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Monday, February 17, 2014

COFFEE - 3 Tricks to Make it Super-Healthy #CoffeeWorld






COFFEE - 3 Tricks to Make it Super-Healthy #CoffeeWorld


Mmm, coffee... almost everybody drinks it... some people have 3-4 cups per day or more.

But most people don't think of it as a "health drink". And it's certainly NOT healthy the way most people make it with loads of added sugar or artificial sweeteners and artificial creamers.

But I'll give you my tips here on how I make a healthier cup of coffee and what to watch out for...

First, you may have seen debate in the past about how coffee has some compounds in it that could have negative health effects such as some tars or other possibly inflammatory compounds in brewed coffee. But, the good news is that coffee has such high concentrations of beneficial antioxidants, phenolic nutrients, chlorogenic acids, and other healthy compounds, that it more than counteracts any bad compounds.

In fact, coffee provides the biggest source of antioxidants for most people. Although a lot of that has to do with the fact that many people don't get enough antioxidants from fruits and veggies, so coffee ends up being their biggest source. You should try to diversify your sources of antioxidants from fruits, veggies, spices, berries, beans, unsweetened organic cocoa, teas, and yes, even coffee if you like it.


So what's the best way to make a healthy cup of coffee? Well, here's my 3 most important tricks to maximize the benefits of coffee and minimize the negatives:

1. First of all, you need to AVOID adding any refined sugar or harmful artificial sweeteners. What I do instead is use either a very small touch of organic maple syrup or a half packet of natural stevia to just lightly sweeten my coffee. If you like your coffee black with no sweetener at all, that's the healthiest way.

If you're getting your coffee at a coffee shop, make sure to avoid all of those fancy specialty coffees (sweetened flavored lattes, frappuccinos, etc) as they are almost ALWAYS loaded with extra sugars or artificial sweeteners. Some of those fancy coffee drinks at Starbucks or other coffee shops can have 300-400 calories in just one coffee! Definitely not good for your body or your blood sugar or insulin levels.

A latte or cappucino can be okay as long as you make sure to ask for it unsweetened, and then use your own stevia if you need a light sweet taste.



2. You also should try to AVOID at all costs any of those crappy artificial creamers (liquid or powder), which are usually made with corn syrup solids and hydrogenated oils (harmful trans fats). Instead, use a little bit of REAL full-fat cream (organic grass-fed if you can find it, as the CLA in grass-fed cream is very healthy).

Or, better yet, what I've been using for a while now is coconut milk/cream as one of the healthiest creamer alternatives. I get this by buying cans of organic coconut milk, and then after opening the can (shake the can well before opening), I store the coconut milk in the fridge in a container. Note that the cans of coconut milk are much creamier and better as a coffee creamer than those cartons of "coconut milk drink" which are just watered down coconut milk.

The thick creamy coconut milk is the healthiest option for coffee creamer because it's loaded with super healthy saturated fats called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are known to boost your immune system and your metabolism! Plus, coconut milk in coffee is just plain delicious! It's the best healthy creamer option by far.

When people visit my house and we make a pot of coffee, I'll have them try the coconut milk/cream in their coffee and almost everyone always comments how much they love it!

3. If you want to load your coffee up with more healthy antioxidants and good taste, consider trying some added cinnamon to your coffee (cinnamon can help control blood sugar and has many other health benefits). It's also really tasty in coffee!

I also sometimes like to add a teaspoon of organic cocoa powder (non-sweetened) to my coffee to make my own sort of mocha coffee (but without the loads of sugar in a typical mocha you'd get at the coffee shop). The added cocoa powder also gives you great taste and a good dose of extra healthy antioxidants (and cocoa is also known for helping to lower blood pressure!)

I personally only drink coffee about 3-4 times per week, because I'm sensitive to caffeine and don't want to get addicted to caffeine like some people are. I see people that drink 3-4 cups per day that get a massive headache if they don't have their daily coffee due to caffeine withdrawal. I choose to avoid this addiction by only drinking it about 3-4 times a week, and I drink various teas like green, oolong, black, and white teas most other days, which are much lower in caffeine.

But despite the caffeine content, there is loads of data that show the high antioxidant levels and health benefits to coffee.
Lastly, it's extremely important to choose organic coffee beans, as conventional coffee is one of the most heavily treated crops with pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Remember that one of the many health risks with these chemicals is that some pesticides can act as "xenoestrogens" in your body, disrupting hormone balance for both men and women. Chronic xenoestrogen exposure can also be one cause of "stubborn abdominal fat" in both sexes as well as "man boobs" in men... so choose organic as often as you can with most foods, but especially with coffee!

If you love coffee, feel free to share this article below with your coffee-loving friends and family.



21 comments:

Day2DayWoman With Ma'u said...

My husband would give anything for a cup of coffee like this. I am not so much of a coffee drinker personally. I only do decaf and that is only once in a while. Very nice post!

diegong bagsik said...

I love coffee every morning before going to the office nice tips

BeautyDrugs said...

Informative post. I am not a coffee lover. But my sis loving this a lot.

Roch said...

I've never tried drinking coffee without sugar. Is stevia sweet all the same or less sweet than sugar?

Leelo said...

I love coffee and I drink way too much of it (2-3 cups a day), but at least my coffee is without any sweeteners and with just some milk.

Agarwal Samaj Bhilwara said...

After reading your post, i just need to say, Lets have a cup of coffee together

cre8tone said...

I'm not really into coffee but having it once in a blue moon is cool!

Raine Pal said...

Honestly, I am a coffee addict. But I need to stay away from drinking coffee because of my Wellness Program. Need to strictly follow the rules. I miss coffee now.

Franc said...

I think it's better to go with organic sweeteners than artificial ones for Coffee. This can really reduce our sweet and calorie intake.

Yan said...

i love coffee! i've grown dependent to it ever since i started working, and i take a cup every morning. hehe i have a preference though to a specific kind of 3-in-1 because they claim it's healthy! hehe >XD

Beautyasti1 said...

I drink coffee, but not much.. Because I get dizzy easily when drink coffee.. I prefer tea than coffee..
Http://beautyasti1.blogspot.com

Loudthinkin said...

Coffee is very energising indeed but it gives me pimples every time I have it so I stick to tea!

Unknown said...

Stevia is a really good option to sweeten coffee. I've tasted the actual leaves and they really are sweet!

Anonymous said...

That is why I am not a big fan of Starbucks, all that sugar they put in the coffee is so not good for the body and man, we are speaking about 300 calories in just one cup, that is way too much for me. I rather drink coffee at home, enjoying the very preparation of it, the preparation of my coffee is a whole art, actually!

Anonymous said...

Coffee always puts me to sleep. I know that is weird but its true. It also makes me dizzy and feel lousy. That said the taste is awesome.

Unknown said...

We're coffee drinkers but only in the mornings, we prefer it black. Some substitute milk instead of putting creamer and sugar.

Unknown said...

I really do not like coffee. The roast smells amazing but when it's beverage the smell changes and it makes my head hurt and disgusts me. I know I'm strange, lol

Suzanne said...

Have to admit that I have never really thought about coffee as being healthy, except for all the junk people put in it! I do love a good double double though :-)

papaleng said...

Great tips dude. We usually have our coffee with refined sugar. Maple syrup is a good alternative siguro.

Eliz Frank said...

I've never tried coconut milk in my coffee. I'll give it a try next time. I enjoy tea and coffee with agave syrup and creme.

KarenT said...

I am a coffee addict but I love using sweetener and other flavors. Your post is informative and it made me think shifting to the brewed one

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