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Collage by Sarah Olivieri Beauty Mind & Body This Energy Drink Replaced My Morning Coffee This Energy Drink Replaced My Morning Coffee I was anti-energy drink—until I tried this one from Bloom
Everyone has a vice, and mine is my morning coffee. While this vice sounds superficially harmless, I drink my coffee on an empty stomach—my jet fuel for my 7:00 a.m. workout classes. There are a few things beauty and wellness experts advise against, like using hot tools on unprotected hair and skipping sunscreen daily, but nutritionists and doctors alike all say not to have coffee on an empty stomach.
I’ve experimented with eating at the crack of dawn before I chug my cup of Nespresso coffee or ditching my pre-workout coffee altogether, but I either couldn’t stomach food at such an early hour or ached for the coffee jolt during my workout class. It wasn’t until a month ago that I discovered my Goldilocks morning caffeinated beverage.
Last month, I was recovering from a bug and couldn’t stomach coffee for weeks after being sick. I am an avid fan of Bloom Nutrition’s green powders, which are a godsend for debloating and giving me a boost of nutrients. I saw the brand’s energy drink at the grocery store and thought I would give it a whirl, considering plain coffee wasn’t on the menu for the foreseeable future.
I’d never had an energy drink (ever!) before trying Bloom Nutrition’s Sparkling Energy Drinks. The idea of manufactured energy in a bubbly can always scared me—the obscure caffeine, insane amounts of sugar, and artificial taste. I was content keeping regular coffee as my caffeine source.
Bloom’s beverage isn’t caffeine-free, but it uses natural caffeine sources to give a boost of energy—specifically 180 milligrams of green coffee bean extract. While coffee and green coffee bean extract both originate from coffee beans, green coffee bean extract has more antioxidants and chlorogenic acids, which are often broken down when processed for regular coffee and have been shown to improve blood sugar levels and kick-start metabolism. A single can of Sparkling Energy also provides more caffeine than a typical 12-ounce cup of coffee, but the natural caffeine source provides steadier energy. The drink is also dosed with adaptogens, like L-theanine and ginseng, to help with focus and mood, as well as apple cider vinegar for digestive support.
My first thought when picking up this drink is that it probably has well over a daily dose of sugar and calories. But much to my surprise, the drink is only 10 calories and is sweetened with sucralose, a zero-calorie sweetener. While the drink technically has no sugar, the sucralose taste is quite strong, so there is a good amount of sweetness, but it’s not overpowering.
The brand has an array of bubbly flavors, from the newly released and very nostalgic Shirley Temple to seasonal ones like Summer Splash, which is a delicious strawberry lemonade flavor. My favorite flavors are Summer Splash, Raspberry Lemon, and Crisp Apple. Each one is refreshing with a hint of sweetness. If sparkling beverages aren’t your taste, the brand has Energy Sticks, which are powder sachets with the same energy-boosting, caffeinated formula.
The first time I drank Sparkling Energy before my workout class, I noticed a boost of energy, but I didn’t feel jittery or anxious—and instead felt more levelheaded an…