5 Healthy Ways Boost Energy (Without Caffeine)- From a Health & Wellness Speaker
Celebrating Registered Dietitian Day 2025 with a matcha latte… with whole milk, of course!
Skip the Afternoon Crash and Increase Your Motivation with Registered Dietitian’s Top 5 Energy Boosters
As a registered dietitian and health & wellness speaker for corporate events, I know firsthand how many people rely on coffee and energy drinks to boost energy levels. Not only is corporate America sucking down sugary Starbucks drinks on the way to work, they’re taking shots of espresso before meetings and getting through the afternoon with a can of Celcius (yuck!)
That’s why they’re shocked to know that excessive caffeine intake may be contributing to their afternoon slump. Yep, that’s right- too much coffee and energy drinks can actually make you feel more sluggish and want sugar to get through the day!
Caffeine temporarily blocks adenosine, a brain chemical that makes us feel sleepy. Once the caffeine wears off, the buildup of adenosine causes a wave of fatigue! It’s here when one of a few things happen. Either you…
Reach for more caffeine, potentially disrupting your sleep
Crave sugar and processed snacks because they provide quick spikes in energy
Drag through the day feeling like crap (if you don’t fall asleep at your desk!)
Woof. None of those sound like healthy ways to improve your vitality or focus.
Instead of reaching for a second cup of joe or chugging a 5 Hour Energy drink, try one of these dietitian-approved ways to boost workplace productivity.
Eat Balanced Meals Throughout the Day
I’m talking to you, intermittent fasters! While I understand a big breakfast may not be your thing, skipping meals causes your blood sugar to crash. While you may feel OK in the morning because you have coffee or tea to suppress your appetite and stimulate your brain, this crash will catch up to you later in the day in the form of sugar cravings, irritability, or brain fog.
The way to combat this is to fuel with balanced meals AND snacks, consistently throughout the day. (If you’ve read How to Eat Like a Normal Person: A Guide to Overcoming the All-or-Nothing Mindset with Food & Diet, you know how to do this!)
A balanced meal contains the following: a complex carbohydrate for steady energy, a protein for satiety, and a healthy fat for long-lasting fullness.
Complex carbs include rolled oats, sweet potato, sprouted grain toast, fruit, beans, brown rice, and whole grains like quinoa. If you eat a meal with no complex carbs, such sugary cereal or a low carb protein bar, you’ll crave energy later in the day. Typically, you won’t want the foods full of fiber- you’ll want sugar, chips, soda, or refined crackers.
But even a meal rich in complex carbs is not complete! You need to pair these with healthy fats and protein to keep your blood sugar steady (and your hand out of the office candy jar!)
The best protein sources include lean meats like chicken, turkey, or fish, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, beans, tofu, and lentils. Heart healthy fats such as avocado, nuts, and seeds are easy to add to meals. For a list of the healthiest sources of complex carbs, proteins and fats, download my free Build A Balanced Bowl Meal Prep Guide.
I recommend fueling with a healthy meal every 3-5 of your waking hours for steady energy. If you’re not hungry after dinner, don’t feel obligated to eat again.
Get Some Vitamin D!
Stepping out of the fluorescent lights and into the sunshine boosts your natural levels of vitamin D, is a vitamin that can increase energy levels and support new. The vitamin D can also regulate your circadian rhythm, which means regulated sleep and productive days! Plus, sunlight triggers the release of serotonin, a hormone that enhances focus and reduces fatigue.
Live in an overcast climate? Supplement with 2,000-10,000 IU of vitamin D per day. Due to potential risks, I do not recommend using a tanning bed to supplement UVB light.
Try a Nootropic for Mental Clarity
Nootropic is a term for substances that enhance cognition, mental, memory, focus, and creativity. They can be natural or synthetic. Popular nootropics include Lion’s Mane Mushroom, L-theanine, Alpha GPC, Creatine.
My personal favorite is Lion’s Mane Mushroom, which is caffeine free but can be a good swap for coffee. Supplementation with Lion’s Mane supports focus, memory, and brain cell regeneration.
I also recommend creatine to many of my audiences and clients (especially active women). It’s one of the safest, most studied sports supplements that enhances cognition, memory, and mental clarity- even when sleep deprived!
L-theanine offers a calm focus, while Alpha GPC improves focus and learning capabilities by increasing levels of acetylcholine.
(More on Nootropics on episode 180 of The Nutrition Awareness Podcast: Eat for Better Focus & Brain Health)
Drink Your H2O
Did you know even mild dehydration can impair concentration and cognition? I once spoke to a team of semi-truck drivers with Hi-Lite Airfield Services. One of their employees got into an accident while being dehydrated. While their excuse was that they didn’t want to stop their truck to pee at a rest stop, those of us who work in offices or at home have zero excuse!
Combat dehydration by drinking at least 32 ounces of water before lunch and 32 ounces after. Drink an additional 8 ounces for every 15 minutes you sweat.
You can also swap coffee for a low sugar electrolyte drink such as Nuun or Liquid IV.
Pack a Healthy Snack
Who says you need to give up snacks entirely? Not me! If you find you have a drop in energy between 2-4 pm and need a pick-me-up, own it! Bring a snack that contains both fiber and protein- like grapes with cheese, an RxBar, or roasted chickpeas- to refuel your body without refined sugar or caffeine. Who knows- you may also find you have less sugar cravings after dinner when you eat a healthy afternoon snack!
Still Need Caffeine?
If you still want to enjoy caffeine, I can’t blame you. I too love an occasional latte with whole milk. But as you’ve learned, too much caffeine can backfire. Try something less caffeine like matcha or green tea, which 33-88 mg caffeine per cup compared to coffee’s 95-200 mg.
I recommend skipping energy drinks like Alani Nu and Celcius completely- they’re full of artifical junk.
Want to empower your employees with the knowledge and tools to perform at their best? Book a corporate nutrition seminar with Kait Richardson today!
