If you're like me, and live on this planet, you're familiar with energy drinks. You've seen your fair share of 18 year old dudes walking around with these big cans, filled with all kinds of sugars, caffeine, sodium, food colourings, artificial flavours, etc. I've literally never actually held on to one of these cans for long enough to have read all of their unsavoury ingredients. 

I know that folks mean well when drinking them, they probably assume they're doing what they're supposed to before a workout or practice. Maybe it's just an afternoon pick-me-up. Or perhaps they're just drawn to the flames and claw marks that cover the cans, but one thing's for sure - there are way better options out there.

Energy Drinks are a huge market. Whomever is doing their marketing would have have us all believe two things:

1. Men are the only ones who benefit from a good energy drink.
2. Men, somehow, connect on an emotional level to flames, lightning bolts and claw marks.

The truth of the matter is this - whether the drink has been ripped out of the hands of some savage, wild animal, struck by lightning or set aflame, a good quality energy drink is good for EVERYONE. Absolutely all of us. 

Today, I'm going to show you three takes on a basic energy drink. Each one is excellent for different levels of activity and each equally beneficial for both men and women. Did you know that sport drinks can be unisex? Who knew? Right??

Basic Lemon Coconut Hydrator 

This one is great as a gentle electrolyte refresher. Pop it in your water bottle on a hot summer day to stay well hydrated. Take it to a yoga class or any lower impact exercise. A short run (under 1 hour) would benefit from this lovely drink.

I'm using lovely 500ml mason jars fitted with blender balls for my drinks today. I have a huge quantity of ugly old blender bottles that go with these little guys, but they are in no way photogenic. If you want to impress everyone around you, go ahead and do what i'm doing. Otherwise a good water bottle or shaker cup will do. 

We're going to use coconut water in all three of the drinks today. It is wonderfully refreshing, slightly sweet and a good source of natural electrolytes. Electrolytes are well known in the sports world, as high activity generally depletes the body and this can bring on fatigue and cramping, among other issues. They are minerals that use an electric charge to produce reactions in the body, like muscle contractions and the heartbeat (important to keep us going during a good workout!) Coconut water also contains a little bit of glucose, an easily digested carbohydrate, which is incredibly important for sustained energy.  

I'm filling my jar up half way with coconut water and the rest with filtered water.

Next is the lemon juice. Lemons are another source of electrolytes, but just a moderate source. They are also high in vitamin C and aid in detoxification. When we're active or sweating, lemons can help to support the adrenals and keep our energy levels up.

All done. This is energy drink #1 - our base. It's great for a lower level of activity to maintain energy and hydration. We're going to build off of this basic drink.

Lemon Chia Sustainer 

For someone on the go, who may be doing a slightly longer or more vigorous workout, an extra bit of sustained energy is necessary.

Big surprise, we're adding my favourite versatile little seed - chia! Now this is not a chia pudding. If you recall from that lovely recipe, Chocolate Chia Pudding, chai seeds develop a wonderful gelatinous coating that is excellent for sustained blood sugar. This action is key, because if your blood glucose levels dip during your workout, the adrenals are kicked into action. One of their important roles is to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. So when you've not consumed enough carbs or fibre and start working out, the adrenals release cortisol to flood the body with glucose. That glucose comes from your muscles. Kind of counter-intuitive, right? You must consume enough (not too much) glucose and some fibre to keep this action to a minimum. Chia seeds are also full of wonderful minerals to help maintain healthy electrolyte levels while you sweat.  

I'm adding 1/2 tbsp to my 500ml jar.

Chia seeds photograph beautifully, don't they!

Shake up your jar or water bottle and let the seeds rest for about 10 mins before drinking. This drink will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.

Meghann's Serious - No Fooling Around - Energy Drink

This is our basic energy drink #1 with added branched chain amino acids, maple syrup and MCT oil. It's great for more intense workouts and weight lifting. I do Group Power at the Y. It's similar to other classes like Body Pump - a whole body workout that focuses on building muscle and getting your heart rate up. I like to think of it as an hour long high intensity interval training-type class. I highly recommend it.

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's) are a group of three amino acids that have been identified for their muscle supportive roles - they help to provide them with energy, aid in recovery and even support the immune system - when you're working out hard, the immune system often needs extra help.

The MCT oil is in there as an added energy source. MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides and it's an excellent source of immediate energy. If you've got issues with your blood sugar and need to avoid adding glucose to your energy drinks, this is a great solution.

The added maple syrup provides a pinch more glucose, as when we're pushing weights, our body needs more glucose circulating to avoid the adrenals pumping out too much cortisol (and ruining all of our hard work). Also, our muscles are VERY insulin sensitive during and after a good workout. Insulin is a transport hormone. If you're giving your body protein, the insulin will bring it directly where it needs to go - your muscles. Spiking your insulin ever so slightly during and after a good, hard workout comes with many benefits.

I'm starting off with one scoop of BCAA's. I'm using AOR's, as brand-wise, they are top of the line and their BCAA's come with absolutely no gimmicks, flavourings, colour or added 'sweetener' (in the form of stevia, etc). They are what they are. That's what we want.

After the BCAA's come our usual, 1 part coconut water, 1 part water and juice from 1/2 lemon. This is one tbsp of MCT oil. I'm using Omega Nutrition's oil, as it's a good price and a fine quality. There are a lot to choose from, so read up on the different brands to find a good one for you. The content of caprylic acid seems to be a differentiating factor between the many options, as well as extraction method and how the oil is fractionated. 

Im adding 1 tsp of maple syrup.

Give it a really good shake. If you've got a little assistant, go ahead and put them to work.

Drink about 1/3 of this about 10 minutes before your workout, fill the cup up with fresh water and consume the rest throughout. It's a great aid for staying hydrated, supporting muscle growth & repair and supporting your immune system and adrenals during your workout. Working out is hard on the body and the best way to succeed is to support yourself nutritionally.

Absolutely spectacular. Each drink is ideal for different levels of exercise, all starting with a basic lemon/coconut hydrator. 

Now, if you're worried that the man or teenage boy in your life won't be up for such a beautiful, stylish homemade energy drink, that he may be succumbing to peer pressure and the expectations that society and food manufacturers have placed on his fragile ego, consider these upgrades:

I had my assistant create these super masculine flames and lightning bolts to attach to our jars. One even contains the number "2000" as, according to drink and clothing manufacturers, large numbers also seem to ease the male ego.

Problem solved!

Basic Lemon Coconut Hydrator 

• 1 part coconut water
• 1 part filtered water
• Juice from a lemon - I used juice from 1/2 a lemon, you can do as little as 1 tsp. It is entirely up to your taste.

Chia-Lemon Sustainer

• I recipe Basic Lemon Coconut Hydrator
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp chia seeds (experiment!)

Meghann's Serious...

• 1 recipe Basic Lemon Coconut Hydrator
• 1 scoop BCAA - brand of your choice (I also like Prairie Naturals & Genuine Health, however, these options contain flavour & stevia)
• 1 tbsp MCT oil
• 1 tsp maple syrup