Energy Drink & Coffee Alternatives That Actually Work

Every day a staggering 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed & there is a high chance if that if you’re reading this you’re a contributor to that statistic. In the eternal quest for that ‘get-up-and-go’,  68 million energy drinks are also gulped down daily with consumption growing at an average rate of 10% year for the past 5 years & showing no sign of slowing down.

A cup of coffee or energy drink can give you a short hit of energy and motivation, however this quickly diminishes over time as tolerance and addiction kick in. As they do, you end up needing your drink just to feel “normal” and to get that same hit of energy you find you need to consume more and more each time. The downside of that of course is that extremely fun [not!] feeling of jitters. Energy drinks in particular have a raft of negative side effects: huge amounts of sugar, excessive doses of caffeine (in many cases the same as multiple cups of coffee), in many cases unhealthy preservatives and can even be fatal.

In case you couldn’t tell, we at Lucid are passionate about body betterment, neuro-enhancement, productivity & focus. To be kept up to date on any other blogs or infographics, add yourself to our community mailing list.

I’ve personally had an extensive history with both. When starting my first business, Crucial (which I’ve since sold), my business partner and I used to drink a cocktail of energy drinks (we used to buy boxes of 100+ at a time) and coffee to work the long hours and late nights we needed to work to support and grow the business. Sound familiar? This would quickly become a downward spiral where I would need to drink more to just stay awake, and the net effect was I ended up being morCaffeine Coffee Jitterse tired, less focused, feeling terrible, and dependent on them to actually get the work done. I tortured myself for way too long with the negative side effects: bad case of jitters, fast heart rate, “too focused” to actually focus, ineffectiveness, weight gain, and a general feeling of NOT wellbeing.

It got me thinking, there had to be other healthier and more sustainable alternative to energy drinks and and coffee? Something I could do or consume that would consistently work, last the long hours I was working, make me feel good (not seedy), not have diminishing positive effects, and increasing side effects the more I consumed.

This is what I found…

The first step is having the right foundations: healthy eating, regular exercise, and the right purpose in life – this leads to naturally being more motivated, driven, happy, and focused. I can’t emphasise this enough – if you don’t have a good foundation, the rest will come tumbling down. If you are looking to make the switch from coffee & energy drinks make this your first focus before continuing with what I have detailed below (and by all means, get in touch if you would like any pointers!)

THEN

Over the years I’ve picked up a few unlikely hacks which have helped improve my focus, motivation, and general well-being. These are (mostly) simple little tricks you can easily try out that will help you get the most out of each day.

Focus Hacks

Powernap – Powernaps are scientifically shown to improve focus. Take a nap, sleeping for no longer than 20 min. Set your alarm for 23 minutes to give you time to get to sleep, and take deep long breaths if you have trouble falling asleep.

Cold Shower – Painful? Sometimes – but it’s a couple of mins of pain for a whole lot of gain! Cold showers get your blood moving, and instantly wake you up. Have one daily or when in need of a focus hit.

Focus Sprint – Create a list of what you need to get done. Pick your first task. Use a timer, remove all distractions, timed focus sprint for 25 minutes with 5 minute break. [see Pomodoro Technique below]

Water – Your brain is 85% water – drinking water helps increase energy production in where it counts. When you are not hydrated it can affect your concentration and reduce short-term memory (the part of your brain you use to power through your work). Water not your thing? For an instant hit of hydration that tastes good, try adding a dissolvable flavoured electrolyte tablet such as Hydralyte to your water. 

Strong Sugarfree Mints – Ok this one is random & I have zero scientific basis for it but it works for me! For an instant focus & alertness hit, try Strong Sugarfree Mints (my personal favourite is Fisherman’s Friend Extra Strong Sugarfree).

 

Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a type of Focus Sprint. A time management approach developed in the 80s, the emphasis is on having you work WITH time rather than against it.

Natural Supplements & Vitamins:

There are many natural supplements that play an important part in improving energy levels, and other associated functions in your body. I’ve short listed a few here that I’ve personally found to have the biggest impact, and ones I personally use on a daily basis.  While I’ve personally found these to work, the noticeable benefits usually usually wear off after a few days to a week of daily supplementation.
vitamin-on-a-spoonL-Carnitine – An amino acid produced naturally in the body, and serves the function of transporting fatty acids into the mitochondria where they are burnt for energy. Shown to improve cognition, reduce physical, reduce mental fatigue, and help with weight loss. (L-Carnitine is one of the ingredients in our Lucid Smart Pill)

Vitamin B Complex – A group of 6 vitamins which play the important role of helping convert food into energy in the body, assisting with keeping energy levels up during the day.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) – An antioxidant found in every cell in our body, CoQ10 is produced naturally by your body, and cells use it to produce energy needed for cell growth and maintenance.

 

Lucid (Smart Pill):

Lucid Smart Pill is the end result of my dedicated 14 year quest to improving my productivity and quality of my life while building several businesses. After extensively researching & then trialling many combinations of vitamin, supplement, and nutraceutical compounds I found a formula which had a profound impact on my focus, motivation, mental ability, and performance no matter the circumstances. This personal focus formula worked consistently for me over the long term (no significant or noticeable tolerance build up), didn’t have negative side effects found in coffee & energy drinks (no jitters, negative feelings, etc), and was also a healthier alternative.

Friends, family, colleagues, and other business owners started to get curious when they saw me regularly taking this secret blend of nutraceutical compounds and heard (and saw) how it improved how I worked, so I decided to give out a few free samples. What I didn’t anticipate was the demand once they had tried it as well. It seemed they couldn’t get enough! That’s when I realised that perhaps I was onto something, and that maybe more people than just me were seeking out an alternative like this.

Lucid Trial Pack

Lucid Smart Pill Single Dose Trial Pack

And just like that, Lucid Smart Pill was born.

A hard hitting, impactful formula of nutraceutical compounds specifically designed to significantly improves focus, motivation, cognition, and concentration for a whole day, without the negative side effects seen in coffee and energy drinks.

Lucid Smart Pill trial packs launched in July, and are now available in 2, 5, and 10 dose packs. Stay tuned for the launch of our bespoke clamshell packs in the very near future!

 

Sugar & Caffeine Free Natural Energy Drinks:

Due to increasing public awareness over the damage that sugar can do to the body, natural energy drinks (and shots) are becoming more popular. Several brands have popped up (and disappeared) over the past few years – some sugar free, some caffeine free, or both.  A few of these drinks can actually give a short term energy boost, but I have yet to find one that offers a sustained release and is able to provide a boost that lasts for a day with effects that don’t diminish quickly with regular use. Here are some natural energy drink alternatives:

clarity-smart-energy-hong-kongClarity – A local Hong Kong company I came across when I moved to the island 6 months ago. Their flagship product is an all natural, sugar free, vitamin-enriched energy shot (contains caffeine) & free of any of the nasties (preservatives, artificial flavours, etc)

Guayaki Yerba Mate – Created from the leaves from the yerba mate plant (known as the Green Tea of South America), this brew is popular for a range of health enhancing properties including increased energy, better sleep & a reduction in allergies.  Be sure to check the label – all contain caffeine (it naturally occurs in the yerba mate plant), some contain sugar, and some contain other South American superfoods.

XS Classic Blast – While not natural, this Vitamin B enrinched drink is sugar-free, and caffeine free.

The quest never ends…

I’ll always been hunting for new ways to fulfill my purpose so if you have have a hack, ingredient or compound I’ve not mentioned, by all means get in touch and do share!

In case you couldn’t tell, we at Lucid are passionate about body betterment, neuro-enhancement, productivity & focus. To be kept up to date on any other blogs or infographics, add yourself to our community mailing list.
Aaron Weller

Aaron is the CEO & Co-Founder of Lucid. He brings a wealth of business smarts and startup experience to the team and is heading up the launch of future growth of the company.