Energy drinks have infiltrated every corner of the quick grab-and-go beverage industry in our lives. This type of beverage is now found at the grocery store, beer and soda outlet, the corner store, gas stations, fast food outlets, sports arenas, and even from the soda machine sitting on a street sidewalk in front of a storefront. Almost anywhere you stop, if cold drinks are served, many selections of energy drinks are usually part of your selection.
What Is The Purpose Of Energy Drinks
Do you remember when energy drinks were first introduced to the market? In those days, all of the advertising of these drinks was targeted for individuals which commonly played in high-energy sporting events as an electrolyte booster. The ads promoted the philosophy they could help you maintain endurance during any type of strenuous workout. Most of your major sporting events were targeted because of the stamina and endurance needed to sustain high levels of energy from the beginning to the end of the game. Over time, the advertising/marketing started including everyday laborers such as landscapers, roofers, road and building construction employees because of the high heat and long hours in the full sun. Energy drinks were touted as an easy way to stay hydrated during those long hot summer days. With time, there was another marketing shift. Electrolyte boosters and hydration beverages became known as Energy Drinks. Nothing had actually changed in the products themselves, it was just a shift in advertising focus. This shift of focus brought an entire new market of consumers.
How To Sell To The General Masses
Do you need energy? Are you tired? A few hours at work and you just seem all worn out but only half the day is gone. Or did the long boredom of another day at school drag you down so much you now need a quick lift in spirits - or Energy? The entire population grabbed a hold of this marketing campaign. Adults who spend all day at desks, kids at school, the workforce itself, whether they are white collar, blue collar, CEO's or the sick or elderly. Everybody needs energy! Now they sell it for us right from a bottle! Drink one bottle and within 15 to 30 minutes your body already is on a new high. Your mind works quicker, you are more energetic, your step is lighter. You realize you just feel so good. That bottle actually works. You can hardly believe all these advantages just came from a bottle. But, did anyone ever stop to wonder why?
Reading The Ingredient Label
One of the common denominators of a quick high in the body is a fast dose of carbohydrates. Carbs equals energy. Carbs also means sugar to your digestive system. Sugar in its many different forms comes inside that bottle. But no one went ahead and read the ingredient label to figure that out. All they really know is the stuff really does work. Tomorrow they will do it again because it took that edge off and made the time go so much faster - at least for a while. After 2 to 3 hours, the "crash" started again. Tired, sleepy and getting sluggish. That clock just will not move. The hands are froze in place on that dial. You would think by now it would be time to go home and yet the clock says there is still 1 to 2 hours to go. Should I have another drink and hope for more energy? If I don't, in a couple of hours it will be time to go home and who wants to leave work feeling like the "walking dead".
The Process Of Digestion and Excess Sugar
Feeding your body a quick dose of carbohydrates will raise your blood sugars. This results in that quick rush of energy. Your body feels "psyched." But after several hours the sugar rush is wearing off but your blood sugars are still high. Your body was never able to process that extremely large dose of sugars you fed it the last time. Now you are sitting here contemplating feeding it another bottle all over again. That will be twice in the same afternoon. Now, if you are lucky you will get off of work (or get out of school) and be able to hit the basketball courts for a game with the guys. Or maybe it's riding your bike, playing a round of golf or any other type of high aerobic activity. All of that exertion will help wear off those extra high blood sugars, hopefully before dinner time. But for a diabetic with early stages of complications, just the act of walking becomes difficult at times. Who do you think is going to do some heavy exercise? Dinner has come and gone and your medications still have not been able to keep up with all those extra high doses of sugar from this afternoon. You have already had dinner and those foods actually drove it even higher. Your body is now paying for the mistake of drinking too many sugars this afternoon but your mind is beating yourself up because of the guilt. The numbers on your glucose meter are enough to show you that you really screwed up this time.
What's A Better Alternative
There is times when even a diabetic can have an electrolyte imbalance in their system. Maybe it was from mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, a trip to the beach, an afternoon out bird-watching. Almost anything in the hot sun can lead to dehydration. But how can you fix this without reaching for one of those high sugary energy drinks? This situation now needs to be approached in stages. Depending on the severity of your condition, start at the top of this list and work your way down. Each step adds just a little bit more recuperative power, but the total effect is no where near the amounts of excess sugars in just one of those energy drinks. Losing and needing electrolytes means your sodium - potassium - and carbohydrate levels in your system are diminished. This can often happen easily after a strenuous workout or a day in the sun (sweating). Excessive thirst, tight and parched throat and skin, mild sunburn, plus any of the normal symptoms of too much heat and sun leads to a case of dehydration.
Start your recuperation with a tall cool glass of water. Water is the best rehydrater there is for the human body. Every single part of the body is dependent on water for its normal functions.If you are still thirsty and feel parched after the water, add an electrolyte inducer - a fresh piece of citrus fruit (not the juice). Peel an orange, lemon or lime and eat each of the segments or squeeze the lemon or lime into a glass of plain water and drink it down.
If you were so hot and sweaty with tired achy muscles you can actually rejuvenate faster by skipping step 2 and stirring yourself up a sugarfree sports drink. Drink a glass and repeat in approximately 30 minutes if you are still leaning towards exhaustion.
The absolute best electrolyte replenisher comes directly from the fresh coconut. Split a fresh coconut and pour off the water inside (the inside of a coconut is water, not milk like most people assume) and drink this. If you aren't into splitting coconuts, check your local health foods store for 100% coconut water. This type of drink is up to 15 times greater in the quality of ingredients than you will find in one of those bottles of sugary sports bottles.
So the next time you need one of those energy boosters, head towards your own kitchen, grab a quick orange, peel it,and you will still receive the benefits of a quick electrolyte boost without all the added sugars and dyes found in all store bought versions. Or stirring up your own quick drink will save you time, money and the guilt complex you obtain by uncapping that one bottle of Energy Drink.
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