5 Tips for Boosting Your Energy Without Caffeine

How many cups of coffee do you need a day to stay awake? Two, five or more? The fact is that we consume way too many caffeinated beverages.
 Maybe you are thinking, “Who cares?” But have you ever considered what caffeine does to your body? It stimulates the production of adrenaline and gives us more energy for a short time because it increases our heart rate and blood sugar levels. Though this might sound like a good thing, it actually has a negative effect: our body releases adrenaline in response to what it takes to be acute stress (fight-or-flight response) and as we all know, stress is not particularly beneficial for our health. If you want to quit coffee from now on, we have five useful tips on how to boost your energy without caffeine.

1. Take a cold shower

Do you have a hard time getting going in the morning? Then jump in the shower. Even when it takes a lot of effort: take a cold shower! This gets your blood pumping and you are guaranteed to be wide awake afterward. 😉

Here’s how: First, shower with hot water until you are nice and warm. Then start to lower the water temperature gradually – never turn the water instantly to cold. Once the water is cold, start with your legs, then rinse your arms and finally the rest of your body. Repeat this same procedure with warm water. Do as many cycles as you want, just make sure to end with cold water.
Contrast showers are perfect for getting your blood pumping and strengthening your immune system. The only thing you have to be careful about when taking a cold shower is that you start on the right side of your body – your heart is located on the left side and by starting on the right, you avoid putting too much stress on it.

2. Inhale essential oils

Essential oils smell wonderful and are beneficial for your health. If you are looking to boost your energy without coffee, try holding a bottle of essential oil under your nose and inhaling. Lemon oil is particularly good. For a particularly refreshing kick, put a few drops of peppermint oil on your hands, cup them and breathe deeply. You can also massage your neck with peppermint oil – it’s guaranteed to perk you up!

Our tip: When buying essential oils, always make sure that they are therapeutic quality. Inferior quality synthetic oils can do more harm than good (like trigger an allergy).


3. Eat several small meals throughout the day


Are you tired after eating? That’s because your body is busy digesting, especially after big meals. Blood flow increases to the digestive system, which means that there is less oxygen available to the brain. And this reduced supply manifests itself in the form of fatigue. When you eat foods low in fiber, your blood sugar levels spike briefly but then fall again rapidly. Fatty meals can also sit heavy in your stomach. This results in you feeling tired and wiped out. Therefore, you should eat small meals (ideally 4 or 5) throughout the day. That way your body has a steady supply of energy without the overload.


4. Drink the right thing (in the morning)

Is the coffee machine your top priority in the morning? Do you need that first cup of the day to get going? If you want to stop drinking caffeinated beverages from now on (because, for example, it is bad for your digestion), then you should drink a glass of water as soon as you get up in the morning. Add a slice of fresh lemon – it’s refreshing and invigorating. As a general rule, you should try to drink plenty of water throughout the day: don’t forget that your body is about 70% water. Dehydration can lead to headaches as well as fatigue.
Would you like to know how much liquid you need per day? Here is how you can calculate your personal daily requirement: 30 ml x kg body weight = ml per day (15 ml x lb body weight = ml per day).


5. Stay active

Exercise can really perk you up! 😉 And we’re not talking about running a half marathon in the morning. A few bodyweight exercises  (like those in the Runtastic Results app), can get your blood pumping and help you start your day off strong.

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