Everyone who knows me would know that I’m a crazy coffee addict. My coffee binge record would be 8 cups in less than 10 hours. But as we all know, too much of something is bad for our body. Coffee isn’t that different either.

Oddly enough, while I did initially start taking coffee for the need of caffeine to keep my adrenaline pumped up throughout the day, I eventually grew out of that craving. Instead, I began appreciating coffee exactly for what it is: Coffee. The dark bitter river saturated with caffeine and a rich roast aroma (does that even make sense?).

Sadly, old habits are hard to break. I still need my caffeine boost, and while I am shying away from coffee over consumption…I still need my caffeine boost. Previously, I would drink at least 3 cups of coffee per day (which is bad). Gradually, I had cut it down to one cup per day (bad, but still okay I guess?).

There were times where I would do my very utmost best to avoid coffee. It worked…for a couple of days. Then I’m back to savouring the yummy goodness of coffee. Of course, control is the key all the same. So no more than one cup for me!

Even so, I still needed alternatives. Everyone needs alternatives. It helps keep things balanced somehow. Not to mention fun, since you get to explore the many ways to overcome the caffeine addiction 😛 (wait, am I rambling about coffee or caffeine again? Oh well! It should definitely be about caffeine!). So here’s a couple ways I have developed to put a hold on COFFEE without putting a hold on an energy boost.

5 WAYS TO BUZZ YOUR MORNING WITHOUT COFFEE

Number 5: Coke Zero

 

Probably the cheapest method (and thrill) to get your energy boost is by consuming Coca-Cola Zero. Not exactly a healthy option but it does give you the right buzz. Do this only if you’re trying to skip coffee desperately from your system.

I like: Adding a slice of lemon into my drink for that extra sour bite

Number 4: Fruit Juice

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right? Well, fruits do help give you an awesome boost of energy as well. Try a blend of apples, oranges and carrots for your wake up call. Need a zing? Add a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice in and a dash of zest if you like! Or if you’re not the type to wake up early in the morning to concoct your blend, get your fix at the nearest Boost Juice or Juice Works instead. Or any of the artisan juicery like Juice Me (Penang), The Organic Juicery (Selangor) and Juicy Retreat (Klang Valley).

I love: Brekkie to GoGo (Boost Juice) and Wake Me Up (Juice Works)

Number 3: English Breakfast Tea

Did you know that black tea contains 40-70 mg caffeine per 240ml cup? That’s approximately half the amount in a cup of coffee! So if coffee isn’t your thing, try this bitter swill for a change. I love EBT, not only because it contains caffeine but because I love tea in general! I just wish Earl Grey had equal amount of caffeine in it too lol.

I enjoy it with: A dash of honey and a drop of Peppermint Essential Oil to keep me refreshingly awake 😀

Number 2: Fresh Fruits

Can’t be bothered juicing up those fruits for your energy boost? Then grab a couple of washed fruits to munch on-the-go. My fave are apples, cause they’re really sweet, juicy and crunchy. Another option would be a banana; it gives a terrific pack of energy to help you going on for the day. Top it up with some peanut butter and you’re in for an awesome healthy snack!

What I like: One Banana, One Apple, a couple of seedless grapes.

Number 1: ISAGENIX E+ Booster

My new fave, literally. These shots were introduced to me by a friend and in all honesty, I’m hooked! Well, not ‘addicted’ sort of hooked. These small babies (approximately 59ml per bottle) has enough caffeine to keep you boosted for almost one whole day…with minimal side effects (hint: remember how crazy you had gotten when you took a can or half-can of Red Bull or Monster Energy…?). I’m on Day 4 with this little rascal, and so far so good! I won’t say it’s terrifically awesome, since I’ve been immune to anything that would give me an energy boost via caffeine…but it does help by a lot! Instead of getting random energy crashes (which is bad, real bad. Red Bull caused me to slump by my desk for a whole hour after my energy level depleted 2 hours after consumption) I could feel my energy level stabilize throughout the day. I rarely yawn, I rarely zone out. My focus is back on, bay-beh!

Now like all drinks, there is usually a bout of side effects that’s bound to appear. Interestingly enough though, none for me so far. A friend claimed that this drink gave him a boost of happy hyperness, while another claimed (and acknowledged by friends) that he became ultra zen throughout this period. My man, though, fell asleep 7 hours after consumption (he took a catnap in office to recharge) but nothing worse than that.

I guess the only ‘negative’ side effect for me is that I tend to yawn still (tiredness) even after taking this? Not exactly a side effect, but it sorta defeats the purpose of having an energy booster if it doesn’t boost your energy up hahaha. But it does keep me focused instead of my eyelids slooooooooooowly drooping down in front of my laptop or notepad. So that’s all good for me 😀

Now, this drink is originally meant for those working out. I can see why though, it does help stabilizing your energy levels to make sure it doesn’t falter along the way. But I don’t work out. I work in (office). So as an office junkie, I’d give my thumbs up on this 😀 plus it is relatively cheap too…well, cheaper than me heading to Starbucks anyway.

Flavour: Apple Raspberry & Pomegranate Flavour

Taste: Like cough mixture, with a hint of minty aftertaste. Sounds disgusting, but it’s not so bad really.

Contains: Water, apple juice concentrate, herbal extract (Lera complex), raspberry juice concentrate, pomegranate juice concentrate, sweet berry mint flavour, yerba mate extract, green tea extract, stevia extract, D-ribose

Consumption: One bottle per day, two bottles maximum. Try finishing it off at one go, but if you can’t it lasts up to 72 hours when refrigerated.

Pros:

• Not as sweet as your typical energy drinks out there.
• Contains natural sweetness (Stevia) instead of artificial sweeteners.
• There’s no sudden spike of energy before a massive ‘crash’, your energy level will deplete gradually over time.

Cons:

• Because of the Raspberry flavour, the drink is like consuming cough mixture (tastes somewhat like Benadryl to me, only slightly sweeter and less artificial lol)
• You’ll get hunger pangs more frequently. This drink increases your metabolism rate, which in turn affects your hunger level. A silver lining to this is that at least hey, you get to eat more with less guilt! Of course, be moderate about it, k? 😉
• You can’t take coffee anymore (it’s a con for me cause I love my coffee SOBS)
• DO NOT CONSUME IF you’re suffering from heart problems, low blood pressure or high blood pressure.

Notes:

• This energy booster isn’t available in-stores at the moment. But if you’re keen to try it out for yourself feel free to ping me on Twitter or Facebook and I’ll direct you to where you can grab some for yourselves 🙂
• Price not stated. Please ask me privately for the pricing, cause I’m not too sure if I’m at liberty to state it out publicly.
• I am in not endorsed to write this review. All thoughts, opinions and photos are mine. I have purchased Isagenix E+ for my own usage, hence the personal review.

So that’s my take of avoiding over-consuming coffee. What about you? 😀