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Being caught between the current financial crisis and the upcoming holiday crunch is no excuse to slack off when it comes to keeping up with the inbox at the office. Many are looking for a way to accelerate their energy and avoid depression, but still maintain their health.

Coffee, energy drinks and other caffeine concoctions are consumed by more than 80 percent of the world's population according to researchers at Caffeineweb.com. But caffeine is a drug, and too much of it has been shown to produce caffeine toxicity, which can lead to depression and anxiety.

Physicians, studying the effects of caffeine on the brain, explain that as a stimulant it works by interfering or exciting the functions of the brain and nervous system. In the process, it also affects digestion and the body's ability to absorb vitamins.

Most people who consume caffeine also ingest processed sugar and even fructose corn syrup, both of which have been linked to depression and obesity. It's a viscous circle; here we are, trying to energize ourselves and, in the process, actually causing our own negative emotions and depleting ourselves of necessary vitamins.

But don't fret; there are indeed healthier alternatives to increase energy.

A recent study completed by the University of Oxford in England claims Vitamin B12, as well as other B-vitamins, actually can enhance brain activity. The study found that people with higher levels of Vitamin B12 were six times less likely to experience brain shrinkage as they grew older. Since people are growing older every day, this information applies to everyone, according to Anna Vogiatzoglou, principal researcher on the project. She added that brain health is part of saving our memory and even means our brain will be working more efficiently if it can use B-12. The results of the study, released in September, also pointed to the positive effects of other B-vitamins.

For example, some nutrition practitioners insist that B-vitamins are the keys that unlock energy and help maintain a healthy metabolism. They also claim that the B-vitamin complex -- thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folate, choline and B-12 -- works best to sustain and retain energy when taken as a group.

Dietitians with the American Dietetic Association state that B vitamins all have important uses and one is not more important than another. In fact, together they boost the immune system, reduce stress and repair nucleic acids throughout the body. The association also reports that the B-group is interdependent, which means the eight B-vitamins work best together because they activate one another.

So what's the best advice for getting through the holidays and the nation's ongoing financial crisis without also enduring a personal health crisis? Researchers from Kansas State University have compiled a short list of sure energy boosters.

In addition to taking a B-complex supplement and eating foods high in B-vitamins (lean meats, fresh or slightly cooked colorful vegetables, and whole grains):
• Stay away from caffeine drinks, such as coffee and soda;
• Make sure you have at least 30 minutes of daily exercise (in other words, move!);
• Eliminate processed sugar and corn syrup from your diet -- read the labels, you'll be surprised at how much sugar and corn syrup are in foods everyone eats -- this step is especially important if you are concerned about your weight; and, finally
• Maintain a good sense of humor. It will make your day go better because it enables the release of your body's own stress-blockers, endorphins, which gives you a feeling of well being and also helps to eliminate depression.