How Bad Is My Kava Prep?

[Gerhardtschreiter]

I have been using for 1 month, not on a daily basis. I first started with Borogu and absolutely fell in love with kava. I have a history of drug-induced panic attacks; as soon as I felt any alteration in my brain, I'd panic right away. This nearly happened when I decided to chug a large amount of kava, but it was as if the kava just wouldn't allow me to panic. Ever since that successful escape, I have not had another panic attack!!!

After I ran out of Borogu, I got some of Paradise Kava's Boroguru and I love it as well (though I think I prefer Borogu just a bit more). Then I decided to try Gourmet Hawaiian Kava's Sample Pack which includes Medium Grind Mahakea, Micronized Nene, and Instant Mo'i. This is how how I prepared the Mahakea. Please tell me if I'm making any critical errors:

4 tablespoons Mahakea Medium Grind
1.5 tablespoons Soy Lecithin Powder
1 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1.5 cups water

Blended together for about 3 minutes, poured into a fine strainer and left to soak for 30 minutes. Then I squeezed the liquid through the strainer repeatedly with all my might for about 5 minutes. Then I drank. This is also how I've been preparing the Borogu and Boroguru.

The effect I got from the Mahakea is not what I was expecting!!! I read a lot of reports of it being good for socializing. My experience was the exact opposite. I felt like I was high on weed! My eyes were heavy and for the first time, I actually felt intoxicated by kava. When I feel intoxicated, I become very anti-social. I heard my sister calling me and I just stood by my door, too scared to go and speak to her. After the mental effects wore off, I could feel this kava in my body for hours! It made me feel ill and heavy. It's definitely a good strong kava but I'd have to be in the mood to be intoxicated to use this again.

Is there anything seriously wrong with my prep? Or is it good enough?

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Honestly you don't need the lechtin or the oil. Your prep seems perfectly fine tho even with it... it sounds like your sensitizing to the kava so you may find you actually need less... if I consume 4 tablespoons I get the same way... very heavy and sick feeling. But 2 tablespoons is perfect for me and then later in the day I can add 2 more. But not all at once.

 

[tomkrat]

i think you could probably ditch the oil. i know i'm in the minority here but i think lecithin really helps. that said, 1.5 tablespoons is WAY more lecithin than i use, even for a pitcher-sized batch of kava.
my prep consists of exactly this: put lecithin in large bowl, run very hot water over it so it dissolves, put kava in nut milk bag, put bag into very hot lecithin water, run warm water over bag to bring temp down a bit, let soak for 5 minutes, knead and squeeze nut milk bag for 5-10 minutes, pour kava into pitcher, drink that shit warm, put bag back into large bowl, run very hot water over it, drink more kava, squeeze second wash for 5-10 minutes or until it feels done, drink more warm kava, add second wash to first wash, drink more kava, put pitcher in fridge and.... drink more kava

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

What ways do the lechtin effect it? Other than palpability? I've noticed it's definitley smoother but never tried for potency difference ?

 

[Gerhardtschreiter]

What ways do the lechtin effect it? Other than palpability? I've noticed it's definitley smoother but never tried for potency difference ?

I've honestly never tried for potency difference either. I just saw lecithin mentioned in several recipes when I first started reading about kava so I went ahead and bought some, and now I just use it out of habit. I'll try it without the oil and lecithin one of these days.

 

[tomkrat]

lecithin seems to make a more potent grog. at least my wife and i think so.

 

[Gerhardtschreiter]

Nevermind what I said about never panicking on kava...

I took my usual 4 tbsp Boroguru earlier today, then tonight at about 10:40 pm I decided to do the Mahakea again. Well before I even drank the drink, I was already in a weird mental state. My thoughts were negative. It's night, the time of day all of my panic attacks have occurred. I felt like the kava in my system was telling me "don't drink it". I KNEW my mental state could induce a panic attack, but because I am so in love with Boruguru kava and the feeling of protection it gives me from panic, I decided to put it to the test. I wanted to prove that I had a protective shield inside of me, thanks to the kava.

Wellll I made my 4 tbsp Mahakea, and since I was trying to put the kava to the test, I decided to chug it all (I usually sip to get a feel of how quickly I'm coming up). Then, my thoughts became negative: "you should take a break from kava"; "you drank too much"; "you will panic". All of these thoughts occurred to me before I even felt the effects of the kava. Then, once I felt it, I realized I wasn't even in the mood for kava and that I wanted to go bed sober-minded. Realizing this negativity could make me panic, I attempted to change my thoughts. I said to myself: "it's not the kava, it's you"; "become one with the kava"; "let the kava transcend you". Then I made the mistake of thinking about death. I thought about how it's not that bad, how death might be the start of a great new adventure, how the massive amount of pressure that was building in my head was clearly a sign that I was dying...and then the pressure grew and grew and grew and I started dissociating and fear started growing, so I immediately jumped up and forced myself to vomit. Now I feel much better, but I still have a bit of pressure in my ears. I'm also disappointed in myself. I should've just faced the panic head-on and demanded it go away, but instead I just gave up and vomited.

I'm tempted to push my limit again. When I was meditating on kava the other day, I thought about that quote that "life begins outside of your comfort zone". I'm alllllwaaaaays in my comfort zone, never speaking, never volunteering, and never putting myself out there because it makes me nervous and uncomfortable. Maybe I should stop being so comfortable with the idea that I'm just naturally panic prone. I need to challenge that idea that's so deeply etched into my subconscious! I need to do things that make me uncomfortable!

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Lol this is exactly how I was on K@ and coffee together. Ridiculously similar lol. But at least you know it's the thoughts in your head. Just keep trusting your intuition not fear. Although they do come together sometimes ! Really everything started doing this to me. Well I started doing this to myself over everything ... honestly I got over it pretty quickly I would say. It started like 6 months or so ago and I got over it about a month or so ago. I just stop believing the thoughts. Which is tough to some extent. But if you do believe them your body reacts as if it's true and then Seems to confirm your anxiety in the first place.when really it's just more anxiety created physical symptoms

 

[Bula Kava House]

I have been using for 1 month, not on a daily basis. I first started with Borogu and absolutely fell in love with kava. I have a history of drug-induced panic attacks; as soon as I felt any alteration in my brain, I'd panic right away. This nearly happened when I decided to chug a large amount of kava, but it was as if the kava just wouldn't allow me to panic. Ever since that successful escape, I have not had another panic attack!!!

After I ran out of Borogu, I got some of Paradise Kava's Boroguru and I love it as well (though I think I prefer Borogu just a bit more). Then I decided to try Gourmet Hawaiian Kava's Sample Pack which includes Medium Grind Mahakea, Micronized Nene, and Instant Mo'i. This is how how I prepared the Mahakea. Please tell me if I'm making any critical errors:

4 tablespoons Mahakea Medium Grind
1.5 tablespoons Soy Lecithin Powder
1 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1.5 cups water

Blended together for about 3 minutes, poured into a fine strainer and left to soak for 30 minutes. Then I squeezed the liquid through the strainer repeatedly with all my might for about 5 minutes. Then I drank. This is also how I've been preparing the Borogu and Boroguru.

The effect I got from the Mahakea is not what I was expecting!!! I read a lot of reports of it being good for socializing. My experience was the exact opposite. I felt like I was high on weed! My eyes were heavy and for the first time, I actually felt intoxicated by kava. When I feel intoxicated, I become very anti-social. I heard my sister calling me and I just stood by my door, too scared to go and speak to her. After the mental effects wore off, I could feel this kava in my body for hours! It made me feel ill and heavy. It's definitely a good strong kava but I'd have to be in the mood to be intoxicated to use this again.

Is there anything seriously wrong with my prep? Or is it good enough?

Ditch the oil. You can keep the lecithin, it may make a potency difference but not much. Everything else seems fine, although 4 tbsps sounds a little light to me.

On another note, if your Borogu was from us, can you please submit a review? We don't have enough here. Thanks!

 

[Gerhardtschreiter]

After I ran out of Borogu, I got some of Paradise Kava's Boroguru and I love it as well (though I think I prefer Borogu just a bit more).

Placebo at its finest.

I read about the effects of Boroguru before I received my Paradise Kava, so I had an expectation of how it would make me feel compared to Borogu. The only thing is, I never ordered Boroguru powder, as Paradise Kava doesn't sell it. I don't know how I misread so many times, but written on the front of the bag are the words "Borogu" (in cursive...). So any "difference" I felt was purely in my imagination. They were both Borogu!