Everyone needs a little pick-me-up from time to time. Whether it is coffee, caffeinated soda, or energy drinks, people turn to caffeine in growing numbers to give them a boost. Caffeine use has soared in the United States. In fact, an issue of New Scientist reported that about 90 percent of North Americans say they use some form of caffeine every day.
Even more surprising, a University of Nebraska Medical Center survey reported that 75 percent of the children surveyed reported daily caffeine use.
Are we raising kids to be caffeine addicts from the start?
Caffeine is physically and psychologically addictive according to Johns Hopkins Medical Center, which even recognizes that caffeine withdrawal is a disorder.
Caffeine withdrawal symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Flu-like symptoms
- Depression and irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
These withdrawal symptoms can occur in people who consume as little as a single cup of coffee a day.
Effects of Caffeine to the Body
Along with withdrawal symptoms, caffeine causes other physical issues including dehydration, nausea, nervousness, jitteriness, and stomach problems.
Caffeinated beverages may also exacerbate certain health conditions, including:
- Anemia
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Kidney stones
- Osteoporosis
- Ulcers
- Premenstrual syndrome
8 Tips to Get Natural Energy Without Caffeine
It’s clear to me that America needs to cut back on caffeine, but I know how difficult it can be to do so. Along with physical symptoms of withdrawal, people have come to rely on its energy-boosting benefits to get through the day. Caffeine is a form of artificial energy; it’s basically a drug.
For those of you who feel that way, I’ve got great news. You can boost your energy naturally, without caffeine, to nurture and support your body.
1. Cut Out the Caffeine
The first step to increasing your natural energy levels is removing the artificial boost you get from caffeine. If you’re among the 90 percent of North Americans that drink caffeine daily, there’s a good chance you will experience some withdrawal symptoms when you do.
The more caffeine you consume, the more severe those symptoms may be. While that sounds unpleasant, if you take a long-term view of your health, then that uncomfortable week can serve as a means to an end. A week of discomfort can lead to a lifetime of better health, and that sounds totally worth it to me.
You’ll see in time that your coffee drinking was just a habit- and you are stronger than your habits.
2. Get More Sleep
It’s true! You may be lacking in energy because you’re not sleeping enough.
Although there is no magic number, most adults need around seven to nine hours of sleep per night. I admit it… I don’t remember the last time I got nine hours of sleep during the week, but I try to shoot for at least 7 hours.
The National Sleep Foundation reports that about 63 percent of adults don’t get enough sleep. The average adult gets less than seven hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep is associated with reduced energy, poor cognitive function, and increased risks of serious health complications.
If you are sleep-deprived caffeine can actually worsen this effect and lead to worse overall energy levels throughout the day.
3. Start your Day Right with a Glowing Green Smoothie
The Glowing Green Smoothie is a natural energy booster. It is packed with vitamins and minerals, and it doesn’t weigh down your digestive system by sapping your energy to digest heavy foods. The GGS is the best way I know to get your day off to the right energetic start.
I’ve worked with many clients who have cut coffee out or cut WAY back just because they started drinking GGS regularly in the mornings.
4. Eat High-Energy Foods
While many people turn to sugar for an energy kick, it can actually zap your energy. Instead, eat foods that contain beneficial nutrients and complex carbohydrates, which burn slowly to provide great energy without weighing you down. Try super grains like quinoa and millet, a handful of nuts, and eat plenty of colorful vegetables.
Tip: Get the most out of your food by incorporating our Feel Good Digestive Enzymes and SBO probiotics into your routine.
5. Exercise
I know how hard it can be to motivate yourself to exercise, especially when you’re tired. Still, engaging in physical activity can boost energy levels more than stimulants like caffeine. Take a brisk, 30-minute walk early in the day to wake up your body and boost your energy all day long.
Sometimes I just take mini yoga breaks from my computer and my clients. I just do a few poses for 10 minutes at a time on my living room floor. It really helps!
6. De-stress
When you are chronically stressed, your body releases hormones and chemicals that affect nearly all of your systems. While initially, stress may appear to give you a burst of energy via the fight or flight response, as it progresses, stress actually zaps you of energy and produces a host of physical issues including reduced immunity, weight gain, poor blood sugar control, and digestive problems.
Stress control is important for energy. It’s a stressful world, but there are healthy strategies that help you cope with stress.
7. Try some coconut oil
I love coconut oil! Not only does it beautify you from the inside out, but it contains medium-chain fatty acids that supply long-lasting, immediate energy. Coconut oil also supports thyroid function, which can provide a significant energy boost. When I cook with oils, coconut oil is the only one I use.
8. Cacao
Cacao is known for being an excellent healthy superfood. Since you can get coca from dark chocolate, pure cacao, or ceremonial-grade cacao, you’ll get more of the benefits, the closer you get to the prime product.
Cacao contains theobromine, which provides energy and acts as a stimulant, but without affecting your central nervous system like caffeine. It’s also non-addictive because it breaks down in the body twice as slow as caffeine.
Some (not all) cacao varieties have caffeine naturally occurring but at a fraction of the levels of a cup of coffee.
Caffeine Isn’t Needed to Boost Energy
There’s no need to rely on caffeine to give you energy. By following my tips and recommendations above, you’ll be able to supercharge your energy without a cup of coffee or energy drink, and your health will benefit in the process.
The ggs has helped me cut my coffee intake. im transitioning into the blossoming beauty phase and saspect i have candida issues due to gaining 60 pounds in less then 2 years with not changeing one thing in my diet i even gave up all my 42 oz expressos (i drank at lest 4 a day) doctor said blood work looked fine and for the life of me i keep gaining! but i know if i jump right in ill fail so the ggs has helped me kick my biggest demon COFFEE! once i can stop the headaches ill put my new lover ggs to rest till i get to move on to the next phase!! love the book kim its with me always!!! im excited to have new health and no more stomic pain!
That’s fantastic cristal, keep up with it!!
Four 42 ounce espressos? That is simply impossible to believe.
Wow!
I’ve recently been too dependent on coffee and was considering cutting out a bit…
Thanks for the wonderful tips!! Your blog truly is a huge inspiration :D
Thanks Stephanie! And yes, coffee is a big deal. If and when you drink it, do it with respect and never casually. xx
Hi Kim!
I don’t personally think a little coffee a day is a bad thing, but I love that you are featuring alternate ways to feel more vibrant and energized! I definitely need more sleep, and will try a couple of your other suggestions!
Thank you!
Stacy
Hey Stacy- yes, as I said to Stephanie, if and when you drink some coffee, really enjoy it but remember that it is acidic and does have caffeine, so treat with moderation. xx
It is truly difficult for most to give up caffeine due to the unpleasant withdrawal period. You’re suggestions are right on key! I also love Warrior II pose and have felt the longer you can hold the pose the stronger and more alive it will make you feel. I also like your suggestion on the coconut oil; it makes everything taste delicious :)
Hi Kristen, Great! :)
When I do my self practice, sometimes I just do a bunch of Warrior II poses then pashimotonasana (seated forward bend), for about 5 minutes. I love it!
Shanti, Kim
Hi Kim!
Love your blog, I read all the time and try and incorporate as much of your advice as possible into my daily life! I have just bought my first jar of organic coconut oil to replace olive oil in my cooking. It has a consistency more like butter than oil though, is this correct? And do I store it in the refridgerator or cupboard?
Thanks so much!
Karise
Hey Karise! You can store in cupboard.
It will liquify or get solid depending on the temperature of your home- when I bake with it and need it to be liquid for easier measuring I set it near my oven to make it melt. It is the same either way though. xx
I recently cut out caffeine and to make the transition a little easier, I switched to decaf coffee. It was hard at first, but now if I accidentally have caffeine, I get terrible headaches! I seriously don’t miss it one bit and find that I get enough energy from my diet. The GGS definitely helps!
Erin, I LOVE that pic of you. Gorgeous!!!!!!!!!
oooh, using coffee instead of alchohol, ironic, yes? I had given up coffee, but went back on it. Today is 5 weeks without a drink of alcohol, and I am slowly cutting away the coffee. Both spike blood sugar, which my candida loves I will beat it though!
Yes, just keep on the path!!
i love coconut oil, too. but I find the taste very strong and dominating in savoury dishes. Is there any other oil with a neutral taste with similar benefits?
I’ve found if I season my savory dishes with lots of fresh herbs and spices, I can hide it pretty well…but the other thing I do is to cook with vegetable broth at slightly lower temperatures. Sometimes you don’t need the oil like you think you do. Whatever you do, don’t use polyunsaturated vegetable oil!
xx
Kimberly I have your book and have started implementing some of your suggestions, as well as making the green smoohtie as many times a week as time permits in the morning. I have to have an abdominal CAT scan next week and wonder if you have any suggestions to any suppliments I could take before and after the scan to minimize the radiation? As always, thanks for your help.
Sandi, check out my radiation blog!
Chlorella is known as an “anti-radiation” food, as is bee pollen.
Check it out for more info! Be well. xx
Hi Kimberly. I really enjoyed reading your book and I visit your blog often. The only thing that I struggle with believing fully is the food combining principle. For two reasons, the first being that perhaps using food pairing has helped those who have tried it to lose weight only because they are consuming less calories in general by picking just a starch or protein and not the entire meal. Next, A lot of healthy foods contain both protein and starch naturally. Their are hardly any foods that contain just starch or protein which leaves me confused. I tend to feel fine when I mis-combine things. I’m not trying to bash your beliefs about food because a lot of what you say I believe fully and I think you are quite brilliant. I hope you get a chance to read this and respond. Thanks for your time. xo
Hey Mandy,
Don’t worry about all the details of food combining. Just remember this: the main idea is to keep meals as simple as possible to make digestion as easy as possible. So have a salad first, then a “main” food dish with veggies, rather than ordering a complex appetizer (say like chicken skewers) then having a main dish with many components (say then a turkey burger, with bread, turkey and a side of chips) and only limited veggies.
Just try to increase your green/veggie intake at each meal as well, keep it simple and it will benefit you! xx
HI Kim!
congratulattions for this very interesting post.
And it’s all true, I feel a lot better with less caffeine.
I was a very big coffee addict, but since I’m having GGS every morning,
I just don’t want coffee anymore, I don’t need it! so for everyone reading, it’s totally worth trying!!!!
Thing about coffee is that I still love the smell and the taste, so could I have decaf coffee, once in a while?
And some days, when I need a little boost, I have a cup of white tea, is that ok too?
otherwise, I love rooiboos tea, herbal tea or your detox tea when I feel for something warm (I live up north, in Canada, and it,s getting colder…)
thank you
Hi Emilie!
Make sure that decaf coffee is organic- there are different ways to remove the caffeine. Some are water-based, but some use chemicals.
White tea is great sometimes, it is very low in caffeine (around 8 mg).
xx
I have been hearing a lot about coconut oil lately. It really seems to be a great natural product. Do you only use if for cooking or are there other uses for it? Also, does it have a coconut flavor? If it does I don’t know if I could swing it for some of my family members :) Now if I can just get my husband off of the super strong coffee maybe he would have more energy and feel great to boot.
Thanks so much for the great information!
HI Victoria!
I use it as my main body lotion as well. But on a little at a time to let it absorb into your skin. You can hide the coconut taste generally…if you are careful with your seasonings, and use things like garlic, ginger and onion.
I love it !! xx
I put coconut oil in my tea every day (3x day) and it definitely gives me a boost. coco oil x vitamin c have almost totally healed my candida, hypothyroid, and adrenal issues.
What do you think about CieAura and the juice plus supplements? Also, Im 25 and my body is not producing progesterone so I am extremely estrogen dominant. Any foods that may help with hormonal balance (ps. Im vegan so I do not eat dairy)?
Thanks for everything you do!
hi kimberly, i love your blog and have gone back and read most of your older posts. i cant wait to pick up your book. i have a question though. i eat very healthy and have celiac so no gluten… but i recently realized i have some mild candida issues. i added three things to my (in my mind) already healthy diet: hot water with lemon, a green smoothie like the ggs, and a probiotic… tonight, i noticed that my tongue has turned black. could this be a symptom of detoxing?
at first i felt very fatigued and achy, but that passed and today i felt great. but noticing this puts a real damper on my spirits. i don’t know if it means that i am worsening my candida issues, or detoxing. thanks so much, and thanks for creating this awesome blog
Hi Asha! Thank you.
Make sure your GGS is low in sugar- use low sugar fruit like green apple only or stevia to sweeten. I’ve had clients that have had things expelled out of their tongue- which could be a function of toxins moving up your alimentary canal from areas of higher concentration to lower concentration. It sounds like you are making truly fantastic changes which have really helped a lot of people with Candida! I also recommend eating more Probiotic & Enzyme Salad (raw sauerkraut). xx
Iv’e been working towards cutting out coffee. I have gone from about 1-3 cups daily to about 2 a week. I had a headach for about 3 days but its subsided and if I go a day without coffee I dont event notice anymore. And I feel alot better after making it over those initial days of withdrawl.
I love it when people hit their goals! That is just fantastic. Habits can be overcome. And good for you for being strong!!
Kimberly,
Have you ever tried or suggested Tecchino in place of coffee. It’s alcalining and absolutely delicious. Once in a while when coffee sounds good, I drink a hot cup of tecchino. It’s wonderful with alittle coconut milk or almond milk
Great! I don’t drink it myself, as I’m a huge tea fan, but many have told me it helps them. :)
Hi Kimberly,
I just ordered your book and can’t wait to read it.
I’m 40 years old and need to loose about 40 pounds. I do cardio about 30 minutes a day and eat healthy, but still can not loose weight. I was just put on Vitorin, and I have hypoglycemia. I look good for weighing 174, but my doctor said I should weigh about 135. I really want to take this weight off.
Please help!
Thank you,
christy
Hi Christy! Losing weight is really important to being truly healthy, so it’s great you are exercising more and looking to make more dietary changes!
Check out the book and start making the GGS. Let me know how you do!
xx
I tried to cut out coffee, the longest period of time was 2 month’s. I just felt terrible without it. I eat very very healthy and exercise regularly, but without coffee I just felt drained all the time. So I went back to drinking it again.
It takes time to break caffeine habits, but in time they too go away! xx
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Hi Kimberley I’m your new biggest fan from the uk, I have been doing the smoothies for over a week, it takes some time to get used to! But it is starting to get really cold over here and after the smoothie around 11.30am I start to get hungry that is when I would usually grab a coffee which would keep me going til lunch- any ideas to keep hunger at bay? Thankyou x
Started the detox diet almost two weeks ago and love the way I feel with one exception. I’m having difficulty sleeping. Do you think there’s a connection? Any suggestions?
Hi Kimbely,
What is your opinion about drinking kaffree Roma (roasted grain beverage caffeine free) instead of regular coffe? (I found it in a whole food store)
Looking forward for your opinion
Thank you
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How long does it take for the effect of the smoothie to kick in? Today is my second day and I do not feel more energy. Am I doing somthing wrong?
i wouldn’t beable to do this at all, i have been drinking coffee as long as i remember i cant just cut out coffee out of my life, i have tried but i get a really bad headache because of not having it. i get 6 hours of sleep, and i excerise so i dont know what to do, i try to eat healthy as i can as i go and i am a calm person yet none of this works.
I quit drinking coffee and started smoking meth and have all the energy I have ever needed!!!
LOL
Hello all, please help me start a new thread with a related topic.
I quit my, up to 5 coffees a day habit i had for about 8 years, by transitioning to Green Tea for about 2 weeks and then switching to chamommille tea.now i only drink chammomille tea and i”m off caffeine for good!
i didnt get any withdrawel symptoms at all becuase green tea contains caffeine still, and somehow going from green tea to chamommile tea didnt cause any withdrawel either! try it if you have a bad caffeine habit.
thanks Kimberly for your book, blog and inspiration!
Everyone loves it when folks come together and share opinions.
Great site, keep it up!
I have tried to stop drinking caffeinated beverages, and I could not do it “cold turkey”, so now I am doing it very, very gradually over a two month period of time. I find I am starting to sleep better, and so far my stress/anxiety is about half of what it used to be when I was drinking a lot of coffee, etc. Hopefully, in about another month I should be off of caffeine. It is extremely hard to do, as I had smooked cigarettes a lot when I was younger, and I have found caffeine, (at least for me) to me more addictive than cigarettes.
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