Rockstar Energy
Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 07:17:07 AM PDT
Last week I had a stomach bug that seriously effected my usual coffee-caffeine intake, mainly because I can't drink coffee without cream of some kind and dairy? was not my friend. So on our way to my cousin's 6th birthday party (where DH and I are expected to be those really cool adults that keep up with the kiddies) I picked up my first RockStar energy drink.
With the exception of the jäger bombs my co-workers and I would slam down after a long day at work (assuring we could stay up and sing bad Karaoke at the bar) I had never tried an energy drink before that day. Yesterday I bought a case of them. Oy, I think I'm in trouble.
So I decided to do a little research to see if my heart would suddenly explode from my chest while I'm trying to put out the latest work fire drill project. The short summary seems to indicate energy drinks are just like any other caffeinated drink- they give a temporary boost, they aren't sports drinks and won't be particularly hydrating, you have to make sure you monitor your daily intake and if you get the sugary ones, you're gonna get fat. And pretty well every article talking about the "health effects" ends like this onedoes:
Get adequate sleep, exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet. These strategies not only will increase your energy in the short run, but also will help you maintain your overall physical and mental fitness in the long run.
Well thanks SOOOOO much Mayo Clinic! I had NO IDEA that just getting some more sleep and eating right and all those things that take the time I currently DO NOT HAVE would help so much!
If anything, my new obsession drink is making me a little more aware of some things. I am drinking a LOT less coffee, which is something I'd like to get away from anyway. I would say, over the past 2 years, the majority of my weight gain has been from drinks. When McD's came out with their iced coffees I thought they were heavenly until a quick look-up noted that they had 8 grams of FAT and around 200 calories. The new Sweet Iced Tea is over 250 calories. So I make sure to choose the diet Rockstar with no carbs and very limited calories. One can is 2 servings, so I make sure I only get 1 a day, and I treat it like a 3pm treat. I've been working out on my lunches, so I enforce the water rule before and after. I'm probably never getting away from caffeine. When I first got pregnant I told the girls at work I was giving up diet coke to "lose weight"- three weeks later I found a case of the pop on my desk with a note "for everyone's sake, drink some damn coke." Apparently I'd been a tad cranky. My Dr. gave me the go-ahead for limited amounts so I never truly gave it up past those three weeks. I figure it's better than when I used to smoke, so there you go.
Anyone else "ride the bull" or take these energy drinks? Aside from the obvious (be healthy and you'll feel better) does anyone have any quick-boost-in-the-office energy suggestions?
