Tuesday tip: Coffee-free boost

Tuesday tip: Coffee-free boost ☕️

Coffee – the go to pick me up eh? how many cups are you drinking a day – 1,2,5, more? Does it matter? Isn’t caffeine good for you? Yes in small amounts. It stimulates adrenaline production, hence the energy boost, increases heart rate and blood sugar levels. But this is an acute stress response – not something you want to put your body through several times a day! If you want to reduce your caffeine intake here are some tips to give you a caffeine-free boost!

# Cold shower

Ensure your morning shower isn’t too warm – the colder the better. It gets your blood pumping, wakes you up and strengthens your immune system. It’s best to cycle the temperature – start warm and gradually lower the temperature, rinse your legs, arms, then rest of the body and repeat.

# Avoid big meals

Digesting big meals diverts blood to your digestive system, which means less oxygen to the brain and tiredness. If you’re prone to that post-lunch slump then try smaller high fibre, low sugar, meals spread across the day for a steady supply of energy without the overload.

# Start right

Without the morning coffee what should you drink? Try a big glass of water as soon as you get up and continue to drink all day. Try Ice and lemon or cucumber to give you an extra boost.

# Inhale essential oils

Dabbing lemon or peppermint essential oil on your clothing or having a sniff of the bottle will give you a boost! Ensure you’re buying good quality therapeutic essential oils and apply to clothing rather than to your skin.

# Work out first thing

Exercise gives your body a natural boost – producing endorphins and adrenaline (but at a lower, safer level). Try a few bodyweight exercises after you wake – squats, push ups, a few skips etc to give you a boost.

# Other tips include massaging your ears or, according to recent research, belting out your favourite song! Research also suggests that actively learning something new (e.g via podcast, reading etc) can combat the mid-afternoon slump. Finally try chewing gum to increase heart rate and oxygen to the brain, This and the mint flavour stimulates the autonomic nervous system increasing alertness.

Happy Tuesday 🤗 xx