Coffee is the one of the best ways to charge you’re up for your day and boost your brain function. Most people drink coffee every day. We all know about the health benefits of coffee, the antioxidant content and the ability to improve cognitive function. Besides your normal intake of coffee there are different ways to actually improve your caffeine boost in your cup of Java. Get the most out of your caffeine intake with these tips.
Small Frequent Doses
According to neuroscientist Chris Chatham, drinking small and regular doses can help improve your mental performance, rather than taking in large doses a few times a day. If you’re the type of person that drowns themselves in coffee to get through finals or a deadline. Try out taking in small, frequent doses of caffeine that is around 20 to 200 milligrams per hour. An average cup of coffee contains about 100 mg of caffeine, so a small cup an hour is enough. Drinking too much coffee in one sitting can help for a few hours, but most of the caffeine you get are often wasted and just flushed out of the body.
Performance
Caffeine can help your brain functions, but it cannot improve your abilities. While you’re on your caffeine high pick activities that you are already good at. The caffeine will help you work faster and keep you more focused. Caffeine is great for activities that are needed to be done fast, not better. Make the most out of your coffee by doing activities that don’t require too much cognitive function such as laundry, cleaning, data entry and such.
Check Your Doses
People have different tolerance for coffee. Some people get jacked up with just one cup of coffee and some require about 2 to 3 cups to get their caffeine going. Your caffeine tolerance, mostly depends on your genetics, lifestyle and diet. The only way you can test out how much caffeine you need to ingest every day to get your coffee boost is to perform trials. Experiment with different amounts every day and chart down the difference. How did you feel? Did you feel sleepy? Did you get an afternoon energy crush? And so on.
Combination
What you eat when you drink your coffee can improve its benefits. Eating grapefruit can help boost the effect of coffee. Grapefruit contains a compound called narangin that can help slow down the digestion of caffeine in the system, making the effects of it last longer. A small amount of grapefruit with your morning coffee or taking a grapefruit seed extract can help you feel caffeinated longer. However, if you are taking any medication, consult your doctor about this. Adding sugar to your coffee isn’t as bad as you think. A small amount of sugar in your cup of joe can increase your performance. The brain is able to soak up the sugar and convert it into glucose or energy.
Caffeine can help improve energy levels, motivation and focus. A cup of coffee can help get you through the day, without crashing. Try these steps to get your needed caffeine boost.
