Fuel for the body – Energy for the Mind, these are topics of investigation for my life at age 57. How do I keep my mind and body energized so I can continue the whirlwind I remember as the creative youngster who made this life I live? This adventure is rocketing me towards an investigation for myself called the “2025 Body Fuel Experiment.”

UPDATED: MID-2025: The 2025-2026 Body Fuel Experiment. I’m setting out to try different ways to build and keep my energy this year. I want to see what truly helps my body feel its best. At 57, I’m still not a coffee person. I tried it in my first year of college, but the taste and aftertaste threw me off. I just couldn’t drink it. Since then, the closest I’ve come to coffee is sipping a Starbucks Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino or eating Trader Joe’s chocolate-covered espresso beans. That sums up my entire coffee experience.

This year, I’m giving coffee another shot in July. I’m curious if I can stick with it or if I’ll go back to old habits.

How have I made it 57 years without coffee? I’ve leaned on plenty of other options. This year, I plan to try them all again, one by one.

In college, I stayed awake with Coca-Cola, Jolt Cola, white crosses from the truck stop, Vivarin caffeine tablets, and later on, energy drinks. After graduation, I became hooked on Chai Tea, especially Starbucks Chai Crème Frappuccinos. Then came Monster, Rockstar, and Red Bull. With those, though, came heart flutters and palpitations, so I had to quit.

I’ve powered through long road trips with 5-Hour Energy shots, though their energy drinks tasted awful. My heart can’t handle traditional energy drinks, so I need to find something better. Maybe Yerba Mate, Moringa, Green Tea, Black Tea, Mud/Wtr, or Chai could be the answer. Time to test each one. Do you have any recommendations?

Here’s how my experiment is shaping up:

January 2025: Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino, Chai Crème Frappuccino. Report: January was expensive as Starbucks is constantly increasing its pricing and cutting away on its services. I’ve decided to divorce myself from Starbucks. By July, I’ve pretty much reduced this addiction from several times weekly to a special treat once a month. Energy Rating: 4 out of 5.

February 2025: Coke Zero, 5-Hour Energy Drinks. Report: February was a soda nightmare. After over a year of quitting soda, I fell back into addiction to Coca-Cola. Luckily, with my Diabetes (Type 2) I’ve refrained from the sugar-coated ones, sticking primarily to Zero-Sugar concoctions. Fred Meyer and Grocery Outlet had ridiculously cheap deals on 12 packs of Coke-Zero, so I bought several cases, and unfortunatel,y from February to June, it’s escalated to upwards of 2-3 Coke Zeros a day just to retain energy. It works better than most of my trials, except for the 5-hour energy Drinks. I also scored a case of the 5-Hour Energy Drinks, made by the producers of the 5-Hour Energy Shots. They taste horrible. I can’t really drink through what I have in stock. I love the “shots” but can’t stand the canned drinks. Energy levels obtained, but worried about the side effects. Energy Rating: 5 stars out of 5.

March 2025: 5-Hour Energy Shots, energy bars, Black Tea, Coke Zero. Chai Tea. Report: Well, I cut back on the 2-3 Coke Zeros a day, down to maybe 6 cans a week. I did up my 5-hour energy shots to one every few days. I tried an energy bar from the Grocery outlet, which didn’t really seem to do much more than a granola bar. I did increase my uptake of a cup of either black tea with milk and honey, or a chai tea latte. Energy Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.

April 2025: Moringa, Mud/Wtr, Black Tea, Coke Zero. Report: Moringa was recommended to me by a friend in Los Angeles, and Mud/Wtr by a friend in Canada. I found both of them tasty and good, Mud/Wtr best of the two, but they didn’t provide me with more energy than Chai. I continued with addictions to Black tea and Coke Zero. Coke Zero down to 4-5 cans a week. Energy Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5.

May 2025: B-Complex, B-12, Cold Brew Coffee, Coke Zero, Trader Joe’s Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans. Report: I still was unable to figure out Coffee. There was a cold brew Dunkin Donuts International Cold Coffee (canned) beverage super cheap at Grocery Outlet so I bought 6. I drank them throughout the month. They gave me the best ‘drink’ energy so far. Still struggling with the coffee aftertaste, but the sugar level coated that. Energy Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

June 2025: Coke Zero, 5-Hour Energy Shots, Tazo Chai Creme Smoothies, Trader Joe’s Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans. Report: June was bad with Coke Zero. I was drinking upwards of 3-4 cans a day. It didn’t help that Fred Meyer and Safeway had super cheap deals, buy 2 cases, get one free. I must break this addiction somehow. I feel like my younger days when I drank a 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola daily, at least this is sugar-free, but concerned about the health issues with this. I’m also at need of almost having 1-2 five-hour energy shots daily just to keep up with the workflow. Doesn’t help that the summer heat makes me want to stay inside, hit by the air conditioner. I must break this pattern. Energy Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

July 2025: Coffee, Yerba Mate, Moringa

August 2025: [To be decided]

September 2025: [To be decided]

October 2025: [To be decided]

November 2025: [To be decided]

December 2025: [To be decided]

I’ll keep trying different ways to stay energized and see what works best.

Energy Sources for the Human Body: What Fuels Us?

Ever wondered what keeps you moving, thinking, and breathing from the moment you wake up? The human body is like a high-performance engine, and it needs the right fuel to run at its best. Let’s break down the key energy sources that power every heartbeat and muscle twitch, and dive into how your body transforms food into pure get-up-and-go.

The Body’s Main Energy Sources

Your body pulls energy from three main nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It doesn’t play favorites with protein powder or bread, and each type of fuel has its special role.

Carbohydrates are your body’s go-to energy source. Think of them as dry kindling, quick to catch and burn brightly. Found in foods like bread, fruit, pasta, and rice, carbs break down into glucose, which cells use right away for energy.
Fats offer long-lasting fuel, like big logs on a campfire. They store more than twice as much energy per gram as carbs and keep you going mile after mile during endurance exercise or long days without eating.
Proteins act as a backup fuel. While protein’s main job is to build and repair tissues, when carbs and fats run low, the body can break down protein for energy. This usually happens during intense exercise or calorie restriction.

You can learn more about how your body prioritizes these fuels by checking out these details from The Body’s Fuel Sources.

How Your Body Turns Food into Fuel

It all starts the moment you take a bite. Enzymes in your mouth and stomach break down food into smaller molecules. It’s a well-orchestrated process, with carbs turning into glucose, fats into fatty acids, and proteins into amino acids.

Once in the bloodstream, your cells snap up these building blocks. Inside each cell, tiny power plants called mitochondria convert glucose, fatty acids, and sometimes amino acids into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the real currency of energy in the body. ATP drives everything, from muscle contractions to nerve signals.

For a science-backed look at this conversion process, see how the body produces energy.

Quick and Slow Energy: Carbs vs. Fats

Not all energy hits your system at the same speed. Here’s how it compares:

Carbs: Provide fast, short-term bursts; perfect for a sprint or lifting weights.
Fats: Deliver slow, steady energy to keep you going during a jog or hike.
Proteins: Give an emergency backup, but breaking down protein for energy isn’t efficient and can draw from your muscle tissue.

Athletes often eat high-carb meals before a race to top up their quick-access energy stores. In contrast, when you’re at rest or taking a long walk, your body taps into fat reserves to keep you moving.

Energy Storage: Glycogen and Fat Reserves

If you eat more than you burn, the body stores extra energy. Glucose gets packed away as glycogen in your liver and muscles, ready to be used when blood sugar dips. Fat gets stored in adipose tissue, your body’s safety net for times when food is scarce.

Understanding this complex system helps explain why balancing your intake and activity matters for maintaining a healthy weight.

Check out more about nutrient metabolism in humans with this guide to nutrient utilization and metabolism pathways.

Conclusion: Your Body, Your Energy Engine

Every step, laugh, or late-night study session runs on energy you take in from food. By choosing balanced meals rich in carbs, healthy fats, and some protein, you fuel your body for whatever comes next. Think of your daily meals like putting the right gasoline and oil in a sports car; you can’t run on empty, and your body sure thanks you for filling the tank.

If you want to dig even deeper into how the body uses energy, this summary at How the Body Uses Energy lays it out in simple terms.

Fuel smart, feel strong, and keep moving!