The legal profession as a whole can feel like something of an endurance match at times. Anyone who's worked in it can attest to the late nights and heavy workloads. What's worse is that you need to stay sharp during it. When you're working on a legal case you need to be able to spot issues that everyone has already missed. However, you might be surprised to find that your diet has been sabotaging your performance. What you eat, and even what you drink, directly impacts your performance. And the following drinks in particular can often make or break the case for you.
Soda
Soda, even diet soda, is arguably the single worst drink option if you need to stay sharp during a legal case. You probably already know about some of the most readily apparent issues with soda consumption. The sugar and caffeine crash in particular is a huge issue. That rush of sugar and caffeine can really make you feel on top of your game. That is, right up until the point where the impact fades away. And suddenly you feel worse than you did before the drink. However, there's even more to soda's negative effects than you suspect.
Soda is linked to lowered sleep quality. And of course the lower the quality of your sleep the lower the quality of your work the next day. Interestingly this wasn't seen with diet soda. But that doesn't mean it's a totally safe choice either. Consumption of diet soda leads to changes in the gut microbiome. These changes can lead to increased appetite, especially for unhealthy food. This is a significant issue given the association between overeating unhealthy food and lowered mental endurance. All of this means that soda is generally detrimental to your stamina during a case.
Coffee
Coffee is harder to judge than soda. Soda is almost always a bad option. But coffee can either help or hinder your stamina during a case in different circumstances. Too much coffee can lead to addiction and withdrawal symptoms. Likewise, drinking coffee at the wrong times can act as a crutch. Coffee also has the same potential issues with your sleep cycle that are seen with soda. However, studies have shown that coffee can boost your overall performance. The key is moderation. Coffee should be used in smaller amounts and in proper alignment with your body's cycles. For example, your body produces cortisol when you first wake up. So you should let yourself use that natural boost and only rely on coffee later in the day such as around lunchtime. Then be careful not to drink it too close to bedtime. These guidelines can safeguard your stamina during a legal case.
Water
Water is the beverage you'll always find at the top law firms. However, the link between water and performance isn't as clear as with soda and coffee. Water isn't linked with higher-level performance in the standard sense. Rather, lack of hydration causes decreased performance. Now, this might imply that soda and coffee would take care of this problem. However, both contain caffeine which acts as a diuretic. This can be moderately balanced out by the fluid in those beverages. However, in general use of diuretics will have a negative impact on hydration. As such, drinking water is always the best way to ensure your drinks only have a positive rather than negative impact on your stamina during legal cases.
