5 Natural Energy Enhancers to Help You Keep up With Your Kids
The average coffee drinker in American drinks three cups of coffee a day. However, all that caffeine can take its toll on your body. In fact, drinking coffee and energy drinks can cause an increase in irritability and anxiety.
Meanwhile, you'll develop sleep issues, high blood pressure, and heart rate.
With many of us in quarantine with our kids, we need health caffeine alternatives to keep up with all their natural energy! Here are a few of the best, healthy alternatives to energy drinks. By choosing from these healthy caffeine alternatives, you can get the energy boost you need without the inevitable crash later.
Discover your energy boost with these five alternatives to caffeine for energy!
1. Green Juice
Dark, leafy green vegetables are a great source of vitamin B! Our body needs B vitamins to fuel our metabolism, which keeps us running throughout the day.
Try creating a healthy green juice that includes:
- Parsley
- Kale
- Spinach
You can also throw in an apple for natural sweetness. The sugar in the apple will also give you an energy boost.
Apples are full of fiber, too. Between the high natural sugar and fiber levels, apples are great for a slow, sustained energy release throughout the day. They're also full of antioxidants, which can help your body release energy over time, too!
Green leafy vegetables can also provide:
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Iron
- Calcium
- Vitamins A, C, E, K
- Folic acid
- Fiber
- Antioxidants
Leafy greens also improve your body's ability to form nitric oxide. By enhancing nitric oxide formation, you can widen your blood vessels, which will improve blood flow.
The best place to get the energy you need each day is in whole foods. Maintaining a diet that's full of the vitamins and nutrients you need each day will keep you energized from morning to night. As your metabolism keeps running, you're losing weight, too.
Add a Little Flavor
Not loving the taste of your green juice? That's okay. Try adding a little lemon juice or ginger for extra flavor. You can also add chia seeds or flax seeds to add extra omega-3s to your diet.
Omega-3 fatty acids are great for reducing inflammation. Inflammation is your body's natural response for fighting off illness and injury. Too much inflammation, however, can lead to health concerns.
Inflammation can also cause the fatigue you're experiencing.
By adding flax or chia seeds to your green juice, you can give your energy levels a much-needed boost! Meanwhile, vitamin B12 and folic acids will work together to produce more red blood cells. As a result, the iron in your body will work more efficiently, which can reduce fatigue and boost your energy.
2. Yerba Maté
Yerba maté is created from the dried leaves of a plant that grows in South America. The plant contains both caffeine and antioxidants. In fact, yerba maté has a similar amount of caffeine to what you'd find in your morning cup of coffee.
Among these healthy caffeine alternatives, yerba maté is probably one you'd find less commonly in your home. However, it can definitely pack a punch.
The caffeine you'll find in yerba maté can help your body produce epinephrine. This natural hormone is responsible for increasing energy levels. As one of the best alternatives to caffeine for energy, Yerba maté won't amplify your blood pressure level or heart rate.
Some studies also indicate that yerba maté can benefit your memory, mood, and mental focus. With that in mind, yerba maté is one of the best healthy energy drinks for work or play!
3. Organic Green Tea
Green tea is well known for the many health benefits it offers. For starters, green tea is full of powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants can prevent oxidative stress and excessive inflammation.
Remember, reducing inflammation in your body can help you fight off fatigue.
Like coffee, green tea does naturally contain caffeine. However, green tea also contains L-theanine, which can moderate caffeine's effects. For example, L-theanine can help prevent caffeine jitters and heightened anxiety levels.
Instead, organic green tea can give you an energy boost without any negative side effects.
Green tea that's high in L-theanine can also help improve your mental concentration! Try having a cup of green tea before work or any physical activity. It's great for avoiding the afternoon slump, too.
Green tea is also capable of breaking down fat and releasing the hormone norepinephrine. As a result, green tea is able to reduce the fatigue you experience while giving you a physical boost!
4. Protein Shakes
Is your diet lacking in protein? Not having enough protein each day can cause fatigue as well. As you start developing your list of alternatives to energy drinks, consider adding protein shakes to the mix.
Protein shakes can ensure your body reaches its nutrient requirements for the day. However, the protein you consume will need carbs to convert into energy. Try adding milk, almond milk, yogurt, fruit, wheat germ, or quinoa into the mix.
5. Water
Try to drink at least two cups of water first thing in the morning. Water will help flush out any toxins within your body. Meanwhile, you're hydrating yourself, which can help boost your metabolism.
If you're not a plain of plain water, that's okay. There are a few ways you can spruce it up. For example, try adding fruit, herbs, cucumbers, or lemons into your glass.
Adding lemon to your water will provide your body with immune-boosting vitamin C.
For an extra metabolism boost, add a tablespoon of apple cider finger to your glass. Apple cider vinegar can help lower your blood sugar. Meanwhile, it's also able to add in weight loss efforts and kill harmful pathogens.
Some people prefer refreshing coconut water each morning. Coconut water is full of nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants that can fuel your body throughout the day.
You can also mix in an uplifting pureLYFT™ energy stir stick for an extra boost.
Without enough water each day, however, you might feel dehydrated. Dehydration can slow your body functions down. As a result, you'll start to feel tired.
Fight off fatigue by drinking water throughout the day.
Keeping up With the Kids: 5 Healthy Caffeine Alternatives for Extra Energy
Mix it up and get the energy you need with these five healthy caffeine alternatives! With these healthy drinks, you'll have the energy necessary to keep up with your little ones at home. At the same time, you can avoid crashing after a long day of work.
Searching for more ways to enjoy a cleaner, refreshing boost? Learn more about our pureLYFT™ energy stir stick today!