Pick-me-up: These Remedies Get Your Body Going

Many people cannot get going in the morning without coffee or black tea, and caffeine is usually the drug of choice against tiredness during the day as well. But there are also good alternatives, which we present to you here.

Coffee and alternative pick-me-ups

If we grope our way out of bed in the wintry darkness, we first need something to wake us up. Coffee is the number one pick-me-up drink. The caffeine it contains, which is also found in black tea, has a stimulating effect. The ritual of drinking coffee is also a pleasurable experience that has a positive effect on our mood. This makes the start of the day easier for us and we also trick the notorious “soup coma” after eating in the canteen. The versatility of coffee with its many specialties such as cappuccino, latte macchiato or Scottish coffee does the rest to place the pick-me-up at the top of the popularity scale.

Drink and eat against the drop in performance

But what do you do if you don’t like coffee, you don’t like it or you just need a little variety? Then there are healthy drinks as an alternative. Spicy and acidic liquids in particular are effective stimulants, even without caffeine. Hot water with ginger, a switchel or smoothie and fruit juice spritzers with lemon will help you overcome a performance slump. Enjoyed cold or warm, green tea also has a slightly stimulating effect. A small snack can also banish tiredness. As brain food, fruit, vegetable sticks, some chocolate or nuts provide an energy boost that improves the ability to concentrate.

How much coffee is healthy?

In healthy people, consuming up to five 125 milliliter cups of coffee throughout the day is harmless to health. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, women should not consume more than three cups (150 ml each) a day, as unborn children and infants also absorb the caffeine it contains, but break it down much more slowly than adults. If you suffer from certain diseases, you should discuss coffee consumption with your doctor.

You can even cover part of your daily fluid requirements with the popular hot drink. Because, contrary to what was long believed, coffee does not remove a significant amount of liquid from the body. Although ingredients such as caffeine stimulate the excretion of water, regular consumption leads to habituation and thus to a reduction in the draining effect.

However, how much coffee is recommended can vary greatly in individual cases. Because the roasting process of coffee releases substances that stimulate gastric acid production, people with a sensitive stomach can be prone to heartburn or stomach and intestinal problems. These people often tolerate coffee types that are prepared on an espresso basis much better.

Because the caffeine it contains stimulates the circulation, very sensitive people can have problems sleeping – especially if they still consume coffee in the afternoon or evening. Anyone who already suffers from high blood pressure should discuss with their doctor how much coffee is safe for them personally. A good alternative, in this case, can also be the consumption of decaffeinated coffee.

Incidentally, regular coffee does not lead to permanently high blood pressure in healthy people: the stimulating effect wears off after around half an hour. If you drink coffee regularly, after two to three weeks the caffeine will only have a minor or even no effect on your blood pressure.

It has also not been confirmed that coffee increases the risk of developing certain types of cancer. On the contrary: there are scientific findings that indicate a protective effect against certain types of cancer through the polyphenols contained. However, the research is far from over here. Only the risk of esophageal cancer can increase through coffee consumption, which, however, can be attributed less to the ingredients than to the high drinking temperature and thus applies to all hot drinks. If you let your coffee cool down a little before drinking, you don’t have to worry about this either.

Exercise and power napping

You can get your body moving even without eating or drinking. A simple pick-me-up home remedy is exercise, if possible in the fresh air. A short walk in the midday sun awakens the spirits, especially in winter. In the morning, endurance sports such as jogging or a short workout with yoga or fitness exercises get the circulation going and drive away tiredness. During the day you can open the window in the office and do a little gymnastics. Maybe you also have the opportunity to take a short nap – power nap in German – and then go back to work fresh and rested. In this country rather the exception, the short sleep in Japan is quite natural.