When you are engaged in regular exercises or physical activities, you will need energy and stamina to keep you going during the exercise and for the rest of the day. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that any energy drink can be good for you; energy drinks which contain herbs and excessive amounts of caffeine can be detrimental to your health. You should use an all natural energy drink instead.
Here are a few good reasons why you need to avoid energy drinks that contain herbs and high amounts of caffeine:
1. You will not know if herbs are sprayed with pesticides because energy drink manufacturers are not required to include it on the label.
2. Energy drinks that contain high amounts of caffeine can cause dehydration especially when you mix it with alcohol.
3. If you are under medication, you cannot take drinks that contain herbs because it might cause a deadly reaction.
To be on the safe side, you need to drink natural energy juices. Aside from being nutritious, they can also give you sustained energy that lasts for long.
Here are a few natural energy drinks that you should take before and after a workout:
1. Banana and fig smoothie
Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
3 sun dried figs or raisins
1 tablespoon natural honey
1 cup of water
Direction:
Mix all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Store the smoothie in the refrigerator before serving or add a cup of ground ice to make the smoothie more refreshing.
Bananas are rich in potassium which helps to energize you and protect you from muscle cramps. Figs are loaded with natural sugar to boost your energy. Honey contains fructose and glucose. It is one of nature’s natural sources of quick and lasting energy.
2. Carrot juice
Carrot juice is available in juice stands and snack bars. You can also make your own carrot juice with the use of a juicer that you need to purchase.
Carrots help to provide you with energy. They also protect you from arthritis because it contains natural chlorine. Its vitamin E content also helps to enhance the performance of your muscular system by improving your body’s ability to utilize oxygen.
3. Green tea and honey
Drinking green tea with honey is an effective way to boost your stamina. Study shows that people who drank four cups of green tea extracts daily for 10 weeks had gained a 24 percent increase in their endurance when performing athletic activities.
Post-workout natural energy drink
1. Orange juice with rock salt and lime juice
You will naturally feel exhausted or worn out after each exercise or physical activity. In cases like this, you need to drink orange juice sprinkled with a small amount of rock salt. This can help to restore your energy. You can also add a teaspoon of lime juice to help your body cool down after a workout.
When you need an energy boost, you should opt for the all natural energy drinks because they provide nutrition and power that lasts. Manufactured energy drinks are artificial. They cannot help you produce natural energy.