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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Sept 23 2010 at 12:17pm | IP Logged
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I stopped drinking caffeinated drinks years ago. At the time, they were too costly, gave me jitters, and upset my stomach...besides, I had energy to burn. I want to look anew at this decision in light of my new season in life - which requires a lot of physical and emotional energy just when my body is slowing down! I would love some help brainstorming options...
Do you drink anything in the morning to get energized for the day? What? Do you find this part of your morning ritual helpful beyond physical energy...perhaps emotionally cheering? (I'm picturing ladies swooning over their favorite cup of coffee.)
Do you drink anything for a midday pick-me-up? I really dislike soda but am starting to see why so many people get hooked on cola and Mountain Dew. And what about all those "5 hour energy" type drinks out there?
At the end of the day, what do you drink? Is it less about physical energy and more about winding down and gaining emotional energy via something soothing, relaxing, and enjoyable like a glass of wine?
And...
How do you keep the costs of these drinks/rituals low?
ETA: How do you keep calories down?
Thanks!
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Sept 23 2010 at 12:54pm | IP Logged
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Well, I am a coffee addict. BUT, you might try black tea (with milk and sugar of course) in the morning. The ritual is refreshing, and then you can do it again in the afternoon.
ETA: I meant to add that it isn't quite so addictive as coffee such that you would get headaches and the like if you skipped it. And, not that you can't drink coffee in the afternoon, but if you would still like a bit of a boost without so much caffeine, it might be a good alternative for you.
I also drink an Emergen-C every morning. I feel like it helps me get hydrated right away, and the vitamins are a bit of a boost, too, and I think it helps ward of colds and such. Its not something I would choose for its taste alone, but it is pretty good, and my sister managed to overcome a *serious* Dr. Pepper addiction drinking it instead for a boost.
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Lindsay
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hylabrook1
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Nice cool, clear water. And caffeinated beverages, but only one cup of coffee each morning or else my hands get a bit shaky. Black tea. I think the break to sit and sip the tea is probably as much of what revives me as the tea itself. 
Peace,
Nancy
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KC in TX
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I have found I need caffeine in the mornings to get moving now. I drink no more than 2 cups of coffee. I try to do it half-caff, but lately, I've needed to do full caffeine. A friend of mine takes the energy boosting vitamin in the afternoon.
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Sept 23 2010 at 1:51pm | IP Logged
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Back to the drawing board...I found this chart on caffeine content of different beverages.
Quote:
Double espresso (2oz) 45-100 mg
Brewed coffee (8 oz) 60-120 mg
Instant coffee (8 oz) 70 mg
Decaf coffee (8 oz) 1-5 mg
Tea - black (8 oz) 45 mg
Tea - green (8 oz) 20 mg
Tea - white (8 oz) 15 mg
Coca Cola (12 oz can) 34 mg
Pepsi (12 oz can) 38 mg
Barq's Root Beer (12 oz can) 22 mg
7-up (12 oz) 0 mg
Chocolate milk (8 oz) 4 mg
Dark chocolate (1 oz) 20 mg
Milk chocolate (1 oz) 6 mg
Ben & Jerry's Coffee Fudge Frozen Yogurt (8 oz) 85 mg |
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I already drink green tea (not realizing it had as much caffeine as it does) and tolerate it well, so I'm going to step up to a cup of black tea in the morning and/or afternoon AND not miss my green tea (which I've been slacking off on as of late.)
Thanks for reminding me about the EmergenC, Lindsay. I take it during flu season twice a week so when I have it on hand, it could be a quick alternative.
KC, I really need to consider the fact that I may *need* caffeine/other energy to give me a boost. As a life-long morning person, it is unnerving to wake up tired  especially without the purposeful reason of having a little one keeping me up at night.
I'm all ears...(or would it be "eyes"?)
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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MicheleQ
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Coffee and/or tea. Believe it or not there are a lot of studies lately that show coffee is good for you.
Calorie wise I don't add anything to my tea and only half and half to my coffee (I use a little less every so often so as to get used to the taste without so much cream).
Water is a good pick me up too because often we are dehydrated and don't realize it.
At the end of the day it's usually a nice cup of tea (reg. ole Lipton is my fav.) Tea is one of those caffeine drinks that also has a sedative effect. VERY soothing.
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Sept 23 2010 at 2:00pm | IP Logged
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MicheleQ wrote:
Coffee and/or tea. Believe it or not there are a lot of studies lately that show coffee is good for you.
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I believe it. My guess is that I was over drinking coffee and then, for me, it was easier to give it up completely than to drink moderately. I have a much more moderate outlook now and much more ability to act moderately than I did when I was younger  .
I do drink a lot of water and agree that without it, I literally wither.
Love,
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Angie Mc
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JodieLyn
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caffiene may actually make you feel more tired when you're "off" the caffiene.. so like when you wake up.. because you don't sleep as well with any of it in your system and like with any drug.. you reset your "norm" and need more to get a boost out of it.
You might also try some herbal teas for relaxing in the evenings.. those will help you sleep better.. whereas something with caffiene.. even if you still go to sleep without a problem may make your sleep less restful.
You might look into your blood sugar levels and ways to help those stay level (rather than up and down a lot).. and to give yourself a good boost in the morning.. a small cup of juice along with some good protein for instance (if you don't have blood sugar issues) can boost your levels up and the protein will stabilize them.
oh and on barq's root beer I believe that information is old.. I know it had caffiene added ~20 yrs ago but I've checked more recently and it is now caffeine free. I check everything because caffeine gives me migraines.. I have a very low tolerance to it now.
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hylabrook1
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NO!NO! I refuse to believe that about the Ben and Jerry's Frozen Yogurt! I feel that I neeeeed Ben and Jerry's!
Peace,
Nancy
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Sept 23 2010 at 3:26pm | IP Logged
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Yep, eating a tub of frozen yumminess is the answer to my low energy needs !
How about the caffeine nap? I already take a daily power nap so plan to give this a try...but with black tea for now.
Love,
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Angie Mc
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: Sept 23 2010 at 3:39pm | IP Logged
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Angie Mc wrote:
How about the caffeine nap? I already take a daily power nap so plan to give this a try...but with black tea for now.
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I have done this several times (with coffee) and it works great!
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Michele Quigley
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MicheleQ
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I see that article says to take a 15 min. nap but I have always read that 20 minutes is the best power nap time AND that it takes 20 minutes for the caffeine to get into your bloodstream so I do 20 min.
Either way, it does work well!
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Michele Quigley
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Grace&Chaos
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I've always really been a coffee drinker, but in the last couple of years (during pregnancies) I tried to switch to teas. I found Culinary Teas after having a Tea Party for my dd. I ordered the Chocolate Rasberry Truffle for us moms and I was hooked . They are loose leaf teas and very yummy. I have tried several of their variations and haven't been disappointed yet. My latest most favorite is their White Chocolate Spiced Chai  (I have to admit as of late coffee still wakes me up the fastest and I find myself slowly returning to it )
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Mackfam
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I drink some caffeinated/luxury drinks because they're enjoyable pegs to my day:
Morning cup of coffee...au lait (with cream, and sugar). I enjoy my one cup of coffee as a gentle way to start the day - it's warm and invigorating. I enjoy it with my morning devotional reading.
Afternoon cup of tea or hot chocolate...often by about 1:00 - 2:00 (strictly enforced quiet time for the littles here) I'm feeling a bit stretched from the day. I enjoy a cup of tea or hot chocolate (different varieties for different seasons of the year) and I like rewarding myself with a small treat.  In order to limit/moderate my afternoon teatime treat, I only take what will fit around the exposed rim of my teacup saucer. I enjoy dark chocolate, and I really enjoy dark chocolate or milk chocolate covering something happy  like almonds or berries. I get a little boost from this afternoon treat...not sure if it's from the caffeine, or the mental treat of chocolate...or both - but it's a definite treat that gives me a stretch of energy into the afternoon!
Glass of wine... while cooking dinner or relaxing in the evening with my husband. This is more of a wind-down/de-stressor/relaxer than an energizing drink.
I do enjoy soft drinks occasionally but not regularly (more for the sugar than the caffeine). We treat ourselves to soft drink Sundays here, allowing everyone a soft drink with their lunch/dinner.
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Jen Mackintosh
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4Real Forums : Our Lady of Good Remedy and Care
Topic: ENERGY: What do you drink?
