There is no lie that mornings can be tough. Especially if you aren’t an early bird, waking up after a night of tossing and turning can really make you feel exhausted the next day. So, you rely on your hot cup of joe to give you all the energy you need to make your way out of bed.

However, coffee isn’t the only way you can boost your alertness in the morning. While you may love the energy kick from it, drinking too much can actually be a bad thing. The high amounts of caffeine present in coffee can lead to many unpleasant side effects such as insomnia and anxiety which can be long-lasting if you are overdoing it.

So, in order to avoid these jittery feelings in the morning, you have the option of going for healthier alternatives to give you the right energy boost you simply need.

Here is a list of the six best pick-me-up beverages to keep you hydrated and awake all day long.

Tea

The second most popular drink in the world that has moderate amounts of caffeine is tea. This hot beverage has long been used as a coffee alternative which provides a more sustained energizing effect due to the presence of the L-theanine compound.

The great thing about this drink is that there are plenty of tea varieties you can choose from to get you going in the morning. For example, black tea is considered the best pick-me-up beverage. Besides having the highest amount of caffeine out of all teas, it also includes amino acids which increase the alpha activities in the brain that improve your focus and alertness instantly. You can choose to enjoy it either on its own or with added milk and sweetener.

Matcha Latte

Matcha latte has recently become one of the most popular comforting drinks that can get your morning right on track. It also contains high amounts of L-theanine that produce relaxing effects while raising your serotonin and dopamine levels.

In fact, it is due to the combination of this amino acid and the moderate amount of caffeine that are thought to provide the increased mental clarity and energy you need in the morning. Plus, it has zero calories making it the ultimate energy drink you can enjoy without worrying about consuming excess sugars and caffeine.

You can either drink it hot or iced or customize it according to your preferences by adding a sweetener such as maple syrup or honey and even fruits for an extra flavor.

Hot Water With Lemon

Sleeping for eight hours is a long period to go without any liquid consumption. So, drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning is an excellent way to rehydrate your body and increase your level of alertness.

But, if you want to switch up and create an even greater energy booster, then you should combine your water with lemon. This refreshing beverage is a great source of various vitamins that have many benefits on your health and can perk you up well after a long night’s sleep.

In fact, it is the lemons that make this beverage special because they have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help maintain the pH balance of your body in the morning making you feel more energized.

Hot Chocolate

Although springtime is right around the corner, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have a cup of hot chocolate to get you going in the morning.

In general, cocoa powder has many antioxidant properties that have great benefits on your heart health, your memory and, most importantly, on your mood. In fact, cocoa contains energy-boosting caffeine and mood-lightening serotonin that will make you feel good and happy in the morning.

The best way to make the healthiest and most energizing hot chocolate is to use unsweetened cocoa powder. You can mix it with low-fat plant-based milk and add a small spoon of a natural sweetener like honey to get the most of its boosting effects.

Beetroot Juice

If you want to avoid caffeine altogether in the morning, then you should definitely opt for freshly squeezed juice to give you the right amount of energy. And among the most popular ones is beetroot juice.

Although it has a distinctive taste, the presence of vitamin C, as well as many other powerful antioxidants in this refreshing beverage, helps improve your health in many ways giving you the right energy you need after a long sleepless night.

It helps by increasing the flow of oxygen throughout your body making you feel more energetic and active when you wake up.

If you want to spice it up, you can always add carrots, apples, ginger and lemon to create an even better energizing drink.

Green Smoothie

A great way to start your mornings feeling energized as well as healthy is to make a green smoothie. In fact, such nutritional drinks have become a huge hit in the world of wellness because they contain many vitamins and minerals which are essential to your wellbeing and will certainly get you going in the early hours.

For example, the most popular green smoothie type includes spinach, kale, cucumber, lemon and celery. All you have to do is rinse them thoroughly and put them in your juicer to make your morning nutritional drink.

To make the most of it, you can add either black tea or green tea for an extra energizing effect and some ice and you got yourself an excellent pick-me-up beverage to start your day right.

Final thoughts

There is no secret that mornings can be rough especially for those people who can’t start off their day unless they have a cup of hot coffee.

However, you can change your daily routine and try an even healthier alternative to boost your energy levels when you wake up. You have plenty of options to choose from to pick the perfect beverage that will keep you alert and refreshed all day long.

So, if you are looking for new energizing drinks, make sure you refer back to this post and borrow some of these pick-me-up beverages to help you start your day on the right track.