So, who else struggles with that mid-afternoon slump? It can be tough to feel full of energy all day long, (especially in my job!) But we must be aware of what we are doing to fuel our bodies. Those quick fixes are causing more harm than good, so you must be careful about the type of fuel you use.
Energy drinks! Arrrgggggh! Don't get me started! They are pure evil and should be banned in my opinion. I'm now going to rant a little, (sorry) about some of the facts, and after reading this, I'd love to hear if you agree with my opinion. A bit of an unofficial poll!
Did you know that for every 20 once Monster energy drink, it takes 6.3 gallons of water to flush it out of your kidneys. It would take the average person 14 days to consume that much!
Also, for every 20 ounce "sugar free" Red Bull you drink, it takes almost a gallon of water to flush it out of your kidneys. The average person drinks less than a gallon of plain water in 2 days! And that's the "sugar free" option!
Energy drinks hyper stimulate your adrenal glands to increase hydro-cortisone and adrenal production, and then the GABA amino acid comes in to suppress the hyper stimulation so you don't feel jittery. All this extra work for your adrenal glands can lead to adrenal fatigue or crash. The extra hydro-cortisone your adrenal glands are producing makes you resistant to insulin.
Throw in all those artificial sweeteners that energy drinks contain, and your pancreas will be working overtime too. This can lead to weight gain that shows up specifically in the abdomen. All of this hyper stimulation can cause metabolic syndrome, the initial symptoms of which cause hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol. As metabolic syndrome progresses, it can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and nerve damage.
Each energy drink contains anywhere between 40mg to 240mg of caffeine. While that might increase mental alertness for a few hours, high consumption of caffeine has been known to cause irregular heartbeat, anxiety, jitters, increased blood pressure and thickening of the blood. So this could apply to all you heavy coffee drinker too, as well those of you who consume large quantities of Cola, Pepsi and the such.
What I find most terrifying isn't just how many adults this applies to, but all those youngsters I see drinking this stuff!
It's so important to fuel your body correctly by drinking plenty of water, and eating a healthy balanced diet with lots of fresh fruit and veg. It can be difficult to do this everyday, sometimes we need a helping hand. I personally reccommend a range of exceptional products that help improve overall health and well being. I really love their "UpLift" natural energy drink, it helps to give me a boost on those days that are particularly tough.
You can take a look at the whole range by going onto the Nutrition page of my website, and clicking the link at the bottom of the page.
Please take care of your bodies. You only get one chance.
