It’s a sign of the time. We are living an active and busy lifestyle, trying to juggle our work, and personal life at the same time.
Physical energy and mental focus have never been in greater demand than it is now.
And if you landed on my blog, you are probably also looking after your health and trying to work out how to effectively fit it in amongst all your daily tasks and responsibilities.
So what to do to have more energy and focus to handle all that? We all already know that we need to:
- have a clean and healthy diet
- hydrate our body by drinking lots of clean water throughout the day
- be physically active every day
But we also know that our environment is getting more and more polluted and therefore the food quality isn’t the same it used to be; the soil is no longer this organically clean and rich in nutrients which is why our food is lacking a lot of vitamins and minerals.
In order to give our body all the nutrients it needs to produce the energy, we would need to eat excessively which is unfeasible.
What do you do then? How do you increase the level of energy and focus, if the food can’t cover all your needs? My solution to that is supplements.
And not just any supplements but the clean, natural supplements that would be convenient to use and easy to consume.
For that reason my most preferential form of supplements are powders. Why?
Why Use Powder Supplements For Energy and Focus?
Convenience Of Use
They are simply the least processed and easy to add to my daily green smoothie or juice. I am not big on popping pills and find it difficult to swallow tablets etc on daily basis.
Adding powder supplement to a smoothie or a juice that I make every day anyway, doesn’t require any additional effort on my part and is much easier for me to consume.
Taste
Some of you would have been aware that the most healthy supplements don’t taste great (spirulina lovers know what I mean) so having your energetic supplement blended in with your tasty green smoothie would be an ideal solution.
Just like you would have a coffee, I make my smoothie or green juice, add my energy and focus natural supplement and voila!
Tastes great and gives that longer lasting (than coffee) and healthier kick of energy!
Organic
Powder supplements are easily available and also in organic version which increases its nutritional value and confirms purity of its ingredients.
I personally purchase all my powder supplements from brands that have FDA approved organic certificate visible on the supplement packaging.
This way I ensure that I supplement my diet with the cleanest natural supplements, free from heavy metals, preservatives, GMO and other impurities.
This is not always possible/available with other forms of supplements e.g. pills which often require some form of binders or additives to ‘shape’ the supplement’s ingredients and very rarely (to my knowledge) are available as an organic product.
Longer Lasting Effect Than a Coffee
Natural energetic ingredients tend to have a longer-lasting effect on the body due to slow release of the energy that is also less likely to give you jitters (which are sometimes associated with coffee consumption).
5 Best Natural Supplements To Add To Your Smoothie For Energy and Focus (my personal favorite)
Guarana
Guarana is a climbing plant native to the Amazon Basin. It has clusters of flowers and large leaves, but it’s known for the seeds found in its fruits.
The fruit is about the size of a coffee berry and resembles the human eye. It has a red shell encasing a black seed.
Amazonian tribes have been using guarana for many years for its therapeutic properties.
This is because it contains a range of stimulants such as:
- Theophylline
- Caffeine
- Theobromine
It’s also packed with antioxidants such as saponins, catechins, and tannins. Since it’s an excellent source of caffeine, it helps to reduce fatigue and improve focus. That is why guarana is a popular ingredient in energy drinks.
The caffeine in guarana works by blocking adenosine effects in the body. Adenosine is a compound that helps your brain relax. It usually binds with adenosine receptors preventing their activation.
Note here that guarana has high caffeine content (at least 2 x more than a coffee bean) so use it wisely and don’t exceed the recommended dosage stated on the packaging.
Maca
Maca, or the Peruvian ginseng, is an edible biennial plant native to South America in the high Andes mountains.
Commonly available as a supplement or in powder form, it’s been traditionally used to enhance sex drive and fertility.
Maca root powder is highly nutritious and packed with the following nutrients:
- Protein
- Fiber
- Vitamin C
- Copper
- Potassium
- Iron
- Manganese
- Vitamin B6
It also contains a fair amount of dietary fiber and is low in fat. As a popular supplement, it helps you gain muscle, and boost energy.
Maca improves brain function. In fact, Peruvians have been using it to enhance children’s performance in school. It is also claimed to help enhance mood.
Ginseng
Ginseng is a root plant with green leaves in an oval shape, a relatively long stalk, and fork-shaped roots.
Different cultures have traditionally taken ginseng to treat a range of medical conditions.
Today, ginseng helps to stimulate physical and mental activity in people.
It contains saponins and ginsenosides which boost focus. This root remedy gives the brain a temporary nudge by dilating the blood vessels.
It improves blood flow to the brain, revitalizing its cognitive functions. As such, it can help you score top marks in exams or even get better at solving math problems.
Raw Cocoa
The Maya civilization of Central America was the first to use cocoa. Since then, cocoa has become famous for its role in chocolate production.
Cocoa is rich in polyphenols, a naturally occurring antioxidant. It’s also rich in flavanols that contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
As such, it has several health benefits, including improved cholesterol levels. Polyphenols improve brain function and blood flow to the brain.
Flavanols can cross the blood-brain barrier to produce neurons, improving brain function. This reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
The flavanols also have a positive impact on age-related mental degeneration. Frequent intake of raw cocoa in your juice or smoothie will reduce stress and improve your mood.
Last but definitely not least, cacao contains high content of magnesium which plays an important role in boosting energy levels, improving feelings of tiredness and fatigue.
Matcha Green Tea
Matcha is yet another energy boosting powder supplement you can easily add to your smoothie or a juice.
It contains nutrients from the entire green tea leaf which amounts to more antioxidants and caffeine than in the green tea itself.
Antioxidants are super powerful in reducing the damage to the body caused by free radicals and helping our immune system to fight infections.
Matcha is yet another supplement here that enhance brain function, improving memory, attention, alertness and reaction time.
It is also linked to many other health benefits, such as heart health, liver health or some chronic diseases and has positive effect on weight loss.
What Powders To Add To Smoothies For Energy and Focus?
This is something that hopefully you will be able to decide for yourself now. These are the ones I have tried myself and consider helpful in elevating my energy levels whenever I need it most.
Whether it’s physical performance or mental focus I’m after, I will use one of those or a combination of them to get that extra boost 😊.
Having said that, I don’t use these supplements everyday and only save them for special occasions.
Instead, I use alkaline supplements for everyday use and alternate with the above listed ones when I need it most.
Please note the above supplements contain naturally occurring caffeine (some of them e.g. guarana a lot of it).
As with any other supplements you should always consult your medical practitioner, to check if any of those are suitable to you.
Caffeine supplements are not suitable for those who are caffeine-sensitive or pregnant and breast-feeding women.
Related Posts:
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How to Make Green Smoothie With Nutritious Vegan Protein Powder (fast & simple)
