There is nothing better than a fresh cup of coffee to jolt our bodies into action, especially if we have a ton of creative projects to work on. However, if you’re anything like me, this habit turns into a viscous cycle: you have a cup of coffee to give you enough energy to start your day, and because of how wonderful it was, you make yourself another, and another. Soon, your body is trembling, you’re talking a million miles an hour, and you want to complete your entire to-do list simultaneously (and you want everything crossed off in t minus 5 minutes).
Flash forward a few hours: your body feels heavy, your eyelids become droopy, and you’re barely halfway through the day. Solution? Why, make another pot of coffee of course!
Before you know it, your day is over, and you’ve barely accomplished anything because the amount of caffeine you injested scattered your mind and gave you a severe case of ADHD.
Sound familiar?
Breaking the Cycle – Coffee Alternatives
Now, I’m not saying to stop drinking coffee altogether—let’s face it: our coffee mug is our best friend! But you can cut back on your coffee intake (I’ve promised myself to only have two cups maximum per day) and use alternatives to give you a more natural energy jolt when absolutely necessary. These include:
1. PC Feeling Revitalized – Green Tea with Ginseng and Astragalus
This has become my favorite alternative to coffee. It’s still a hot beverage, I still get to enjoy it in my Snoopy “World Famous Literary Ace” coffee mug, and it gives me a natural amount of energy. It doesn’t crack me out; it gives me the exact amount of energy necessary to feel alert, and I don’t end up with the whole crash-and-burn effect later on in the day.
2. AriZona Iced Tea – Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey
A cool beverage with a tougher jolt than the PC hot tea, and cheap cheap cheap! Only 99 cents for a whopping 695mL can. One can of this iced tea lasts me for about three needed energy jolts. Great on the body AND on the budget, but terrible if you have a small bladder. 
3. Glaceau Vitamin Water – Energy (Tropical Citrus Flavour)
Another cold beverage, perfect for a lunch break, and refreshing too if you’re feeling dehydrated. As well as a small amount of caffeine, this drink also contains vitamin c, vitamin b3, b6, and b12. This drink helped me through a very hectic summer, juggling way too many projects at the same time (my to-do list looked like a scroll), and no burn-out to report.
Additional Food (or rather, drink) for Thought
I read in the June 2011 issue of Marie Claire to have your coffee right before you need to be most alert, not right when you wake up, as most of us do:
A review study reported that caffeine is more effective than naps at improving performance in tests measuring attention, perception, and reasoning.
So there you have it—natural remedies to stay energized without the crash.
If you have more food/drink tips on how to stay energized, feel free to post them below!
