"Know your energy drink"

"Most people who are prescribed a drug ask about the side effects, yet people happily consume a beverage with ingredients they can't pronounce". I thought this was funny because it is SO TRUE!!


I found this quote on an article from ABC news which discusses the fact that you should "know your energy drink". The articles main focus was to talk about how energy drinks and the hot weather of the summer are NOT a good mix! It discusses the physical dangers of drinking these drinks in the summer because if you are participating in strenuous physical activity, it can cause you to collapse or even suffer a heat stroke ( not a risk I'm willing to take!). The article also tells of a company which produces the energy drink EndoRush who openly states that one should not consume an energy drink if they are unsure of their physical health condition without contacting a physician first. If the producers of these drinks know of the danergous effects, why still create them!? One last thing I found to be interesting about this article was the part where it discussed how often, these plants that these companies use, are really not natural and healthy like some may assume. Companies often claim these ingredients, such as Guarana, to be natural and coming from plants to make them sound as though they are found all over and that obviously if they come from nature, they must be somewhat healthy (or at least not bad for you). But, instead, this is just a way for the company to make more money, because honestly, who is going to buy a drink they know has the worst health risks for them?

Spike Shotgun Energy Drink

Warning: Recommended use is to begin with one 1/2 can daily to discover tolerance, never exceed one can per day. Caution: This product contains strong stimulants and should not be combined with any other stimulant or weight-loss supplement or medicine.

Would you drink something that came with a label like that? The drink is called Spike Shooter, and it is an energy drink supposedly unlike any other. The back of the can then continues with another warning that states:

Warning: Do not use if you are under the age of 18 or elderly. Discontinue if you experience dizziness, headache, nausea, or heart palpitations. If you have trouble sleeping, do not take within 6 hours of bedtime. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

The drink also continues to warn against use with prescription medications or if you have any serious health conditions. Honestly, who would drink that!? I personally would NEVER try that. Well, I was reading articles about this dangerous drink and came across an article about a highschool students who had this and had to go to the hospital from falling over, stomach aches, and seizure. Apparently, this drink also has a chemical called yohimbine which is said to increase sexual performance? How can a drink that causes seizures possibly increase sexual performance? The article I read also states that we need to take notice that drinks like these are available for young kids to buy despite the labels, where we have laws prohibing the sale of tobacco and alcohol to minors. I feel as though drinks like Spike Shooter should also have an age of 18 necessary to purchase.

Here is a link to the article if you want to read more about what happened to these students: http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/7391636.html

Organic Energy Drinks

Is it good for you? Supposedly. The organic energy drink that is becoming popularized is called Syzmo. Apparently, it is good for you because it is low on the Glycemic Index. Apparently, food and drinks that have a low number on the GI scale, release sugar into the bloodstream at a steady rate throughout the day. This makes it so you have less mood swings, more energy, and leaves you satisfied, so you are more likely to eat less. Drinks/food that are high in this tend to give you a rise in blood sugar and run you down (AKA most other energy drinks).
Syzmo comes in 6 different flavors!!
1.Blue Agave (and that is great because agave is known for having antioxidants!)
2.Coffee Fruit (definitely sounds like a flavor I wouldn't really prefer)
3.Green Tea Extract (another great way to get antioxidants)
4.Caffeine
5. Guarana Extract (maybe not so healthy?)
6. Yerba Mate Extract

It prides itself on having no artificial preservatives, no refined sugar, no artificial flavor, and no artificial colors. Unfortunately, since this is such a new thing, the website provides no information of where you can purchase syzmo yet, it is "coming soon".

Check it out! http://www.syzmo.com/

Energy Drink Recipes

While doing some research I came across some energy drinks you guys can try and make at home! This one site had a couple I liked so here they are:

This first one is one for a chocolate energy drink (interesting?). These two energy drinks I'm going to post recipes for arefar more healthful than a can of Monster. They actually have real fruits so you're getting NATURAL energy.. not an energy drink from caffeine or other unhealthy addatives...

1 tbsp of cocoa
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp of vanilla
2 cups of milk

Mix well and serve.

This second one is one full of fruits! It is my favorite because it contains frozen strawberries (my favorite fruit!). Enjoy!

1/2 cupof frozen strawberries
2 tbsp of honey
1/3 cup non fat dry milk powder
2 long peach halves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup of ice cubes

Place all ingredients (except icecubes) into a blender, and blend until fruit is pureed. Then, add icecubes and continue blending until ice is finally chopped.

I'll provide the link to the site if anyone is interested in looking at some of the others. #3 on the list seems a little more of a traditional energy drink because it involves ingredients you may need to buy at GNC. Take a look! There are about 6 different types of energy drink recipes and further down the page are even recipes for energy bars!

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,energy_drink,FF.html

Free Energy Drinks

So, Monster was handing out free coffee flavored energy drinks last week across campus. Obviously, being on such tight budgets being college students, who is going to refuse a free drink? One of the top concerns though is having college students being the targeted group for these products, because it is common to find students mixing energy drinks with alcohol. This is dangerous because as we all know, alcohol is a depressant and often makes you tired or drowsy. An energy drink is a stimulant and is meant to give you a boost with that extra shot of caffeine. This can cause an immense amount of health risks, and can "slow reaction times and slow motor functions". Studies have also shown that energy drinks can increase blood pressure and also heart rate, and long term effects are still unknown. If we are trying to promote a healthy lifestyle among students, then why are college campuses allowing these energy drink vendors to hand out free samples to students?

5 hour energy

I can't believe how much energy drinks have really come along these last few years. I mean, a shot of energy in a tiny little bottle? Really? I don't understand, why settle for a small shot that doesn't really taste THAT great when you can have a whole can of an energy drink that tastes just like soda and has the same effect? To me, the 5 hour energy shot seems almost like taking medicine. A quick fix that doesn't really taste good. The only benefit I'm seeing here is that supposedly the energetic boost lasts longer than that of a regular energy drink. Also, the "crash" that occurs after a regular energy drink is supposed to be either limited or non existent with the 5 hour energy shot. I was doing a little bit of reading on the energy shot today and apparently there is a chemical in it called niacin. This is a type of B-vitamin that makes you feel flushed and warm, and can be quite uncomfortable, but the company puts the chemical in the drink to let the user know that the drink is having an effect on their body. Yuck! I wouldn't want to take an energy shot at the expense of feeling like I'm having hot flashes. Why not just get a healthy boost of energy from exercise?

Relaxation Drink?

Okay, so I know I'm supposed to be writing about energy drinks, but while I was looking at some websites I came across a new type of drink called the relaxation drink. It is supposed to have the opposite effects of an energy drink. Instead of increasing stamina, they supposedly are meant to reduce stress and put the body into a calming state. One brand of this drink is called "Drank", how original, and it contains Valerian Root, Rose Hips, and Melatonin to "relax the mind, body, and soul". There IS a warning label on this drink saying that it may cause drowsiness to prvent people from drinking it just before driving or performing some other kind of labor. I had never heard of "Valerian Root" before so I looked it up and apparently it benefits those who suffer from "anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, mental strain, lack of concentration, stress, chronic headaches or migraines, and even bladder control issues". The drink is more commonly seen in the south, however, it is slowly making its way to New York City. I'm sure we will find it around Boston soon enough! Apparently, the creator of the drink says that he got his influence for making the drink by hip hop artists who need a more calm and relaxed lifestyle. Many hip hop artists have died from mixing together cough syrup, soda, and other such ingedients which have the same side effects of "Drank", only I'm hoping this relaxation drink is a bit safer.

Here's the link to it's website if you're interested: http://www.drankbeverage.com/

Death by Caffeine

There is a website out there called Death by Caffeine. It is a joke site (obviously) but I'm going to provide a link for it anyways. Apparently you can put your favorite energy drink and your weight, and it tells you how many cans of that drink you can consume before the caffeine inside will kill you. So here's the link: http://www.energyfiend.com/death-by-caffeine

Apparently, it would take 69 cans of Amp Overdrive to be the death of me. Interesting.