Admittedly, caffeine transforms me from zombie to Superman. I used to need a cup of coffee to get me going in the morning and energy drinks throughout the day. However, the jitters, anxiety, and sleepless nights outweighed the positive effects of caffeine. Thankfully, I found suitable caffeine-free alternatives that provide natural energy all day long without the crash.

Why I Quit Energy Drinks and Coffee

Many reasons made me decide to go caffeine free. They were all health-related decisions. I still love the syrupy flavors of my favorite soft drinks or the bittersweet aroma of a fresh cup of coffee. However, the negative effects of caffeine started to get to me.

It’s Addictive

I don’t like anything being in control of me. Technically, caffeine is a drug, and it is addictive. Caffeine acts as a stimulant.

Sure, it perks you up during the day. However, experts suggest that coffee consumption late in the day may disrupt your sleep.

Using caffeine all day will inevitably make you feel tired in the morning. When midday grogginess hits, you up the amount of caffeine you drink. This reaction creates an endless cycle of dependency on energy drinks and coffee.

Caffeine Withdrawal

Relying on coffee isn’t the only way I ended up becoming addicted to caffeine. I had physical symptoms of caffeine withdrawal in the mornings whenever I stopped coffee consumption.

Caffeine withdrawal symptoms always started off with a headache. I’d also get agitated and slight jitters. Natural alternatives to coffee don’t have these withdrawal symptoms.

Added Ingredients

Consuming energy drinks is like attending a candy store buffet. Just one can of Monster contains 54 grams of sugar.

Ingredients in energy drinks tend to be artificially flavored. Research suggests that artificial dyes and flavorings may cause hyperactivity in children.

I believe hyperactivity had a lot to do with the jitters that coincided with consuming energy drinks and coffee.

Top 5 Natural Alternatives to Coffee

Not consuming energy drinks wasn’t too hard. Kicking that daily first cup of coffee to the curb is what hurt the most. Thankfully, I found these natural energy alternatives. They provided me with far more benefits than the effects of caffeine ever did. I hope they do the same for you, too.

1. Water

Most of us turn to soft drinks or Red Bulls when we feel tired. Being tired doesn’t mean you need caffeine; it might mean you’re dehydrated. Just a mild case of dehydration may trigger bouts of moodiness and fatigue.

It is recommended that you drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. For an extra energy boost, try buying an infusion pitcher. That way, you can cut up organic lemons and place them in the pitcher.

Drinking lemon water first thing every morning provides electrolytes to your empty stomach. Electrolytes are natural energy for cells that are responsible for producing your energy.

2. B-Vitamin Complex Diet

B-vitamins are natural energy sources. They provide vital cells and organs with the vitamins necessary for proper functioning.

• Vitamin B1: Metabolizes food and regulates heart function.
• Vitamin B2: Energy booster that maintains red blood cells.
• Vitamin B3: Helps convert carbs into sugar (natural energy).
• Vitamin B5: Also helps convert carbs into sugar.
• Vitamin B6: Maintains metabolism, liver, and nerve function.
• Vitamin B7: Helps support function of adrenal glands.
• Vitamin B9: Also helps convert carbs into sugar.
• Vitamin B12: Essential for central nervous system function.

You can purchase supplements that contain B-vitamin complexes. However, there are plenty of nutrient-dense foods booming with B-vitamins.

Consider adding some of these foods to your plate as natural alternatives to coffee:

• Vitamin B1 – Whole Wheat Pasta, Soy, Spinach, Lettuce, Legumes
• Vitamin B2 – Legumes, Chicken, Eggs, Broccoli, Dairy
• Vitamin B3 – Salmon, Chicken, Whole Wheat Pasta, Legumes
• Vitamin B5 – Avocados, Broccoli, Kale, Potatoes
• Vitamin B6 – Eggs, Dairy, Legumes, Red Meat
• Vitamin B7 – Egg Yolk, Liver, Avocados, Pork, Salmon, Almonds
• Vitamin B9 – Leafy Greens, Liver, Legumes
• Vitamin B12 – Animal Fats, Dairy, Nutritional Yeast, Fortified Plant Milks

Need a midday pick-me-up? Instead of consuming artificial ingredients in energy drinks, opt for whole foods. Get natural energy from your lunch. Order a spinach salad with grilled salmon or chicken.

Also, take lunch into consideration when preparing dinner. Make enough whole wheat pasta with chickpea meatballs or pork roast with sweet potatoes for leftovers.

3. Sleep More

Getting more sleep seems counterproductive to producing natural energy. However, a lack of sleep is why I was on cup of coffee #4 by noon.

Chronic stress is a major cause of missing sleep. Under stress, we create too much of the hormone, cortisol. Excess cortisol slows down the production of our sleep hormone, melatonin.

I also had trouble sleeping, thanks to LED lights on my Smart TV. Its blue wavelengths tricked my mind into thinking the sun was rising. Turns out, this misunderstanding can halt melatonin production.

Watching TV was a case of unwanted natural energy! So, now I turn off all devices one hour before bed.

I also started using an all-natural sleep supplement, Sleep Fast. Sleep Fast is a melatonin spray. It’s fast-acting, offering support to my natural melatonin production. Best of all, I have caffeine-free energy when I wake up.

4. Exercise

Sitting idly as you feel tired is the definition of complacency. How are you supposed to not feel tired if you don’t change what you’re doing?

Physical activity helps create natural energy. Instead of grabbing a cup of coffee, take a walk around the block.

After all, exposure to sunlight is extremely helpful for human health. It is the most natural source of vitamin D.

Vitamin D soaks through the skin and provides a natural energy booster directly to our cells. More outdoor time will have you feeling more revitalized than any amount of caffeine!

5. Aromatherapy

Essential oils are the best-smelling natural alternatives to coffee. Plant extracts have a lot of therapeutic molecules.

When we inhale essential oils, these molecules enter our nasal cavity. Here, they meet our olfactory bulb.

The olfactory bulb heavily influences our central nervous system. It interprets messages sent from essential oils and relays them back to the brain.

Some essential oils trigger stimulation. In turn, we feel natural energy without the negative effects of caffeine.

Essential oils that promote alertness include:

• Peppermint
• Lemon
• Orange
• Bergamot
• Eucalyptus

Diffusing or sniffing it straight from the bottle can give you a natural energy boost. Using essential oils like lavender, chamomile, and ylang-ylang at bedtime are also great for getting your sleep back on track at bedtime.

Now I’m Caffeine Free

Once I stopped guzzling coffee and consuming energy drinks, everything else fell into place. Finding natural alternatives to coffee improved my sleep and anxiety. I found the right mixture of lifestyle changes, foods, and supplements to create natural energy all day long. You can do it, too!

Key Takeaways

• Consuming energy drinks and coffee is addictive and may result in caffeine withdrawal.
• You don’t always need caffeine, sometimes you’re dehydrated.
• Coffee consumption can mess up sleep patterns, fixing them can help you kick caffeine.
• Aromatherapy, exercise, and B-vitamin complexes are all natural alternatives to coffee.