Coffee is one of my favorite things in this world. I started drinking it when I was 11 and have not stopped since. I love the culture that surrounds coffee (everything from coffee shops, special holiday drinks, ‘hey wanna grab a cup of coffee?’) and of course the actual taste of coffee. Studies have shown that coffee itself isn’t unhealthy, but the caffeine and sugar that often accompany coffee can really take a negative toll on your health. I know National Coffee Day was a few weeks ago, but I believe there is never a bad time to talk about coffee. So here are some tips to making your everyday coffee a little healthier.
- Add Collagen or Protein Powder: I know collagen has been a hot trend right now on Instagram, and that is honestly how I found out about it. Collagen can improve your skin, boost muscle mass, and help with joint pain. This is something I just started adding to my coffee every morning and I honestly can’t tell the difference when I stir it in. I will also add a scoop of protein powder in my coffee after a workout and blend that together with some almond milk for a coffee-based post-workout drink.
- Skip the Sugar: When I first started drinking coffee, I would put two packets of sweetener into a single cup. Looking back, I can’t believe I used to like coffee that sweet! It’s taken a few years, but now I’ve totally adjusted to not adding any kind of sugar into my coffee. If you’re not ready to take that leap yet, try a natural sweetener like Stevia. You can also find sugar-free syrups out there too!
- Healthy Creamers and Milks: Your healthiest option for coffee is going to be to just drink it black, but if you crave a little extra something in your coffee, there are healthier options for creamers and milks that are fat-free, sugar-free and dairy-free. I personally like using flavored almond-milk creamers or just normal almond milk.
- Buy it Organic (free trade too if you can): Organic coffee is high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Buying it organic also helps reduce the risk of harmful chemical injection into your body from fertilizers and pesticides. Buying coffee free trade also ensures the farmers who grow the coffee receive a fair trade and their communities benefit from it as well. So you can feel good about that too!
- Brew it differently: I definitely hopped on the cold brew train over the summer and I have actually read that the heat in hot coffee destroys antioxidants, so cold brew has more antioxidants. This hasn’t full been proven, but still something to consider. I’ve also seen a lot of people use a Chemex to brew their coffee and that makes for a less bitter cup of coffee. If you are always adding a ton of sweetener or creamer to coffee to balance out this bitterness, than this is a great way to go.
- Half-caffeine/Decaf: A bunch of my coworkers only drink decaf. I used to think that decaf coffee was a total waste of time, but then I started to feel the negative affects of caffeine (does this mean I’m getting old?!?!). So now I’m trying to ween myself off of caffeine (because I may or may not be addicted) and there have been way too many times that my body felt tingly, my eye started to twitch and I had trouble focusing. Talk about a caffeine OD! I’m going to start with getting half-caff drinks for #Nofunvember and then work my way up to decaf.
- Brush your teeth: Here’s a fun health tip you probably weren’t expecting! Something that I’ve always worried about with drinking so much coffee is it staining my teeth or giving me back breathe! This is a personal goal I have for myself now, so I definitely encourage you to do the same!
What is your go-to coffee drink? Comment below!
Thanks for reading! xx