Coffee, tea, smoothie … What to drink for breakfast to stay hydrated and wake up better?

For a while, I got into the bad habit of pouring myself a large glass of Coke as soon as I got out of bed. It was drastic: 20 minutes later, despite the lack of sleep and accumulated fatigue, it still gave me a boost! No matter how many people told me a glass of this soda was equal to 7 lumps of sugar, that didn’t stop me. Then, I read my colleague Manon’s article about children with Coke, gagged and stopped drinking it every day. Especially as soon as I wake up and on an empty stomach.

So what would be the ideal drink to start the day with energy, while hydrating your body? I was often recommended hot lemon, for optimal hydration, in addition to its detox properties and its positive effects on the quality of the skin. I tried but my stomach couldn’t resist the acidity. Because it’s not a miracle drink like some people would like you to believe! In fact, the Huffington Post interviewed several nutritionists about this in 2020 and no one thought that drinking hot water with lemon would be of particular benefit. However, they are unanimous, nothing seems to forbid it either. Hmm, I’m not convinced … Let’s investigate.

This is no joke, coffee on waking up would be counterproductive

Let’s start from the beginning, with coffee, the international leader of our mornings that would reduce the risk of mortality! It would be useless or even counterproductive to drink it as soon as you get out of bed.as Dr. Frédéric Saldmann stated in an interview with Parisianin April 2021. You should wait around 11 to drink your first coffee without mistreating your body. It would be all about cortisol levels, says Dr. Saldmann:

” The ideal is to drink your first coffee when you feel your energy dwindling, i.e. when his cortisol level is at its lowest, then between 11:00 and noon, that is about four hours after waking up. This is the time when caffeine will prove most effective as there will no longer be any interference with the cortisol spike.

In this way the counterproductive effect of the coffee taken upon waking is avoided, with the consequent increase in tolerance to caffeine. It’s also the best way to keep your quick thinking and energy intact throughout the day. “

Do you think tea is moisturizing? It is more complex than that

The great competitor of coffee on our table in the morning, tea has earned a better reputation for its effects on our health. Antioxidant, moisturizer … but not only! Although at first glance the tea contains water, it does not hydrate as much as you think. The fault of the caffeine (or theine, it’s the same molecule, obviously present in coffee, or even in energy drinks) that it is a substance with diuretic effects, which can therefore be dehydratingas Catherine Serfaty Lacrosnière, Top Santé nutritionist explains:

” Drinking tea doesn’t keep you hydrated. It is just like with coffee. The recommended daily amount of water excludes this type of drink. “

In other words, we urinate more often and therefore evacuate more water. At the risk of losing too much of what the body will store, but Dr. Serfaty Lacrosnière adds:

“However, this statement must be qualified because it all depends on the tea. They are not all the same. “

And yes, Black tea varieties are said to be higher in caffeine than green or white teas. Beware, their caffeine content varies from brand to brand – some will provide 120mg per cup, others just 35mg. And you should know that the longer it is steeped, the higher the caffeine level will be.

Could matcha be the perfect stimulating morning hot drink?

There’s also the Instagram star drink … It is green, it comes from Japan, it stimulates the metabolism, it helps concentration … You guessed ? Yes, it’s matcha! These are green tea leaves that are crushed to form this distinctive colored powder. According to a scientific study published inAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition, matcha can increase our physical stamina by up to 24% ! However, since it is a tea, this drink therefore contains caffeine with a diuretic effect which can be dehydrating.

Herbal teas, combined with hydration to wake up gently

In short, including coffee or matcha tea, these stimulating hot drinks are less hydrating than they seem. But Catherine Serfaty-Lacrosnière, a nutritionist, explains to our colleagues about Superior health another way is possible:

“If you want to keep the pleasure of drinking cups of hot drinks without the risk of dehydration, herbal teas can replace tea. “

Chamomile, peppermint, lime blossom, ginger … Attention, any herbal tea presented as such is not one. Some may be tea derivatives or energizing plants, such as Yerba mateoften confused with an herbal tea when one of its cups contains more caffeine than in a tea or coffee, or even for guarana drinks.

Well, if we switch to cold drinks, then … Starting the day with “homemade” smoothies, a good idea or a bad idea? This is confirmed by the French nutritionist Irène Grosjean, in a video on the Youtube channel Ma Santé drinking fresh and raw fruit every morning can be good for our body. The natural sugar contained in the fruits provides them with an energy supply without asking too much for digestion and the water naturally present in the fruits hydrates our body. To prevent a glycemic spike, rather than trying to fill a large glass, it is better to ask yourself how much whole fruit you could actually eat (it will be more like 1 or 2 oranges, not 3 or 4, for example) and take the opportunity to add some fruit. vegetables (such as spinach, cucumbers, beets, carrots or even zucchini).

The 1st reflex to adopt? Drink water as soon as you wake up

But it’s no surprise that the most winning drink of our mornings, all categories put together, is … water! While some people may find it boring, professionals agree on this it is the ideal drink to rehydrate after a night of sleep. This is confirmed by Vicki Shanta Retelny, nutritionist and dietician, to the Huffington Post:

“You may not wake up thirsty, but drinking water when you get up is a healthy habit to stay hydrated throughout the day. “

Don’t panic, we don’t have to drink hot tap water. Experts advise instead to favor a water that you like (still or sparkling). And after that, make way for our favorite tea, coffee or even matcha to start the day in style! There is always that every body is different and doesn’t respond in the same way to every drink … And as a former cocaine addict as soon as you wake up, I assure you it’s a daily struggle to re-educate your morning habits. Nutritionist and dietician Karen Ansel remembers this via HuffPost the first sip of the morning remains the most important (and that for years I have been ruining my soda!):

“She sets the tone for the rest of the day. If there’s one thing to avoid, it’s starting the day with a processed sugary drink, like a soda or energy drink, that saturates your body with sugar. You may feel energized at first, but you will inevitably feel relaxed later in the morning. “

Foreground image: © Viktoria Alipatova – Pexels