Coffee is a staple in many homes today, but it’s not always the healthiest choice. There are so many additives these days that make yummy coffee even more delicious, but not always the best choice for our overall health as a plain black cup. Let’s take a look at some ways you can keep your coffee healthy.
First, let’s look at some of the pros of coffee as a beverage. It’s the single largest source of antioxidants in the diet for most people, ranking higher than both fruits and vegetables combined. It has magnesium and potassium that help regulate blood sugar levels and can help reduce your cravings for sugar and snacks.
It can also help you burn fat by breaking down body fat and using it as fuel. These are just some of the ways that coffee can be good for you. However, it’s important to not let that
With that said, let’s look at some ways you can keep your coffee healthy:
#1. Don’t Add Tons of Extra Sugar
When you start adding creamer, sugar, or other flavorings to your coffee, you can take a good, healthy drink and make it something harmful to your health. You don’t have to like black coffee to keep your cup healthy. You just need to learn how to supplement and accent the flavor of your coffee without dumping loads of sugar in it.
Added sugar is one of the worst ingredients to any modern diet. If you’re hooked on a sweetener, consider a natural alternative like Stevia. You can also try a small bit of vanilla extract or agave for a sweeter flavor.
You can also look for healthier creamer options. Go low fat or no fat, dairy alternatives, or other healthier creamer options if you don’t like to take your coffee black. Check out the Morning Hills coffee option here.
#2. Don’t Drink on an Empty Stomach
It’s a bad habit many coffee drinkers have – waking up and making that first fresh, hot cup of coffee – before you’ve eaten anything else. But drinking coffee on an empty stomach can have health risks, including damage to the stomach lining and an increase in anxiety.
Instead, take the time to eat something small first, or have your first morning cup slowly as you enjoy your breakfast. It doesn’t have to be a full-sized meal; even a piece of toast first will help put something else into your stomach before you down that coffee.
In addition to these health risks, coffee is an appetite suppressant. Many people who have coffee on an empty stomach will skip eating a meal. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a reason. You need those nutrients in you at the start of your day to be your best throughout the day. Learn about the benefits of air roasted coffee here.
#3. Choose a High-Quality Coffee
One of the best ways to have healthier coffee is to choose a higher quality brand of coffee or beans. The quality of your coffee can vary greatly, and it all depends on things like where the coffee beans were originally sourced and also how the coffee was processed.
Fresh beans that you grind yourself at home may be healthier than a cheap pre-ground, generic coffee from your supermarket. Remember that the most expensive doesn’t always equal the “healthiest” or best quality. Do some research into the brand, where they source their beans, and what kind of manufacturing methods they have. Look at more than just the price tag to choose your coffee accordingly.
#4. Keep Your Consumption to the First Half of the Day
If you want to keep your coffee as healthy as possible, don’t drink any after 2p.m. Coffee consumption too late in the evening can interfere with your ability to sleep. This can have long term health complications.
Coffee is a stimulant. This is where many of the positive benefits of coffee come from. It can help you wake up in the morning, focus better, improve concentration, and have more energy to get through your day. Coffee is one of the richest natural sources of caffeine in the average diet.
However, it’s important to understand that caffeine does not come without some side effects. If you drink too much, it can make you jittery. And if you drink it too late in the day, it can interfere with your ability to sleep. If you want to improve your quality of sleep, avoid caffeine in the second half of your day. For most people, this is after around 2p.m. or so.
#5. Don’t Overdo Your Coffee
Another easy way to keep your coffee consumption healthier is to reduce your intake. Too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. Drinking too much coffee can completely reduce the benefits of it. So, how much is too much?
Well, there is no simple answer because each individual’s tolerance levels will vary. Also, the more coffee you drink, the more your tolerance for the caffeine will increase. In general, the average person needs only about 2 cups of coffee per day. Anything more than that will not yield greater benefits.
Drinking coffee is really all about balancing the benefits with the potential side effects. When you keep your intake to moderated amounts, you can enjoy the good that coffee has to offer without the bad side effects.
#6. Use a Coffee Filter
Brewing your coffee with a paper filter can help reduce the amount of bad things (like cafestol, a chemical that can increase blood cholesterol levels) but still allows you to benefit from the good that caffeine and antioxidants bring.
When comparing coffee with a filter to that made without a filter, the filtered coffee can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, or stroke. Filtered coffee is also much easier on the nervous system. With a filter, you get all of the benefits of the coffee without so much of the bad, and it doesn’t impact the taste and flavor of your coffee.
Conclusions
To summarize, coffee can be a healthy drink when done properly and in moderation. However, it’s all too easy to slip hidden calories and other bad stuff into your favorite cup. When you follow these tips, you can know how to keep your coffee as healthy as possible so you can enjoy more of the good stuff, without so much of the bad stuff.
