The United States is about to chill out, big time.
For nervous Nellies like me, a big ol' energy drink is the last thing we want to introduce into our stressful, fear-driven lives. Besides the disturbing thought of ingesting something the color of highlighter fluid, these drinks pump you full of god-knows-what, and leave you crashing and burning with heart palpitations.
Slow Cow is an unbelievable new relaxation drink, and is being introduced to America late this summer from the Canada-based company. I was lucky enough to get a sneak-peek and taste test, and with the exception of bubbly, I've never felt so fabulous upon sipping a drink. Especially a non-alcoholic drink.
What it is
Slow Cow is a relaxation beverage that effectively reduces stress and aids in the improvement of concentration, memory and learning capacity without causing any drowsiness. Ingredients promote relaxation and improve the brain's capacity to focus, retain information and increases cerebral levels of dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure.
I felt really happy and instantly less tense. Like I normally do at happy hour.
Ingredients
Slow Cow is sugar-free, caffeine-free, preservative-free, alcohol-free and calorie-free, and comprised of only eight (glorious, all-natural) ingredients, including:
L-Theanine- An amino acid commonly found in tea
Chamomile- A composite plant that possesses numerous beneficial properties
Passiflora- A component well-known to treat sleeping troubles, without causing drowsiness or lapses in concentration
Valerian- A perennial plant useful in reducing anxiety and restlessness
Linden- A renowned tree known for facilitating stress, relieving headaches and relaxing nerves
Hops- A flowering plant famous for calming nerves and treating anemia, weaknesses and insomnia
Sodium- An essential element in the organism's water equilibrium, acknowledged to decrease fatigue during exercise
Potassium- Essential in the transmission of nerve signals and muscle contractions
When to drink it
Every morning, if you're me. But here are Slow Cow's suggestions:
When stressed or nervous- Ingredient L-Theanine induces the mind and body to relaxation without causing drowsiness. Linden and Hops also drastically reduce nervousness.
After an intense physical effort- L-Theanine also crosses the blood-brain barrier and produces tranquilizing effects similar to that of a deep-tissue massage.
Before an exam- L-Theanine also improves the brain's ability to concentrate, learn and memorize. Another wonder ingredient Passiflora helps combat nervousness and anticipation caused by overworking yourself.
In case of insomnia- Valerian in Slow Cow relieves occasional sleeplessness due to overwork or fatigue and assists in facilitating sleep. In addition, L-Theanine can better sleep quality.
If you are a perpetually wired, super-stressed, legs numb, stomach in knots, psychotic like I am, this will be your new best friend and cure your many problems. It's surprisingly effective and exceeded my expectations tenfold.
The only potential downside, I was almost embarrassingly, I-just-won-the-lottery happy. I think my office thought I was drunk.
