The most consumed mood-altering drug in the world is caffeine. It’s most commonly found in coffee and tea, but can also be in foods like chocolate and acai berries. It gives us energy, makes us feel better, helps metabolize fat, reduces appetite, and improves physical performance. Caffeine is also addictive and can cause major withdrawal issues, however that doesn’t really stop us from consumption. The US FDA suggests adults get no more than 400mg of caffeine per day although many of us blow past that number with our first two cups of coffee to start the day. A Tall Coffee from Starbucks can top 300mg in a single cup, where most home brews amount to 100mg of caffeine per cup. Even decaffeinated coffee contains about 15-30mg of the feel-good drug per cup, while a Pepsi and Coke contain about 50mg per 8 ounce can. The most popular energy drink, Red Bull, has 111mg of the good stuff per 12 ounce container which is nothing compared to Redline’s energy drink which has a whopping 39.5mg of caffeine per ounce! I have a high tolerance to caffeine and can attest to the strength of Redline. It kept me up all night long.
Most of us consume caffeine to keep our brains going strong at work or for school. Some will take it to play video games all day and night too.
The most obvious route of consumption is coffee and tea, but not everyone likes those drinks. Here’s a list of 10 different sources of caffeine you might not have heard of that will help you stay focused and energized.
GU Energy Stroopwafel Sports Nutrition Waffle
This tasty waffle from GU energy can keep your body full of nutrients while delivering 20mg of caffeine per serving. It costs about $23 per box of 16 at Amazon.
GO CUBES Chewable Coffee
Mocha, pure drip and latte in the form of a chewable gummy! Each box of Go Cubes comes with 20 packs of four gummies, made in the three flavors listed. Each gummy contains half a serving of coffee making them perfect for those on the go who don’t want to make a bunch of restroom stops. These are also easy to bring along in purses, backpacks or laptop bags. A pack of 20 Go Cubes costs $40 on Amazon.
Shock Coffee
If you need more caffeine and still prefer to drink it the old fashioned way, you might as well go with Shock Coffee which has up to 50% more caffeine than leading brands. It also is available in K-Cups for those of you with Keurig single cup brewers.
Shower Shock Soap
How about a jolt of energy before you even start your morning routine? At Thinkgeek, you can grab a caffeinated soap bar made of vegetable glycerine for $6.99.
Jolt Energy Gum
Get fresh breathe and energized at the same time with Jolt Energy Gum. Just two pieces is enough to replace one energy drink, and you can grab a box of 12 packs for just $18 at Amazon.
Ocean Spray Pomegranate Single Cranergy Energy Juice Drink
Take your favorite juice and mix it with extract from green tea and you get Ocean Spray’s Cranergy Juice drink. This drink has a little less caffeine than more powerful energy drinks, but offers the sweet taste of Cranberry, Pomegranate or Raspberry.
Double Kick Hot Sauce
Combining the best of Asian and Southwestern chili sauces, plus ginger and caffeine for an extra energy boost, DoubleKick Hot Sauce is the great tasting way to keep food coma at bay. It is thick and rich, spicy and a tad sweet.