3 What's in Your Cup?

Are you a die hard coffee drinker or do you raise your pinky in the air and sip on a nice cup of tea? What we drink in the morning can impact the rest of the day as well as the environment. Did you know that one of the best ways to get a quick spurt of energy in the morning is not to down a cup of coffee but rather to drink a cup of apple juice?

The main ingredient in coffee (and some teas) is caffeine, which acts as a stimulant that gives you a false feeling of energy. You go from being sluggish to FULL OF ENERGY but then your body will crash as the caffeine wears off and you will go back to being sluggish. This is why people drink multiple cups of coffee a day, every time they get that sluggish feeling they reach for another cup. The amount of caffeine in your cup varies based on the type of coffee and tea you are drinking but coffee can have anywhere from 27mg to 415mg and black tea can range from 40mg to 120 mg. Green tea has less caffeine at 15mg to 75 mg.

I drink coffee on the weekend and tea during the week and I do notice the difference in my energy level. I always find like I have more energy during the week than I do on the weekends. A few months ago I even made the switch from regular black tea (with milk and sugar) to green tea (with nothing in it) and that made the biggest improvement in my energy levels. Yes it could all be in my head but I feel like I have way more energy in the morning now that I am drinking green tea and also because I have cut out that little bit of sugar.

I have talked about water consumption and food before. Did you know it takes130L of water to produce 1 cup of coffee and 30L to grow tea leaves for 1 cup of tea? That means making the simple switch from coffee to tea each morning will save 100L of water a day in your personal water footprint.

Another option to coffee and tea is making yourself a smoothie. It is simple and quick and is a great way to get nutrients in the morning. If you need to add protein in your diet (and specifically to your breakfast) then make sure you include protein powder or almonds. I like to add spinach to my smoothies too! My favourite is simply just throwing a banana and whatever berries I have into a blender with some almond milk and some spinach. I keep bananas that browned in the freezer specifically for use in smoothies!

What do you drink in the morning? Do you think it impacts your energy level throughout the day?

Go Green Get Fit Status
Fitness - At the gym today Katie showed me that I don't keep my back/shoulders flat when I do a sit up. Time to work on that!
Strength - I want to work on my triceps this week.
Food - Bought a ton of new veggies at the market. Can't wait to incorporate them into dishes.
Me Time - I went computer free Friday night - Sunday evening and it felt great.

Go Green Get Fit Blog of the Week - Stephanie at Good Girl Gone Green *check out her awesome smoothie recipes! 

Related Posts - Check them Out

Fueling your Body 

Decoding Meat

Tim Hortons - Say it Ain't So