Redbull gives me the "Limitless" effect. Alternatives?

[GQNammer]

When I first started going to the UofC, I had a really hard time balancing life with school and felt like I was running on an empty tank almost everyday. I started drinking 1 Redbull can a day for 4-5 days per week. Drinking this magical drink gave me a greater sense of awareness and concentration. I found I could stay awake in lectures AND retain a lot more information than I could before. I could read pages after pages in textbooks and actually remember what I read.

I find that days that I don't drink it though, I'm back to being tired, lack of motivation to study, and when I do, I read half as fast and I sometimes have to re-read things 2-3 times over just to remember what I just read.

Time after time, I've been told how bad Redbull is for you. I need to find a more healthier or more balanced way to give me the results what Redbull currently is giving me. What does Beyond suggest?

[zipdoa]

Workout, eat properly, sleep properly, get laid, make money, have fun.

[civic_stylez]

Exercise. Your body will operate much better and you will have more energy. And im sure theres a huge ho train of chicks in the gyms at the U of C.

You can also drink green tea or EGCG pills. (egcg is the active ingredient in green tea along with caffiene).

[J-hop]

I was/am the same way. What I suggest to you is don't go down that road, I graduated in may and I still can't correct my energy levels. It go so bad near the end I was crushing 4 packs of rockstar just so I could pull all nighters to write insanely long reports (that didn't need to be so in depth but it got me the grade!) and then hitting the coffee hard all day to stay awake for classes. Soon after grad I had to resort to sleeping pills to force my body to sleep but then I'd run into the problem that at least one night a week I wouldn't be able to sleep all night.

Basically I've spent the last 7 or so months since grad trying to reset my clock. The only things that are working are forcing myself to have a healthy and regular eating schedule, increasing my workouts to tire myself out and working to reduce my stress levels which are still heightened from school.

One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give you is to reduce the pressure on yourself to perform. I graduated with one of the top marks in my graduating class, I was one of two to receive distinction. But was it worth it?? No, i probably took 5 years off my life, and I'm still fighting the negative effects. You need to focus on a school life balance or you'll burn out and trust me, learning to balance your life once you are out in the working world is a lot more difficult than learning these life skills while you are in school

[Enhance]

Not that this would be any healthier, but you could get a prescription for any of:
Ritalin
Adderall
Dexedrine
Vyvanse
Etc.

[revelations]

Originally posted by J-hop
I graduated with one of the top marks in my graduating class, I was one of two to receive distinction. But was it worth it?? No, i probably took 5 years off my life, and I'm still fighting the negative effects. Y

This was something I learned before I went to school (after a career change).

[benyl]

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/1...its-the-brain/

[ExtraSlow]

For Energy drinks, I do find that the 5 hour energy shots have fewer bad side effects tahn red bull, monster etc. I find those "regular" energy drinks give me headaches and make me feel generally awful when I'm coming down off them.

If I've got a long drive, I often pick one of the 5 hour energy shots up at the gas station. However, as with anything, you need to be reasonable. I had three on a 7 hours drive coming back from a stag party. The hangover, lack of sleep and energy drinks were a bad combo. Once I got home, I couldn't sleep, which normally isn't a problem for me. That hangover lasted three days.


Funny, I never took anything to stay awake in University. Maybe if I had I would have gotten better grades, instead of lots of sleep.

[lachris]

I would go to the Dr and suggest a diagnosis of ADHD (inattentive type) If having a redbull has that effect on you I would seriously look into it. I have worked with special needs for a long time and also have this diagnosis my self. I take a medicine called Straterra. It is different because it is not a stimulant like the other meds so it has no "down/crash"

just a thought.

[narou]

Red Bull will force your friends/family take you to the hospital one day for several strange reasons real talk. Don't let energy drinks consume your life.

[max_boost]

Originally posted by J-hop
I graduated with one of the top marks in my graduating class, I was one of two to receive distinction.

Proof bro?

[Hallowed_point]

5 hour energy is the only one that has any effect on me , usually only need half a bottle and I'm good to go. I can drink a red bull and fall asleep, maybe my body built up too much of a tolerance.

But drinking these every day is seriously bad news with all the sugar and junk they put in them. I started getting heart palpitations and panic attacks so I more or less quit them.

[msommers]

A shitload of green tea.

[Neil4Speed]

Originally posted by msommers
A shitload of green tea.

+1

I don't know if its going to help you in terms of the "caffine" stimulant part, but it is probably better for you then a Red Bull loaded with Sugar/Aspeteme.

I was drinking

out of a large Bodum tea/coffee press. The first cup is pretty mild, but by the time I'm done drinking the first cup, the second has steeped for around 20 minutes to the point where it is quite bitter.

I can honestly say, I have never in my life had a buzz like that. It was like I downed 2-3 Monsters.

Still, its a caffeine dependency is not a good thing, but getting it from green tea is a lesser evil for sure.

[alloroc]

Not just green tee ...

Ginseng green tea.

SuperStore sells it in the foreign foods section ... Nutri-V ginseng Green Tea.

[J-hop]

What would the ginseng do? I was always under the impression there isn't any conclusive data to show the benifits of ginseng. Cold-fx doesn't even have conclusive evidence as far as I know, most of their tests have been discounted by the scientific community as data manipulation.

[4doorj]

I would say get off the energy drinks.
But like you Im having a hard time getting off them as well hahaha.
I hurt my ankle in the summer. It was hard to play basketball because of the nagging pain in my ankle. So I started to drink monster, you have so much rush you don't notice your pain until you get home. Probably one of the reasons why it's taking forever for my ankle to heal.
So twice a week I was drinking monster for basketball. So now my ankle is getting better, and Ive been trying to not drink monster. Its almost impossible to have the energy I had before I started drinking it this summer.
It's like crack I tell you!

[mr2mike]

I'm taking Ki immune defence and energy formula. Originally, started taking it to up my immune system while I have this cold. I was taking one pill in morning and 1 at lunch or afternoon. Found I couldn't sleep if I took the second pill.

Just another option to test. It seems to give me energy, especially if I'm feeling sluggish but without that caffine type effect. But who knows maybe it doesn't work for everyone.

[Cheeba]

Originally posted by narou
Red Bull will force your friends/family take you to the hospital one day for several strange reasons real talk. Don't let energy drinks consume your life.

Serious question: Do you have anything that could possibly constitute evidence to back this up?

[pf0sh0]

Lately i've been drinking more and more energy drinks. I'm starting to beat myself up for it lol, cause they are pretty bad for you.

I'm also looking for an alternative. I mostly drink them for energy before the gym for that extra energy...