Energy Drink Nutrition:
The Dangers You Need to Know and the Best Choices Instead
Many people are turning to energy drinks like Red Bull to help them
last through the day and on into the night. What you might not know
is that "energy drinks" can actually make you more tired after
their effects wear off.
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It's four o'clock and you need a little "kick." Trying to be healthy,
you choose an energy drink Instead of some coffee.
Energy drinks like Red Bull, Full Throttle and Spark taste good (according
to many people, at least) and seem to be "energy in a can." Plus
they often have herbal additions that make us think they are healthy.
But are these energy drinks actually good for you?
Energy Drink or Energy Drain?
Energy drinks are a new alternative to coffee and sodas. These drinks claim
to boost mental alertness, enhance your metabolism, and increase endurance.
Generally, different brands of energy drinks contain roughly the same ingredients
that give you a temporary energy boost.
Some common ingredients of popular energy drinks include:
- Sugar
- Caffeine or guarana (a Brazilian plant that contains caffeine)
- Herbal supplements like gingko biloba, Echinacea, ginseng, and St. John's
wort
- Amino acids in the form of taurine
While these substances may seem fairly harmless, the two main ingredients
of energy drinks, sugar and caffeine, are not the quick energy fix they seem
to be.
In fact, relying on sugar and caffeine sends your body into a cycle of
dependency that can seriously harm your health, cause you to age quickly and
make you fat and mushy.
Energy Drink Nutrition: The Real Deal
Sugar
Sucrose, the kind of simple sugar in energy drinks, spikes your blood sugar
and gives you a sugar high. Soon enough, you'll come crashing down and your
body will tell you that it needs another dose.
Excess sugar in your diet has been linked to:
- Diabetes
- Cavities
- Obesity
- Premature aging
- Low serotonin levels (that actually cause more sugar cravings!)
- Upsetting the balance of microflora (good bacteria) in your gut
Read more about sugar and its effects on your body in The
25 Key Reasons You Want to Dramatically Reduce or Avoid Sugar in Your Diet.
Caffeine and Guarana
Caffeine and guarana (which contains caffeine) are both stimulants.
Like sugar, they energize your body temporarily. As your body becomes
accustomed to energy from caffeine, you begin to need it in order to function.
Caffeine has a profound effect on your endocrine system and the rest of your
body.
Here are some affects of caffeine1:
- Acidifies your blood
- Increases cortisol
levels (which contributes to fat storage around your midsection)
- Can inhibit healthy sleep patterns
- Causes an increase in adrenaline that can leave you feeling agitated and
jumpy
Creating Lasting Energy
Since energy drinks are NOT the answer to your fatigue, how can you energize
yourself the healthy way?
When you feel the need for a boost, try an energy drink, but make it a healthy
energy drink!
First of all, the simple act of drinking water can give you energy,
since dehydration
can cause fatigue. Even more important is paying attention to the health
of your adrenals
and thyroid, which are your true sources of energy.
We need energy to feel good, and just as critical, we need energy to heal.
The Body Ecology program helps you boost your energy by nourishing your
adrenals and thyroid, plus removing the pathogens that sap your energy and
create illness. Pathogens, like bad bacteria and yeast, can overload your
intestines, drain your energy and set you up for illness and disease.
How does this happen? Poor diet, chronic stress, environmental toxins and
drugs (over-the-counter, prescription or recreational) all contribute to the
growth of bad bacteria and yeast.
In short, our modern lifestyle habits put us at risk.
You can change the course of your health by making some simple changes.
One excellent change is to stop reaching for so-called energy drinks and start
reaching for probiotic
liquids.
Probiotic liquids are fermented drinks full of healthy microflora
that can re-colonize your intestines and shut out the bad guys that sap your
energy. They help you digest, boost your immunity and give you the long term
energy that does not require a "quick fix."
Body Ecology's Probiotic Energy Drink
- Mix 4 ounces of a probiotic beverage like Cocobiotic or Dong
Quai with 4 to 8 ounces of filtered water (or sparkling mineral water
for some fizz that rivals those energy drinks!).
- Add Stevia to taste.
- For a fruity flavor, add unsweetened lemon, lime, cranberry or black
currant juice.
- Enjoy your sweet, fizzy drink and feel the natural boost of energy, without
raising your blood sugar or relying on caffeine!
Mix Body Ecology's fermented drink, Cocobiotic,
with Stevia, water and lemon or lime juice for a delicious and energizing
spritzer!
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- Choose from these probiotic beverages as the base for your healthy
energy drink:
- Dong
quai
- Cocobiotic
- Young Coconut Kefir
which you can make at home
- BE Wholegrain
Liquid
As you transition your body away from unnatural stimulants like sugar and
caffeine, you will discover that your body has its own natural rhythm and that
you can create long-term energy based on the healthy lifestyle and food choices
you make.
Energy drink nutrition can be one way that you take care of yourself and
your health. Drink up!
Sources:
Scott, Elizabeth, "Caffeine, Stress, and Your Health: Is Caffeine Friend
or Foe?"
http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/caffeine.htm
Safe Use of Energy Drinks
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/prod/energy-energie_e.html
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