How to Boost Your ENERGY Without Coffee (or Caffeine)


Starting your morning without coffee or caffeine makes it a challenge to boost your energy the remainder of the day.

That used to be me. 

I would wake up tired, power through the morning with a cup of joe, eat a heavy lunch, and be a complete zombie in the afternoon.

I would get brain fog, have anxiety when talking in groups, and couldn’t pull coherent thoughts together when speaking to anyone.

After getting home and eating dinner, I’d instantly fall asleep on the couch.

This shouldn’t be happening to me. Not yet. I’m only 34.

So how in the world did I break out of this perpetual slump?

I decided to take control of my life, removed the toxic behaviors out of my life and added some healthy, life changing habits.

This resulted in a complete 360 degree turnaround of how I felt, inside and out.

So what did I do?

Well I’ll tell you. Here’s:

How to Boost Your ENERGY Without Coffee (or Caffeine)

STEP 1 – Boost Your Energy Without Coffee by Removing Sweets

If you’re intent on removing coffee, you need to also remove sweets. Last February I decided to make a very difficult decision. I removed almost all of the processed sugar out of my life. I was an ice cream addict. I would eat a carton of ice cream a week. It’s one of my favorite past times. Cookies and cream, cookie dough, cherry garcia. I couldn’t get enough. I would go to Sonic for their half priced cheese cake shakes.

I decided enough was enough. I stopped eating ice cream, eating the donuts that people would bring to work, and drinking the 3-4 sodas I was having per week (I still have to have the occasional Dr. Pepper).

Once I made the decision to remove processed sugars out of my life, I instantly had more energy throughout the day. I slept better and I wouldn’t fall asleep on the couch directly after dinner.

I knew I had a major problem and I finally made the decision to take processed sugar out of my life, a decision that you should make too. It’s well worth it.

STEP 2 – Boost Your Energy Without Coffee by Adding B-Vitamins

Ever heard of a b-vitamin shot? It’s one thing people take on a weekly basis for energy. But you don’t need a shot to get your b-vitamins. They can be found in dark leafy greens, fish, eggs and many other foods.

They can be taken in supplement form as well. One of my favorite B’s is B-12. B-12 helps with red blood cell formation, supports bone health, improves mood and depression, improves brain power and boosts energy.

One of the things that led me to taking B-12 supplements was the need for more energy, and the need to curb one of my biggest fears which is talking in groups.

I get massive anxiety if I know I am about to talk in front of a group of people. I get tunnel vision and can’t come up with anything intelligent to stay. I hate being put on the spot.

How did I get over this?

B-vitamins, and more specifically, B-12 was the cure for my anxiety. One of the best studies I have encountered was one about a 57 year old woman whose symptoms included anxiety, constipation, lethargy, and thoughts of suicide and depression. She was given electroconvulsive treatment and medication for her ailments. That didn’t work. Little did they know, she was deficient in B-12. Once they identified this and started treating her deficiency, her conditions, which had been causing her physical and mental pain for 14 years, melted away. 

B-12 is a great vitamin by itself, but if you include the rest of the B-vitamin team, you’re going to get:

  • Increased energy levels
  • Proper nerve function
  • Healthy brain function
  • Cell health
  • Growth of red blood cells
  • Cardiovascular health
  • Muscle tone

I can’t stress enough on the benefits of the B-vitamin cocktail.

Try these Vitamin B12 Liquid Drops


STEP 3 – Boost Your Energy Without Coffee by Exercising

Regular physical activity increases blood flow to your brain and body, improving your cardiovascular health, allowing more blood and oxygen to get to circulate through the body.

Take 15 minutes out of your day and exercise. Exercise is one of those things that actually release the fun and “feel good”chemicals like serotonin, endorphins and yes, dopamine. 

People often report feeling a “high” after exercise and can become one of the healthiest addictions for your mind and body. One study suggests regular, low intensity exercise like yoga or inclined walking can dramatically reduce sleepiness and rev up energy.

I’ve been exercising my entire life. I make it a priority to work out over my lunch break. I don’t go to lunch with others. I don’t skip days. I make sure this time is used for my work out and nothing will get in the way of this time.

Schedule this time in your day. Whether its morning, over lunch, right after work, or during one of your night time shows, make sure it gets done.  You can get an entire workout done in 15 minutes. I like to refer to these as express workouts. You can get the core of your workout done in 8 minutes if you put your workout together in a smart and efficient way.

Click HERE for more information on express workouts.

STEP 4 – Boost Your Energy Without Coffee by Getting Your Greens

Ready to boost your energy without coffee? Start with some dark leafy greens. Dark leafy greens are the rock star in the health world. Spinach, kale, broccoli, and cabbage are just some examples of the nutritional powerhouses you should start adding to your daily health regimen.  They are packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. The benefits of dark leafy greens are endless.  Try to add as many dark leafy greens to your salads. You can also add these to your own smoothie.

Here is one of my favorite smoothie recipes:

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup green tea, chilled
  • 1 cup loosely packed cilantro
  • 1 cup loosely packed organic baby kale or spinach (or another baby green)
  • 1 cup cucumber
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • ½ avocado
  • ½ green apple
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

Once I started adding smoothies to my meal routine, I found an instant boost of energy. It’s not an energy you’re going to get from an energy drink, it’s a longer sustained energy.

Find the time to make a smoothie in place of a meal, as a mid-day snack, or even better, right when you wake up to get your day started in the right direction.

Try this list of 15 Super Healthy Superfoods for some added nutrition and flavor.

STEP 5 – Boost Your Energy Without Coffee by Sleeping!

The average American gets approximately 6.8 hours of sleep a night. Personally, I need 8-9 hours of sleep and that’s going to be different from person to person. I know when I get the 9 hours of sleep, my body feels much more energized, my mind is sharper, and I wake up ready for the day.

It’s the Wednesday’s or Thursday’s when I have accumulated 7 hours/night of sleep the past few nights to find it catching up to me and my energy levels start to suffer. One study shows an increase in ATP levels during sleep (ATP is known as the “molecular currency” of intracellular energy transfer, ATP is able to store and transport chemical energy within cells).  This provides molecular evidence that an important function of sleep is related to providing the brain with increased energy stores.

So if you’re lacking that energy throughout the day, you might consider checking in with the sandman a little earlier than usual.

Summary: How to Boost Your ENERGY Without Coffee (or Caffeine)

Energy is hard to come by when everything and everyone around is you trying to take it away. If you exercise and pay attention to the foods and vitamins you’re putting into your body, you give yourself a much better chance of being able to power through the day, take hold of how you feel, and boost your energy naturally. Your body’s energy is going to determine your productivity levels, your mood, and your happiness.

Take hold of your life, increase your energy and raise it to new levels!

How do you get your energy? Do you use healthy means or do you have to use synthetic unhealthy sources to get your energy? Let me know below!!

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