Stay Energized Without the Jitters: Five Healthy Caffeine Alternatives to Try
Caffeine drinks are a lifesaver for nurses with morning shifts or healthcare workers who need to get through demanding work hours. At best, caffeinated drinks can boost energy and put us in a better mood. However, other times, they can cause shakiness or irritation.
Thankfully, there are different drink options to choose from if you need a break from caffeine. Read on to discover drinks that are more tolerable for you.
Benefits of Drinking Caffeinated Drinks
Caffeine contains antioxidants that can prevent neurodegenerative diseases, and tea has health-boosting properties that fight against the risk of stroke, cancer, and heart disease.
Although caffeinated drinks can give us sustained focus and concentration during periods of drowsiness, too much of it can also trigger stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. This can make us feel too alert and cause jitters within our bodies, Which are even more elevated in people sensitive to caffeine.
Other symptoms of caffeine jitters include:
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Physical shakiness in the body
- Feelings of anxiety and stress
- Inability to concentrate or focus
These symptoms aren’t pleasant to experience and can lead to mistakes at work from too much caffeine in the nervous system.
It’s not just coffee that can cause these side effects— energy drinks with a high sugar content can also cause a physical hangover that may leave you feeling tired and groggy.
Types of Caffeine Drinks That Won’t Make You Crash
Fortunately, there are less caffeine-heavy alternatives to coffee if you don’t want to give up your coffee habit. Try these drinks if you want to switch to a different flavor once in a while.
Black Tea
Drinking tea is a great way to reduce caffeine intake. A cup of black tea contains around 50 milligrams, while a regular cup of coffee contains approximately 138 mg.
There are different types of black tea available. Some you might already be familiar with, but if you go to your local grocery store, you’ll probably find other less common types that you can experiment with, such as English breakfast, Darjeeling, or other artisanal blends.
Chai Tea
Also called masala tea, this type of beverage is like black tea but with different spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamon that give it a soothing aroma. A cup of chai has around 21 mg of caffeine, and its ingredients can aid in digestion and support energy production in the body. The cinnamon and ginger can also reduce insulin resistance and maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
With its low caffeine content, this drink isn’t likely to give you jitters or any other uncomfortable symptoms. Store-bought chai can contain large amounts of sugar, so it’s best to avoid brands that lower the natural health benefits of this tea.
Earl Grey
Earl Grey tea is a popular blend of black tea and bergamot oil. It has a citrus-like flavor with notes of lemon and spice, although the taste can depend on each person. A cup usually contains 40 to 120 mg of caffeine.
Despite being a tasty, well-known tea, Earl Grey tea has few health benefits. However, some pros to drinking it include lowering blood pressure, promoting weight loss, and reducing total cholesterol.
Green Tea
Another type of tea to try is green tea. This drink is more earthy in flavor and has less caffeine than coffee or black tea, at around 35 mg per cup. Several varieties exist, including Sencha, Jasmine Leaf, and other blends.
Matcha
Matcha is a tea with unique health benefits. This drink is created by crushing tea leaves into a fine, thin green powder. If frothed, it’s been described as having a leafy, grassy flavor with a rich texture.
It also has the most caffeine, with one cup containing 72 mg. However, this tea is different because, unlike coffee, which enters your bloodstream quicker, the caffeine in matcha takes time to be absorbed by your body. As a result, you’re likely to sustain energy for extended periods.
Matcha also contains antioxidants that increase energy, fight oxidative damage to cells, and even promote relaxation in the body. Thus, you’ll feel more focused and calm while energized.
If the taste of matcha is too bitter for you, you can mix the powder with milk and honey or try sweeter variations that match your taste preference.
If All Else Fails, Drink Lighter Loads of Coffee
Drinking coffee can be a hard habit to break, so if you guzzle it every morning and regret the caffeine buzz soon after, start with one cup and notice how you feel with a smaller amount.
Another suggestion is to order a latte or a single shot of espresso only. A shot of espresso has 75 mg of caffeine, compared to 138 mg in a cup of brewed coffee. For a cheat sheet on how much caffeine your favorite caffeinated drinks have, refer to this chart by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Caffeine is great, but too much of it can wreak havoc on your nervous system. Incorporating alternative caffeine drinks into your routine can provide the support you need for your overall health so you can continue to care for others with the same dedication and vitality you bring to every shift.
