I recently witnessed a training consultant demonstrate why relying on energy drinks isn’t necessarily a wise decision. He was on a five-day fast from solid foods for personal reasons.
The first three days he drank water and juices. He seemed pretty focused. Day four was a different story. He opened and drank a can of Amp, a lime-green energy drink (I thought it looked radioactive!). Within half an hour, he was off track with his message, down a verbal rabbit trail on another topic entirely. The next day, he said he had been wide-awake through the night and unable to relax. He was mentally checked out in our session that day. I politely explained that he was sending confusing messages to his body and brain and shared with him my secret formula for staying alert throughout the afternoons - a teabag of green tea and a teabag of peppermint tea steeped in a bottle of water. He was willing to try the healthier alternative.
When people consume energy drinks, I often observe beforehand that they are overworked, under-rested or run-down, and are trying to push their bodies further. Afterward, I see a red, glazed look in their eyes, jittery hands and only a temporary boost, if that. The marketing of over 500 energy beverages that feeds a $3 billion business reinforces to a pill-popping culture that energy is now just a sip away.
Many energy drinks contain large doses of caffeine and other legal stimulants like guarana, ginseng and sugar. Compare the one serving caffeine count of Arizona Green Tea Energy (200 mg), Crystal Light Energy (120 mg), Red Bull ((80 mg), SoBe Essential Energy (96 mg), not to mention Starbucks Grande Coffee (330 mg!) to regular coffee (77 mg), Lipton Organic Green Tea (bag-41 mg), Mountain Dew (37 mg), and Coca-Cola Classic (23 mg). The caution on the label of 5-Hour Energy says “Contains caffeine comparable to a cup of the leading premium coffee (I guess that might be Starbucks’ at 330 mg). Limit caffeine products to avoid nervousness, sleeplessness and occasional rapid heartbeat.” Those symptoms provide a pretty good definition for the question, “How much caffeine is excessive?” Each individual is different in toleration, but most persons who start regularly relying on stimulant beverages soon find themselves dependent on them for their daily functioning. Then it can be a little hard to stop.
Caffeine also dehydrates the body. The effects of guarana last longer than caffeine. Sugars give only short-lived energy boosts while increasing calories and carbohydrate counts. In addition, both sugar and the acidity of fizzy drinks encourage tooth decay.
Claims such as "improved performance and concentration" can be misleading. Added traces of isolated vitamins, minerals and herbs and even additional electrolytes can confuse the line between “energy drinks” and “sports drinks” for the consumer. Read labels carefully and know what you are buying and for what purpose. Electrolyte-replacing sports drinks are meant for re-hydration. Energy drinks should not be used while exercising because severe dehydration can occur from the combined fluid loss of sweating and the diuretic quality of the caffeine.
Energy drinks used as mixers with alcohol carry additional dangers:
• Alcohol additionally dehydrates, increasing the toxicity and hindering the metabolism of alcohol.
• Energy drinks are stimulants and alcohol is a depressant. Combining the two can be dangerous, as the stimulants can mask the normal fatigue signal that one is too intoxicated. One’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the same. “Once the stimulant effect wears off, the depressant effects of the alcohol will remain and could cause vomiting in your sleep or respiratory depression.”
Earlier this year, I met Monica Lursen, a Registered and Licensed Dietician, at the Wellness Day at the Waverly/Shell Rock Junior High where we were two of several presenters. She is the Nutrition Therapy Manager and Diabetes Program Coordinator at the Waverly Health Center. Her topic was “Think Your Drink”. Her big-picture approach to daily fluid supplementation began with 50 percent of your daily fluids consisting of pure water to assist the body in burning calories - drinking the same amount of milliliters of water as calories you consume. For example, if you consume 2000 calories a day, drink 2000 ml of water. Another 25 percent can be zero-calorie drinks like teas, coffee or flavored zero-calorie beverages. Finally, the last 25 percent can be drinks with calories, such as 100 percent juices and milk.
Lursen notes that there is no room for empty calories with this plan. When selecting fluids, she encourages identifying cost versus value for the body. Consumers easily fall into the trap of spending big bucks on beverages that yield little, if any, nutritive value.
Herbal teas, in contrast, are inexpensive alternatives that can help you get your liquid intake for the day in some flavorful and nourishing ways. They have been used around the world for centuries. For the cost of a latte, you can purchase an entire box of 20-30 herbal teabags. I keep a variety of herbal teas in my cupboard and carry a baggie full of assorted teabags with me to work and while traveling. I buy the gallon size of reverse-osmosis water at the grocery store - refills are just 38 cents and store in my workstation and car. If I don’t have access to pure hot water (it’s best to let it steep in almost boiling water 5-15 minutes), then I just put my teabag in a refillable mug or glass bottle and pour in the room temperature water and gently swirl it every few minutes. After 10-to-15 minutes, I have a flavored tea for pennies that would have cost over a dollar at the store.
I use some of the following herbal teas to support the body’s natural rhythms of the day.
Detox tea – This aids the body in eliminating toxins. It can be used any time of the day, but I prefer in the morning while the body is still fasting and cleansing. Most brands combine several herbs, usually including burdock root and dandelion for purifying properties, and juniper berry and licorice for healthy kidney and liver function.
Yerba matè – I call this tea my “start-the-day-OK” tea. From South America, Yerba Matè has a non-jittery boost with less caffeine than coffee or black tea and energizes with the real nutrition of 196 active compounds including vitamins, minerals and more antioxidants than green tea. My favorite brand is Yerba Matè Royale - Vanilla, with the natural sweetener Stevia, by Wisdom of the Ancients (www.wisdomnaturalbrands.com).
Alfalfa and licorice root – Both teas are rich in minerals and enzymes because the roots go deeper than most plants, so they are very blood nourishing. Alfalfa is a legume and dates back 2,000 years. Its name originates from the Arabs meaning “Father of All Foods”. Licorice is indigenous to the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Far East and dates back beyond 3,000 years. It yields a substance that is 50 times sweeter than sugar and has multiple benefits, including fighting infections, inflammation, allergies, depression, PMS, and dental plaque, to name a few (Prescription for Nutritional Healing – Fourth Edition, Phyllis A. Balch, CNC).
Green tea and peppermint – This is my afternoon alert boost. Green tea is rich in antioxidants, has a slight amount of natural caffeine, not the jittery kind, but it needs a boost to the flavor and if steeped too long can become bitter. Peppermint tea, which perks you up and is great for digestion, is a good taste complement. Both fight the after-lunch “sleepies”.
Ginger and chamomile – Europeans frequently serve these teas after meals to help settle the stomach and relax the intestinal tract. Chamomile makes a nice winding-down beverage before bedtime. For an extra deep night of sleep, I like a sleepy-time tea combination herbal tea or supplement, which helps me awake more refreshed.
Finally, don’t forget that the best real energy boosts are fresh foods, which have live, rather than dead, particles, and exercise, even if just a 10-minute brisk walk.
Note: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. No products are intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If on medications, check with your doctor or a pharmacy familiar with herb and medication combinations.
Jean Vaux is a freelance writer and HealthCoach in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
She may be contacted at: jean@cedarvalleyathlete
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