Do you often find yourself at work reaching for a can of Red Bull before the clock has even struck midday? Or perhaps you lose count of the number of cups of coffee you have to get you through the day?
Well there are much better drinks to choose when you want to re-energise while in the office and below are five of the best. While many may feel hard done by when watching the constant whiskey drinking of staff in the popular series Mad Men, alcohol isn’t the best way to combat fatigue and is best saved for post-work socials or the weekend rather than during the workday – so don’t expect to see any of that in the list!
Instead, stock up on the following liquids and you’ll be able to keep on going until well past the clock strikes home time.
Licorice tea
Arguably one of the best, yet under-appreciated, herbal teas you can drink – licorice has a long list of health properties with its usage going right back to the beginnings of Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. The Roman legions used it to increase stamina and endurance and remember, this is the lot who used to have epic gladiator fights.
What’s more, if you’re trying to ween yourself off sugary drinks, then this is a great substitute as it’s naturally sweet. Any good health food shop or supermarket with a range of herbal drinks will stock licorice tea so it shouldn’t be too hard to get your hands on.
Smoothies
We’ve all experienced that post-lunch crash, the tired, sluggish, hazy feeling that takes over your brain and makes you wish away every second until the end of the working day comes around. Well, by taking advantage of nature, you can banish that feeling with the right combination of goodies blended into a smoothie.
While some smoothies are packed with fat, sugar and calories, others are super-nutritious and can provide you with the energy and focus you need to push on through until 5pm.
A smoothie made with bananas, almonds and super-healthy seeds like chia and hemp (which are neutral in taste but high in omega-3), will help to increase brain function and make you feel more alert so you can easily concentrate on demanding tasks.
Water
There are lots of proven benefits to drinking water at work – let’s start with the fact that 85 per cent of our brain is water and we depend on a constant flow of the stuff to help keep us ticking over nicely.
Water deficiency of even two per cent can cause the brain to slow down and lose focus, but when the body and brain are hydrated, they will feel refreshed and able to perform to their full ability.
Drinking water at work, therefore, is a no-brainer – it’s critical for productivity and mental alertness and if you’re one of the many millions of people who spend hours staring at a computer and/or performing complex tasks, then H2O should be your best friend.
What’s more, as dehydration is especially common in the workplace – where people often favour diuretics such as coffee and tea – drinking water should be actively encouraged by employers.
Green Tea
Packed full of antioxidants, there isn’t much this wonder drink isn’t good for. After all, it’s a national drink of Japan and people from there are renowned for living a long, healthy life.
As the key ingredients in green tea leaves can burn fat into fuel, the drink serves a dual purpose that many people will love – it helps with weight loss while at the same time helping to boost energy levels and increasing metabolism.
What’s more, green tea provides similar hydration benefits as water and unlike breakfast tea, doesn’t act as a diuretic so won’t leave you dehydrated.
Coffee
Coffee, so good yet so bad at the same time – it couldn’t be omitted from this list for that very reason.
The pick-me-up of many an office worker, just the thought of it can have psychological effects and boost your production without even having a sip. But remember – what goes up, must come down and if you indulge in too much caffeine, you’ll hit a low that will leave you wanting to curl up in bed.
However, coffee does have a number of health remedies, including buffering depression and lowering the risk of mental health issues, which is why a cup a day is nothing to be sniffed at.
