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Who can thrive without that morning cup of joe?? Not me. I got the Java Jive and It's got me! Coffee wakes us up and keeps us going through the day. It's delicious and has some real health benefits of coffee that are good for you mentally and physically! Here's my list of reasons to love coffee!
Health Benefits of Coffee
1. Drink it, Black
Yeah, I love my French vanilla creamer too…but the coffee itself is loaded with antioxidants, which are pretty much life fuel for your body. Flavored creamers tend to be loaded with fat, sugar, and extra calories, so diluting your cup of Columbian with it can quickly turn that healthy black coffee into a dessert. It's okay to indulge once in a while, but try to drink your coffee straight to get all the benefits.
2. If You Must Sweeten Your Coffee, Do It Naturally
If you're used to dressing up your coffee, going straight to black may be difficult. If you're finding the transition a little tough, try sweetening your coffee naturally, like with natural vanilla, agave syrup, or Stevia. If you still can't stomach it, at least try cutting your normal sweetener and/or creamer in half. Baby steps!
3. Get Some Flavor by Adding Cinnamon or Cocoa
If you need some flavor in your black coffee, try adding cinnamon or cocoa to it for a natural flavor boost. Cinnamon is really good for blood sugar regulation and is another source of antioxidants. The same goes for cocoa – it'll be an added boost of antioxidants, plus, now your coffee is a delicious mocha! And by the way, all these antioxidants are keeping your cells clean, fighting free radicals that might make you sick, and also have anti-aging properties!
4. Try Almond Milk
Speaking of flavor, if you still need that extra something in your coffee, try almond milk – it's a healthier, more natural alternative to flavored creamers, and it'll add that magic bit of creaminess you might be craving in your warm drink. Almond milk is a good non-dairy alternative to heavy cream or ½ and ½, and it won't upset the tummy like too much milk can. Pro tip: There are flavored non-dairy creamers out there too! Just don't overdo it so you can watch that sugar intake.
5. Eat Something with Your morning Cup of Java
If all you have for breakfast is coffee, you might get the jitters later and feel increased anxiety. You may also experience some, ah, unpleasant trips to the bathroom, like coffee on an empty stomach can damage your stomach lining. Eating a healthy breakfast with your coffee will help soak up some of that caffeine so that you don't experience any unpleasant side effects later.
6. Avoid Drinking Coffee After a Certain Time
The average person has about 2-3 cups of coffee throughout the morning. Boy, I'm not average. Let's brew another pot! Still, you should stop drinking coffee around 2 or 3 pm so that you don't have trouble falling asleep later that night. Coffee contains caffeine – that's why we love it! – and too much of it can disrupt your sleep pattern, especially if you have trouble sleeping anyway. It's possible to get addicted to caffeine, so don't chug the coffee all day – you don't want it to become an unhealthy habit.
7. Use Filtered Water When Making Your Coffee
Unfiltered tap water may add nasty metals and other unwanted things to your coffee, which aren't great for you. Double-check with your Water utility about your water quality if you have questions. Otherwise, Your coffee may taste way better if you use fresh, filtered water; it might enhance your java experience! Filtered water may just be all-around better for you. Do a side-by-side test and see if you can taste the difference for yourself!
8. Drink a Cup of Coffee 30 Minutes Pre-Workout
Of course, the antioxidants come into play here – the healthier you are, the more you can maximize your workout! Drinking a cup of coffee before your workout will also give you a small, healthy dose of caffeine that will increase your adrenaline and make you want to work out harder and longer. It also increases our "fight or flight" hormone, so that we're ready to exercise and burn off some steam. A cup or two of coffee 30 minutes before your workout is a great natural and healthy alternative to those pre-workout supplements!
9. The Right Amount of Coffee Improves Brain Function
Calculate what your optimum amount of caffeine is according to your weight – there's an actual formula to go by (your doctor can help you with this). Of course, everyone is different – we all have different medical histories, different weights, and caffeine tolerance. But if you drink just the right amount of coffee, you'll notice improved memory, reaction time, and overall better and quicker brain function. And best of all – coffee will boost your mood! Sign me up – I can always use a brain boost!
10. Try "Sparkling Coffee" To Kick Your Soda Habit
Yeah, it's a thing! All soda is bad for you – even diet soda – so eliminating it from your diet is a huge plus for your body. Get yourself a nice carbonated cold brew and add organic lemon juice and organic sugar. You can add other healthy ingredients, such as ginger hibiscus, to get some flavor and added health benefits. Ginger hibiscus, for example, not only contains more antioxidants but electrolytes too, so you'll stay hydrated! (The electrolytes also help with your workouts!)
11. Bulletproof Coffee
Ever heard of it? Just add grass-fed butter and coconut oil (or coconut milk) to your black coffee! I know, sounds kinda weird…but if you want to pack your coffee with a health punch, adding these ingredients will give you the fats that are good for you and will add an extra zing of energy to your coffee! A couple of cups of bulletproof coffee in the morning should easily get you through to lunchtime.
12. Using Recyclable Paper Filters
Sure, those reusable filters create less waste, but using recyclable paper filters results in your coffee getting brewed more healthily! As healthy as black coffee is, it does contain two compounds that are bad for our cholesterol: cafestol and kahweol. Paper filters will filter these compounds out of your coffee so that you're getting a healthy cup of java!
13. Add Turmeric to Your Coffee
This is a fairly new coffee trend. Turmeric is a spice that has tons of health benefits – it's great for your immune system and is loaded with anti-inflammatory properties. It might sound like an odd spice to add to black coffee, but it's said to taste good – like a ginger latte!
14. Choose Organic Coffee
Yeah, it may be a little more expensive, but organic coffee won't have all that processing stuff done to it like the leading brand of coffee at the store will. Plus the flavor of organic coffee will be better, bolder, and richer. You'll be getting a truly unfiltered version of those antioxidants and other health benefits of black coffee.
And even better: huge efforts are being made to establish fair trade when it comes to coffee in general, even organic coffee. Pro tip: try grinding organic coffee beans at home. You'll get a much richer taste and smoother texture. You can experiment with how coarse or fine to grind your beans to find your perfect cup!
15. Black Coffee Can Keep Depression at Bay
To get the full benefit of the mood-lifting elements of coffee, don't dilute it with creamers, sugars, and syrups. In a fancy study by Harvard, people who drank black coffee had a 20% lower risk of depression than non-coffee drinkers. Just that first whiff of coffee in the morning perks us up! The smell and the taste of coffee are instant mood-lifters.
16. Enjoy A Cup After Lunch to Promote a Healthy Weight
Try drinking a cup of black coffee or a cappuccino after lunch. It's relaxing and just plain yummy with most desserts. On top of that, though, coffee and its precious caffeine cause the body to digest your food more slowly, while also raising your metabolic rate. In other words, black coffee is good for your metabolism! Keep in mind that coffee isn't the magic answer to weight loss, but a good metabolism promotes a healthy weight.
