#7. SPIRULINA-SPIKED COCONUT WATER
Unlike traditional sports drinks like Gatorade, coconut water drink doesn’t contain things like high-fructose corn syrup, brominated vegetable oil (huh?), or five different kinds of food coloring; that’s because coconut water comes from nature, not a lab.
Also: 16 Hair Products For Guys On A Budget
Add a teaspoon of powdered spirulina — a blue-green cyanobacteria filled with protein, chlorophyll, and amino acids — to your coconut water for additional benefits like a jolt of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12 and E; biotin (good for carbohydrate metabolism); folic acid; pantothenic acid (the “anti-stress” vitamin); inositol (good for liver health); and niacin.
There are plenty of options for a pick-me-up when you’re dragging ass: score coke, drink more coffee, or slug a sugar-packed Red Bull (27g), Rockstar (31g), or Monster (54g) energy drink. But those are all bad ideas for guys who A) want to stay out of prison; B) consume too much coffee as-is (and have the brown teeth to prove it); and C) want to prevent their belly from obstructing their view of their man parts.
Another, healthier option? A natural drink that’ll supply energy without baggage like piles of empty calories or adding to an expanding waistline. Here are 7 suggestions to get you started …
#1. MAMMA CHIA ($20 for a variety pack of 8 @ Amazon.com)
You remember those terrible commercials with the Chia Pets? Turns out the same seeds rich in omega-3s and 6s, calcium, and magnesium that made the sheep’s “fur” grow also provide energy in humans. In fact, Aztec and Mayan warriors even used them during before checkers battle.
Because the seeds form a gel and swell up to ten times their size when soaked in liquid, the body processes them slowly for sustained energy and hydration. You can buy ready-to-drink chia from brands like Mamma Chia, or swirl a tablespoon or two of chia seeds in water or juice.
#2. MACA POWDER DRINKS ($17 @ Amazon.com)
Maca ($19) is a root full of amino acids, minerals, and phytonutrients — organic components of plants — that have been used by Andean societies for, like, a billion years for numerous reasons: It can increase stamina, fight fatigue, and increase sex drive, fertility, and sperm count. (Score!)
It’s so highly sought after in some areas of Peru that it’s even used as currency. Add maca powder to a smoothie or shake with banana, almond milk, whey protein, a scoop of peanut butter, and frozen berries for breakfast.