Hidden Downsides of Caffeine and Sugar for Energy
When we're tired, run down, hungover or just feeling a bit meh, what do we go for? That tasty pastry, that hazelnut, extra cream, marshmallow cappuccino? And why not, they taste great, suspiciously great.. until you check the calories in your favourite pumpkin spice treat & then feel a bit guilty, and by the time you've done that it's gone cold, plus left you £5+ down. Anyway, this isn't a rant about the price of coffee or spiel on calorie counting. We're here to make you feel better in your daily life, not worse for indulging in the odd brownie (which are always my guilty pleasure)
The point being, these thing taste amazing, look amazing & for a short time give you the spike needed to get through that meeting, that gym class or pick you up after a big night out. A caffeine hit can last about 3-5 hours (longer in my case & 100% keeps me awake long into the night if I indulge after 12pm). A sugar hit surprisingly only lasts about 20 minutes. Now what these clever treats are designed to do is have you wanting more, spending more, and keeping up this cycle until you're completely hyped up & over stimulated (as any parent will know too well from a 5 year olds sugar rush)
Here are 4 ways how caffeine & sugar can trick our bodies
1- Caffeine blocks adenosine, a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation and sleepiness. This delays the feeling of fatigue, by making us feel more alert and awake in the short term, but really just pushes the fatigued feeling down the road until the caffeine wears off
2- Consuming caffeine, especially later in the day, can interfere with sleep by reducing total sleep time or sleep quality, leading to fatigue and lower energy the next day
3- Sugar prompts a rapid insulin response to regulate blood glucose, this creates a quick but short-lived feeling of energy before a potential "crash" as insulin brings blood sugar back down, meaning we end up going back for more than we intended- hand's up if anyone can identify with that - that's me
4- Consistent high sugar intake can contribute to insulin resistance, reducing cells' ability to utilise glucose for energy efficiently, which may cause chronic fatigue and low energy over time - exactly the opposite of what we're looking for
So, if these effects are so short lived, and we know they can have adverse effects, why do we keep buying them? Well they're convenient, taste good as we know, they're ingrained in our society as part of our culture, and that's no bad thing. However the biggest reason (IMHO) is the lack of alternatives.
The whole reason I started Catalyse Life Drinks was to upgrade our regular mood altering products with a refreshing, unique alternative. As you'll see from the range, we've got a blend for whichever health goal you're looking for - Relaxation, Immunity, Energy & Beauty.
Mayi - The Energy Blend is our unique infusion of Vanilla, Green Tea (vegan safe honey flavouring) & African botanicals. Within this is a concoction of vitamins & adaptogens that are designed to help our bodies convert food into energy, not just for the 20 minutes when we're drinking it, but all day long.
Mayi contains 100% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin B6, B12, D3, Vitamin C - all of which are fantastic at helping us utilise the macros from our food. We've also included some Reishi Mushroom in the mix which helps us regulate our internal responses to external stressors, and what that means is, the more regulated we are internally, the less ups & down's we experience, and therefore less cravings.
I won't pretend I never touch cakes or mocha's, that just wouldn't be true. However, since incorporating Mayi into my life, be it before a meeting, before the gym, on a night out, my energy levels have been so much higher, and my sugar consumption is significantly lower (as is my calorie intake). So if you fancy a bit of that, then head to the Shop page, check it out & let us know what you think!
Bye for now,
Eirian x