I’m someone who sticks to a clear routine when it comes to my caffeine intake. That glorious hot cup of coffee is part of my morning ritual, and late morning.. and early afternoon... don’t look at me like that, I’m just honest, and I LOVE coffee.
Averaging 3 cups of coffee a day, which is standard considering three out of four Australians (75%) consume at least 1 cup of coffee per day, and of those, 28% have three or more cups. I wasn’t jumping with excitement when my colleague suggested I replace a cup of coffee with an “energy drink that’s got food for your brain in it.”
Initially I thought it was a moronic suggestion, however, I did some research and I was intrigued. I discovered that there was some serious science behind this particular product she'd suggested and that initial eye roll to the “brain food” claim was so wrong of me.
So, I did it. Thirty days and only my 6 am cuppa then the HydroxyBurn Shred Ultra (in a pretty darn delicious grape flavour) became my beverage of CHOICE.
I decided to take mine at 3pm each day. I welcome any afternoon pick me up as I go to the gym after work which requires some serious will power so with a promise of no crashes and all-day focus. Any help I can get to keep me motivated is a win.
Later in the afternoon is when I snack as I'm usually stressed. My research has uncovered that the Garcinia extract and other natural stimulants in the blend like Guarana and Green Tea have been proven to help with appetite and cravings, which further confirmed that the late afternoon dose would be best for me.
My not so personal scientific findings;
- Start with one scoop; always start with one scoop. Lesson learnt.
My tolerance for caffeine is high, and a single scoop of HydroxyBurn Shred Ultra is only 155mg of caffeine compared to my usual double shot espresso, which sits around 250mg. I thought that I would need a double scoop.
Well, that was one hell of a buzzing afternoon, wasn’t it. I usually don’t “feel” my caffeine buzz, but this time I did. I did a bit of research, and it turns out that the combination of naturally derived stimulants paired with caffeine and then with nootropics adds a significant boost to the energy effects. REALLY.
- There was no “come down”.. NONE! I was surprised, especially after that first-time double scoop experience, I thought “great, cue the mega crash tonight”. I waited, but it never came. I looked into the effects of Ashwaghsda and Bacopa Monnieri.
Two ancient apoptogenic herbs in the product and they both have high anti-stress effects on the body alongside some pretty fantastic cortisol lowering evidence too which results in a 'no jitters' energy rush and mitigates any crash feeling.
- Did I just get extra smart? HAHA! But seriously. The afternoon is when I schedule my more mundane / less brain power required tasks. I’m creative and full of ideas first thing then I tend to taper down pretty significantly into a hollow soul from 3pm-5pm and beyond. Well, from about day four into the “experiment” I caught myself charging through creative campaign planning at 4:30pm. Now I don't know about you, but that's just not a thing for me.
Could it be that this “brain food” really is fuel for the brain? Referred to officially as ‘nootropics’ [Pronounced: no-uh-TROH-pic] are defined as supplements that improve cognition and are primarily used to enhance executive functions, memory, motivation/focus, and calmness.
I dug deeper into the research and found out that the main consumers of nootropics are individuals seeking the benefits of cognitive enhancements. People like students, business executives, entrepreneurs, gamers, and technology industry professionals. Nootropics are a significant focus in the HydroxyBurn Shred Ultra and have been delivered in the form of a unique combination of 3 core ingredients Caffeine Anhydrous, Ashwagandha (Withania) root, Bacopa Monnieri and Inositol. I won’t get into the details here, but if you’re intrigued by nootropics like I was, I encourage you to look them up and have a read!
So where to now?
Well, believe it or not. I’m going to continue with my new ritual. You really can’t beat that almost euphoric sense of wellbeing that you get from the product. One thing I didn’t mention is that it’s a dual-purpose blend and can be dub as a pre-workout which is pretty handy. So on the weekends or for late-night training, I’m going to take that second scoop pre-training.
