As our bodies trudge through the day we get tired and feel sleepy. There is certainly a lack of motivation to do anything and our mental focus becomes drained. You experience it everyday at around 2 o’clock at work. What we do is drink coffee (non-decaffeinated of course) or energy drinks to get us through the afternoon. Some people take protein shakes or fruit drinks to get them by for a short amount of time. For starters, coffee in and of itself is okay for you but only if you have it in moderation. An overabundance of coffee each day will have detrimental effects on your liver and kidneys. Energy drinks may be low in calorie, but the sugar content is high. They’re not good sugars either. In fact the sugars in energy drinks metabolize and turn into fat if left for long periods of time. Your body will experience a significant crash when the energy drink has worn off. Some drinks that we drink to get us by have calories to them, adding to our daily calorie count that doesn’t necessarily need to be there. So, what are some suggestions, without taking a nap and getting fired at work? There are natural ways to take in what we need — without the calories.
As a society we lack many essential vitamins and nutrients in our body. It’s because our diets aren’t what they should be and we substitute natural energy-inducing foods with coffee and sugar drinks. The real issue is our lack of vitamin B12. Vitamin B in general is one of the most overlooked vitamins in our diet today, but it shouldn’t be considering what benefit we get from it.
The Science Behind Vitamin B12
Of all the vitamins we can have B12 is the one responsible for protein and DNA synthesis. B12 is released from the protein after digestion and releases intrinsic factor. That is then released into the bloodstream. Why that is important is because our bodies store a certain amount of B12 in our liver and aids in the digestion of the protein and supplies, in turn, natural energy. B12 also prevents anemia, another reason why some people get tired.
Our liver does have an ample supply of B12 but as we get older and our bodies change, the amount of B12 starts to, in essence, decrease. Need I stress that vitamin B12 is all natural whereas the sugar in sugary drinks are not? Our bodies may experience vitamin B12 deficiencies daily withou even knowing it, but there needs to be a stress in relation to getting enough of it; in essence, to replenish the stores.
Why We Don’t Feel the Crash with B12
1) For starters we don’t feel the crash with a sufficient amount of B12 because it’s all natural. Taking it in sublinqually (under the tongue) makes for faster absorption and easier to take. The effects are almost instantaneous. Regardless of the food that was eaten for breakfast or lunch, the B12 works with those proteins in digestion. Taking it sublingually also means you don’t have to swallow a pill.
2) Metabolism in the bloodstream is important to note here because that dictates a lot in your body from tiredness to moodines, and everything in between. When natural “ingredients” are metabolized and goes into the bloodstream there is a natural awakeness that is felt. It is also longer lasting. Caffeine only lasts a short time in the body, believe it or not. There is also an addictive nature to it.
B12 in Relation to Diet
You will find B12 in fish, spinach, and some nuts (amongst other foods), but a quick and easy way to take B12 if you are in a pinch on time or you’re feeling that mid afternoon lull is to take liquid B12. Sublinqual liquid B12 will react faster because the absorption is much quicker. It can also be used as a supplement to your normal diet, whatever that may be. Some benefits of B12 are sharper mental acuity, prolonged physical energy, staying awake longer, and increased motivation. If it’s one vitamin we probably all lack it’s B12. But it’s almost guaranteed that if we have an abundance of B12 we will see some instant results to our health.
Bio
John Hunter is a dietician living in Santa Rosa, California. Calloway has seen the benefits of Sublingual liquid vitamin B12 and recommends using it in place of high sugar energy drinks.
