Coffee is the world’s most popular drug…and it’s legal! More specifically, it is a psychoactive drug, which means it is a chemical substance that alters the way a person feels and thinks. This is why some people consider themselves grumpy until a cup of coffee is placed in their hands first thing in the morning, and why they can’t “think straight” until they get a sip of that “heavenly goodness.” Caffeine is the reported black gold of the office-life realm, the lifeline of a college student, and one of the most popular beverages sold every single morning.
It is all due to its effects and linked to the pace of life we have created for ourselves nowadays. Everything works faster, so we feel obliged to keep up and cram as much as we can into our daily lives without adding more hours to the day.
In America, about 90 percent of adults consume caffeine in some form. We’re familiar with the rush of blood and mental alertness it gives us for a few hours. Although caffeine is consumed for a pick-me-up, the amount people are consuming to keep up with modern lifestyles bring about the negative side effects, such as the increasing risk of greater bone loss on women, irregular heart palpitations, and the insomnia that arrives after a heavy day of drinking.
Thankfully, Mother Nature has provided us with a variety of options that will naturally energize us without experiencing the downsides of caffeine. Here are just a few:
Pomegranate
In a fresh pomegranate, natural sugar amounts to 73 percent of the total carbs. These sugars are quickly digested before they enter your cells and get used for an energy boost. Additionally, fresh pomegranates have powerful antioxidants and are rich in fiber and vitamin B-6.
Green Tea
This ancient drink is mostly famous for its huge calorie-burning and antioxidant benefits. This tea still has caffeine, although it is a much smaller amount. It differs from coffee in that it has long-term benefits. Green tea provides a more stable energy as well as the enhancement of brain function and concentration, which is shown when we choose to consume it over coffee.
Apples
Although apples and coffee provide you with a different kind of energy, this fruit fuels your body with more energy while helping to stabilize your blood sugar. It keeps you going with its natural sugar, vitamins, and minerals with no crashes to worry about. This is why teachers recommend students to sub the coffee for an apple right before a heavy exam.
Lemon Water
This drink is probably the simplest combination you could come up with, with some of the most amazing benefits you can think of. One cup of fresh lemon juice contains 187 percent of the daily-recommended Vitamin C intake. Drinking lemon water aids digestion and promotes detoxification, while also boosting energy and mood. Compared to a cup of coffee’s up-and-down stimulation, lemon water gives you long-lasting energy by hydrating and oxygenating the body.
While it is true that coffee gives us an energy boost that hits us right away and allows us to feel productive for a little while, it can’t be denied that there are many natural alternatives that grant our bodies energy without the caffeine crash.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
