Functional coffee, explained.
Straight answers about functional coffee, caffeine and focus — no hype, no proprietary blends.
October 12, 2026 · 3 min read
Energy drink or coffee? What's in the can, and what's in the cup
3 p.m., half a workday to go, and a choice between the can in the fridge and a cup of coffee. The caffeine in both is about the same. What comes with it isn't.
The Journal
October 6, 2026 · 4 min read
Coffee before a workout: when, how much and with what
Half an hour before the gym, up to 200 mg of caffeine, and a cup with a lot more in it than coffee. Time to upgrade the simplest pre workout there is.
The Journal
August 11, 2026 · 4 min read
A morning ritual that still holds at 3pm
Most morning routines are built around waking up. The hard part isn't waking up — it's the afternoon. Here's what actually changes it.
The Journal
August 8, 2026 · 4 min read
Do B vitamins actually help with tiredness?
You took the B-complex for two weeks and felt nothing. That isn't a bad product — it's exactly what B vitamins do, and don't do.
The Journal
August 8, 2026 · 4 min read
When should you stop drinking coffee before bed?
If you fall asleep fine but wake up like you didn't, the afternoon coffee is the first place to look.
The Journal
August 8, 2026 · 4 min read
How much caffeine a day is safe?
Somewhere around the fourth cup, most people start wondering. Here's where the line actually sits — and why the single cup matters more than the daily total.
The Journal
July 17, 2026 · 4 min read
L-theanine and caffeine: why there are no jitters
The jitters and the crash are opposite ends of the same curve — and they need different fixes. Here's the pairing that handles the sharp end.
The Journal
July 17, 2026 · 3 min read
Chromium: the trace mineral behind a steadier afternoon
You need micrograms of it, not grams — and it quietly handles the half of 'steady energy' that caffeine can't touch.
The Journal
July 17, 2026 · 3 min read
What is collagen doing in a coffee?
It's the ingredient people ask about most — and there's more of it in here than most expect. Here's what hydrolyzed peptides are, and why it sits second on the label.
The Journal
July 17, 2026 · 4 min read
Does functional coffee break a fast?
It depends which fast you're keeping. Here's the honest answer for a coffee with fats in it — and where it fits in your window.
The Journal
June 18, 2026 · 4 min read
What is functional coffee?
Functional coffee is regular coffee blended with active ingredients chosen to do more than just wake you up. Here's what that means.
The Journal
June 11, 2026 · 4 min read
Why coffee makes you crash — and how to avoid it
The afternoon slump after coffee isn't bad luck — it's how a fast caffeine spike works. Here's the mechanism, and what actually softens it.
The Journal
June 4, 2026 · 3 min read
Functional coffee without mushrooms
Want the benefits of functional coffee, but you'd rather it tasted like real coffee? Here's how to get focus and energy with no mushroom extract at all.
The Journal
May 27, 2026 · 4 min read
The best coffee for focus and productivity
What actually makes a coffee good for focus? It's not just more caffeine. Here's what to look for — and how to avoid the mid-afternoon fade.
The Journal