinephrine levels are elevated, you’ll experience anxiety, jitteriness, and even panic. Maintaining correct levels of neurotransmitters is the key to mood resilience.
How are neurotransmitters made in my body?
Nutrients from your food are the building blocks your body uses to make neurotransmitters like GABA and Glutamate. Amino acids derived from animal and plant protein are the foundation. They are paired with vitamins like Niacin (B3) and D3 and minerals like iron and copper to convert and form into usable neurotransmitters. This process occurs mostly in your cells inside your neurons. Once created, they are stored here until the neuron is activated and the neurotransmitter is released to carry its message to the rest of the body, telling it how to feel or what to do.
How do I test my neurotransmitter levels?
There is an easy at-home test kit you can order to evaluate your neurotransmitter levels. You will avoid a few foods to confirm accuracy for 48 hours prior and then collect one urine sample. Once shipped to the lab, results typically return within 7-14 business days.
It’s also important to have recent (think within the last 3-6 months) blood chemistry that reviews your CBC, CMP, mineral, and vitamin levels to confirm you have the nutrient values necessary for the conversion and enzymatic actions required to form the neurotransmitters. These are easy to order through your MD or a trained practitioner.
How do I interpret my results?
I highly recommend partnering with a trained practitioner or medical provider. The test kit I utilize includes an explanation along with its results, but expert guidance will provide the most efficient and effective results.
How do I resolve imbalances?
One could say it starts with food, but I disagree. I have found that it begins with digestive function. If your body is unable to extract the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals from your food, even a perfect diet will not save you. Worry less about your meals and focus more on the digestion of your food. Here is a list of quick questions to check in on your current digestive performance:
Do you lack an appetite when you wake up?
Do you have days with zero bowel movements?
Do your bowel movements look like type 1-3 or 5-6 on the Bristol chart?
Do you feel exhausted 1 hour after a meal?
Do you notice bloating during or after a meal?
Do you wake up between 11 PM-3 AM or at 5 AM despite wanting to sleep?
Do you need a pick-me-up (caffeine or a treat) between 7-9 AM or 1-3 PM?
Do you have allergies?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, there is a high likelihood that you have disrupted digestion. Your body’s inability to break down, absorb, and utilize your food will cause all sorts of imbalances and, yes, that includes neurotransmitter levels. Address your digestion with a functionally-focused practitioner to resolve.
While you are working on this, I recommend incorporating supplements formulated to bypass the digestive system and offer immediate neurotransmitter relief. These types of supplements are absorbed regardless of your digestive state and often come in liposomal liquid or topical forms.
Once your digestive process is flowing and ready, you can widen your supplement usage and, even more importantly, gain nutrients directly from your highly nutritious diet.
What supplements can I take for my mood imbalances?
Neurotransmitter results vary, so we’ll focus on the top 3 most common imbalances I see in my practice: deficient Serotonin, elevated GABA, and depleted Dopamine.
Deficient serotonin
L-Tryptophan, capsule form
5-HTP or Melatonin, capsule or liposomal form
Vitamin B6, capsule or liposomal form,
Elevated GABA
*Often a sign of microbiome imbalance, dysbiosis
L-Theanine, capsule or liposomal form
Magnesium Threonate and Glycinate, capsule form
Magnesium Flakes, 1-3 cups in a bath
Depleted dopamine
DL-Phenylalanine, capsule form
SAMe, capsule form
B complex with B2, B3, and B6, capsule or liposomal form
Vitamin C, capsule or liposomal form
How quickly will I see results?
This is where it gets exciting! Amino acid and nutrient supplementation can shift the body quickly and effectively. In fact, clinical research has demonstrated amino acid supplementation, such as DL-Phenylalanine and 5-HTP, to be just as effective as commonly prescribed medication. The results are noticeable within 15-60 minutes, depending on the supplement, the dosing level, and, of course, the state of your body. In other words, you will feel the calm, focus, energy, or hope that you need in under an hour, tops!
How long will I need to take these supports?
Everyone is different. I highly recommend testing your levels as a baseline, then taking your recommended supplements while resolving any digestive dysfunction for at least 90 days. After this, you can take 2 weeks off and retest to see what improvements have been made and adjust your supplement dosing as the results direct.
Are these supplements safe?
The supplements recommended above are natural, meaning your body knows how to use them and they encourage normal healthy function, unlike most medications. They are easy to order, as no prescription is required. The recommendations are also non-addictive, meaning that once your nutrient levels are met, you will no longer need them and can easily stop without any cravings or withdrawal. Lastly, there are no negative side effects when used correctly. I would say that if you continue to take supplements without testing and you find yourself taking more than you need, you may naturally experience the effects of excess neurotransmitters. This is easy to prevent, especially if you are monitoring levels through regular testing and working with an informed practitioner.
How can I get tested and order supplements?
If you’re ready to shift your mood naturally and quickly, you’ve come to the right place. Under Single Session Plus Labs, order labs by filling out the form and selecting the neurotransmitter (called brain/mood) at-home test kit. You can also order a fresh blood chemistry panel (called full body overview) if you have not checked your blood vitamin and mineral levels in the last 6 months. You will receive a requisition to take to your local lab for the draw. All results will come to me. We will book a session to interpret the results together and make a targeted plan with a personalized supplement protocol. Your dynamic support will be on the way in no time!
Read more from Jessica Michel
Jessica Michel, Health Reset Consultant
Jessica Michel is a health reset consultant specializing in artists and sensitives navigating chronic or mysterious dis-eases. Her drive comes from spending the last 20 years resolving her own body and experiencing firsthand the frustration of not fitting into the standard medical boxes. Known for her ability to find solutions to the seemingly impossible, Jessica brings an intuitive and practical approach to healing that allows her clients to fully rebirth into resilient, whole, healthy humans! In her world, where functional health meets ethereal insight, creatives are restored and empowered to live out their life's work with gusto and gumption.
