It is 2:00 PM on a Wednesday. You have hit the wall. That foggy and familiar mental block that settles in right after lunch. Naturally, you reach for the solution that has sustained the modern workforce for a century: the second (or third…) coffee of the day.

For the first fifteen minutes, it works. You feel a burst of energy and things are looking bright. But by 4:00 PM, the jitters set in. By 10:00 pm, you’re wired but tired, staring at your ceiling unable to drift off. You wake up the next morning, and what do you do? Make yourself the first coffee of the day, and the cycle repeats. If you’re looking for a natural energy booster that doesn’t rely on stimulation, the answer isn’t another cup of coffee - it’s a different biological strategy entirely.

Today, we treat energy like a credit card. We swipe it now and worry about the bill later. But biology doesn’t work like that, and eventually, the debt becomes overdue.

Even the most potent supplements can’t outrun a lifestyle designed to utterly deplete you. If you are looking to reclaim your energy, consider this your baseline audit. The non-negotiables for natural energy.

1. Sunlight before screen time: Your circadian rhythm is governed by light. Getting in natural sunlight within 30 minutes of waking up triggers a natural cortisol spike (the good kind) that signals your body to wake up and sets a timer to release melatonin 12-14 hours later.³ Think of this as your own personal “on” button.
2. Hydration: Fatigue is often just dehydration in disguise. Sometimes water alone isn’t enough. Without minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, water passes right through you. A morning glass of water with a pinch of sea salt or lemon can help.
3. Cold shower: You don’t need an ice bath to get the benefits. Try ending your shower with 30 seconds of cold water. It shocks the system, increases heart rate, and triggers a release of norepinephrine–a neurotransmitter that boosts productivity and mood. Ultimately alerting your body that it’s “go time.”
4. Fight sugar cravings: Glucose spikes are energy loans. When you start your day with a sweet pastry or sugary latte, you can spike your insulin, potentially leading to reactive hypoglycemia (blood sugar crash) a few hours later. Opt for savory breakfasts rich in protein and healthy fats to keep your energy levels stable.

Rather than borrowing the energy from tomorrow, the most effective natural energy booster works by supporting how your body produces fuel at the cellular level. Once that is all in place, you are ready to introduce the heavy hitters. This is where we move from sustaining energy to optimizing it.

There is no “one size fits all” approach to energy. You need a different kind of stamina for a three-hour strategy meeting than you do for an intimate evening with your partner. We use cordyceps across three of our key formulations, pairing it with adaptogens to direct that energy exactly where you need it.

1. Cognitive Stamina

Found in: Brainstorm

We all have experienced “brain fog” – the inability to hold a thought on a task. This is often metabolic fatigue; your brain consumes 20% of your body’s energy, despite only being 2% of its weight. When ATP runs low, productivity is the first thing to go.⁶

In Brainstorm, we pair cordyceps with lion’s mane and a precise dose of guarana. Guarana provides the immediate lift in energy, while lion’s mane supports nerve growth factor (NGF) for sustained neural health. But the cordyceps are the real MVP, they provide the endurance. It helps support the cellular fuel your brain relies on to maintain that productivity for hours, preventing that mental burnout that usually follows a caffeine spike.⁷

2. Social Stamina

Found in: Party Trick

Socializing requires a surprising amount of physical and emotional energy. We often use alcohol to “release our inhibitions”, but lest we not forget, alcohol is a depressant. It literally steals your energy (and your tomorrow).

Party Trick is designed to replace the need for “liquid courage” with “fungal vitality.” Here is where cordyceps act as the physical battery. We pair it with kanna, a South African succulent known for its mood-lifting and heart-opening properties. While kanna supports mood, making you feel chatty and connected, cordyceps supports the body, helping you stay engaged and moving without the physical drag that can set in later in the night. The result is a naturally energized, fully present feeling, like the most alive person in the room.

3. Sexual Stamina

Found in: Happy Ending

Sexual health is wealth. It requires blood flow, oxygenation, and physical endurance. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, cordyceps were prized specifically for this purpose, often reserved for emperors to ensure their physical stamina. It has been studied for its role in supporting physical sensation. At Alice, we blend it with ashwagandha (to support a calmer cortisol response - that often-annoying mood disrupter) and maca. The cordyceps support oxygen and blood flow, which are important for arousal and physical responsiveness.

This isn’t just about “lasting longer” (though it helps with that, too); it’s about having the surplus energy to actually be present in your body to enjoy pleasure, rather than collapsing into bed exhausted and then spiraling that something is wrong with you.