Mid Afternoon Energy...
I am sure that many readers of this blog, like me, work long hours…14 plus per day, and weekends as well.
I had hoped that I would have been able to back off a bit by now…and, I still aim to do so by early next year when some of our development work eases back a bit and the demand for my input lessens. I want to have more time for studying what ‘makes us tick’ and be able to pass on what I learn.
99% of the time I have plenty of energy and have no problem with sustaining this work load. However, I confess that I have the odd day that around mid afternoon I feel a bit weary for an hour or two, and then the energy returns automatically. I am sure that this is a pretty common complaint which is why many people turn to their mid-afternoon cup of coffee, or energy drink. I have neither.
Given the increasing popularity of energy drinks it would seem that more and more people are turning to them for an energy boost. I have only tried a few and generally I don’t like the taste, although there is one produced in New Zealand called ‘V’ which I really do like the taste of.
In fact, I liked it so much that a few years ago I drank it on a regular basis in the mid afternoon because it gave a real kick. I put ‘blinkers’ over my eyes when I drank it and did not look at the label. Pretty bad I know for someone who is supposed to be a bit of a fanatic about these things….but, I admit to being guilty of this.
Until…I started putting on some unexplained weight! Then I examined the label and had a good dose of reality about the amount of sugar in it. I then stopped drinking it and that bit of extra weight dropped off.
Anyway, earlier this year I started talking to Prof. Dr. A. Munem about these energy drinks. I said to him, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could develop something that would give a similar kick to a good energy drink without any of the downsides…such as sugar and other questionable additives.”
As a point of interest Dr Munem was involved in the development of one of the very early popular energy drinks some years ago.
Anyway, he felt it would be possible, so we started working on it. The formulas have been completed and we are now sourcing the ingredients to do a small test run. The objective is to have it in tablet form and just take it when an ‘energy boost’ was required.
One of the key criteria was that the formula has to not only give an energy boost but it also has to be good for your overall health.
Can this really be done?
Well…we will see and I will let you know. I am not holding my breath as it is a tall order. I will be the ‘guinea pig’. I will let you know how it goes. If it works, then we will produce it. If it doesn’t…oh well…it was a good thought. :)
Reader Comments (19)
I hope it works
October 11, 2007 | jason
What a great idea....I hope you will keep us updated on your "extra energy "boost.
October 11, 2007 | Sharon
Well, shouldn't you be eating 5 small meals a day (one of them mid-afternoon) instead of the standard 3 meals? That small mid-afternoon healthy snack should give you the energy "kick" that you need. An apple, perhaps, or a handful of healthy nuts..... you get the picture.
October 11, 2007 | M. Kanning, Tuscaloosa, AL
Yes, I will certainly keep you all informed.
And, yes, I do often have a healthy snack mid afternoon and that is certainly a benefit with a cup of weak herbal tea. But, sometimes it is not quite enough if I am having to do something that is somewhat tedious.
Most of the time I am doing something interesting but when I am doing 'hard grind' it would be good to try and get a natural kick which takes more than a few nuts. :)
Anyway, I will keep you posted on what happens.
October 11, 2007 | Warren Matthews
Re: your new energy boosting pill...
Wouldn't it be great if it is in effervescent tablet form so that dissolves in water. That would make it a faster and easier way to get the needed energy boost. Is it possible with the elements you are using?
October 11, 2007 | Campbell Gray
Great site and newsletter Warren! On the subject of a nutritious energy drink try "The Feast". It's a 100% natural live whole food powder you mix with water. It's great for you, affordable and gives you that needed morning or midday boost. It also helps to satisfy hunger cravings!
October 11, 2007 | Ed
Warren,
i really do hope that you succeed in creating this new supplement. Question - i assume that the goal is to creat it without caffeine?
Regards,
David
October 11, 2007 | David
Hi Campbell...we did consider the option of doing an
effervescent tablet but the problem with these is masking the bitter taste of the herbal extracts we are using. This involves flavoring and always the addition of sweenteners, so you either have to use a glucose based sweetener or other alternatives which may or may not be good for your health long term.
Then there is the issue of taste. What tastes good for one person can taste horrible for another. We will see how the tablet performs. You have identified my concern and that is whether it will act quick enough. I think that we can have it break down very quickly when it hits the stomach...but, we have yet to test it.
October 12, 2007 | Warren Matthews
Thanks Ed...and David, we will not directly be using caffeine although it is present in a couple of herbals extracts we are using. If the tablet is successful and if our customers want one which is completely free of caffeine we will work on developing an option without one.
October 12, 2007 | Warren Matthews
What kind of ingredients are you considering of using in this energy drink of yours?
Sincerely,
Sep
October 14, 2007 | Sep Ramanathan
There are quite a few Sep, but I would rather keep that confidential until we have finalised it and tested it, as it may change. However, as is our policy we will give full disclosure if we decide to release it to the market.
Oh...also keep in mind that they are tablets, not a drink.
October 14, 2007 | Warren Matthews
Green tea, which has many benefits, gives me a lovely little boost in tandem with two nourishing snacks between meals to maintain steady metabolism. I'm a gardener who's raised six children; my energy does not flag in the afternoon when I maintain this program.
October 15, 2007 | Elaine
There is some green tea extract present Elaine. I think that the problem of flagging afternoon energy is much more of an issue to those people who are working in an office. Physical activity certainly gets rid of the problem, but that is often not an option for many people 'office bound'.
As a gardner with 6 children you would certainly not be lacking physical activity at mid afternoon. :)
October 15, 2007 | Warren Matthews
thought about organic yerba mate'
October 15, 2007 | jason
Yep...that is one of the ingredients as well!! :)
October 15, 2007 | Warren Matthews
What about some SAMe in the tab Warren? To assist with methylation.
October 24, 2007 | Muzz
The problem with SAMe Muzz is that it must be in an enteric coated tablet to be effective. With this product we want as fast an action as possible so we have designed all ingredients to be released in the stomach.
October 26, 2007 | Warren Matthews
Are there any updates on this product? I hope it will be manufactured because I there is a great demand for a good afternoon pick-me-up.
Regards,
Sep
January 5, 2008 | Sep Ramanathan
Hi Sep,
We are just doing our final testing at the moment on this product. The results are somewhat mixed with some people finding that it gives a 'lift' after about an hour and sustains it for several hours after with no 'let down' at the end. These people think that it is great.
Other people however have not noticed anything, so they don't think it is good at all.
What I can say is that it is the best natural combinaton of nutrients possible and it will not be addictive, but it will not provide the 'kick' with all people. But, then I think that this is also the case with some energy drinks as well.
We will make a decision soon about this new product.
January 8, 2008 | Warren Matthews