Coffee and energy drinks are a must-have for online jobs with night shifts. These drinks help you stay energized and alert at night, enabling you to remain productive at work.
Although they work, drinking too much coffee and energy drinks has some downsides. Aside from disrupting your sleep, too much caffeine in your system also causes increased heart rate, anxiety, frequent urination, and irritability.
Fortunately, there are plenty of healthier alternatives to coffee and energy drinks. Here are some of them:
Fruit-Infused Water
Thirsty? Instead of grabbing an energy drink or an espresso, why not grab a glass of water steeped with lemons, oranges, mint, or strawberries?
Sure, the energy boost you get won’t be as quick as what you can get from coffee or energy drinks. However, fruit-infused water contains several vitamins and minerals, making it a healthy alternative to coffee and energy drinks.
These include vitamin C, Potassium, and B vitamins, which help reduce fatigue and boost your energy. The best part? These have zero calories, so if you want to stay in shape despite working night shifts, this drink is for you.
Also, while coffee and energy drinks force you to urinate constantly, these drinks hydrate you instead, allowing your brain to function at its best.
Matcha
Another of the popular alternatives to coffee and energy drinks is matcha.
Matcha is a type of green tea that’s ground into powder and mixed with water. It has a unique, earthy taste and vibrant green color and is regarded as the most aromatic type of green tea.
Although matcha contains caffeine, it has a much smaller amount than coffee. It also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that helps increase focus while preventing the energy crash that follows caffeine consumption.
Aside from these, matcha also contains plenty of antioxidants that help improve your skin, benefits your oral health, and promotes weight loss.
Brewed Cacao
Are you looking for chocolatey alternatives to coffee and energy drinks during your night shift? You should try brewed cacao, then.
Now, don’t mistake this for regular cocoa. Cacao is the raw, unprocessed version of cocoa, containing more nutrients than the latter – though it tastes like very dark chocolate.
Brewed cacao contains less caffeine than coffee, but instead has plenty of theobromine. This stimulant is similar to caffeine, but has none of its side effects like making you jittery, increasing your heart rate, etc.
It also helps improve your focus and mood, boosts your immune system, and even enables you to sleep better.
Yerba Mate
Tired of the usual green and black tea to help you stay alert at night? Try Yerba Mate.
Yerba Mate (or just Mate) is an herbal tea from South America made from the leaves and stems of the Ilex paraguariensis plant. These leaves are typically dried over a fire and then steeped in hot water to make tea.
Though it contains as much caffeine per cup as coffee, Yerba Mate also contains antioxidants and other nutrients that can help reduce weight, protect against infections, and lower blood sugar levels.
Note that Yerba Mate is an acquired taste, described as bitter and smoky. If you can get past that, this is one of the healthiest alternatives to coffee and energy drinks.
Golden Milk
Also called turmeric milk, golden milk is made from cow or plant-based milk combined with turmeric, black pepper, ginger, and cinnamon. This drink is popular in India, but has become increasingly popular worldwide.
Aside from the energy boost, it also improves memory and brain function, aids in digestion, and can even help treat wounds and inflammation.
So, if you’re feeling under the weather, drinking a cup of golden milk can restore your strength.
Chai Tea
Another popular energy-boosting drink is chai tea.
Chai tea, also known as Masala Chai or Indian spiced tea, is black tea mixed with potent herbs and spices, including cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. These spices offer a unique aroma and flavor, especially when compared to coffee’s bitter or astringent taste.
Because it has black tea, Chai tea does have a small amount of caffeine, though it’s far less than a cup of coffee, helping you remain alert and energized during your shift.
In addition to helping you remain awake, drinking Chai tea aids digestion, maintains healthy blood sugar levels, and reduces the risk of heart disease.
Smoothies
Don’t like eating fruits and veggies? Consuming them as smoothies can help.
The combination of fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients like protein powder gives a much more balanced energy boost than the rapid burst from coffee and energy drinks.
Unlike the latter, smoothies also hydrate your body, allowing you to maintain energy levels longer.
Drink Up, It’s Gonna be a Long Night
For many remote night shift workers, a cup of coffee or an energy drink keeps them awake. Some people I know even drink both.
Although they’re a quick fix, they have side effects that can hamper your work. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives to coffee and energy drinks, like the ones mentioned above.
If you prefer to work at night but don’t know where to start looking for these jobs, head to Remote Staff. Our jobs list has many openings offering night shifts, most of which is for US clients.
Good luck!
