The “How To” Coffee Guide
Happy International Coffee Day!
For all my coffee lovers or those looking to quit or decrease daily intake. It’s the power of knowledge that helps form our own personal decision of what best works for our bodies. So, don’t fret I’m not here to take away this simple pleasure but to equip you with information so you can make minor shifts that benefit your overall being.
Facts About Caffeine In Coffee:
• One cup of coffee has somewhere between 75-150 mg of caffeine
• Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee and is enhanced during the roasting process
Health Benefits Of Coffee:
• Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and the brain and can fight fatigue and increase athletic performance
• Caffeine may also help with headache and migraine pain
• Coffee is loaded with antioxidants made of quinines, which become more potent after roasting
• Magnesium is found naturally in coffee; when magnesium is combined with quinines we see a lowering effect on blood sugar that may be responsible for a lower risk of type II diabetes development
• Coffee contains the antibacterial compound trigonelline, which may help in the prevention of dental caries (cavities). This compound becomes more pronounced during roasting and is also responsible for giving coffee its unforgettable aroma
• Researchers are drawing a strong connection (correlation) between coffee and its potential preventative measures of Parkinson’s disease
• Coffee may also lower the incidence of liver cancer and liver disease
o Researchers noted a reduction of liver cancer risk by about 50% in those who drank 3 cups of coffee per day
o Coffee showed an ability to reduce alcoholic cirrhosis by about 22%
o Coffee consumption reduced mortality from cirrhosis due to alcohol by 66%
If Coffee Is So Healthy, Then Why Aren’t We Seeing The Benefits?
Last year, according to coffeeresearch.org, Americans consume approximately 4.4 kg of coffee per person annually. This equates to roughly 3.1 cups of coffee per day per person!
So why aren’t Americans seeing the health benefits listed above?
Two main reasons:
1. The quality of coffee
2. What we put in coffee
The Quality of Coffee:
Pesticide Concerns
• Coffee shows up on many lists of products that are very high in pesticides. The agrochemicals are directed at the stems and leaves, but independent tests are finding residue on the beans themselves
• Roasting only removes partial amounts of the pesticides. Pesticides have been linked to endocrine disorders, cancers, and neurological disorders
• Because many types of coffees are imported, the USDA has limited control over the types of pesticides, amounts, and techniques used
Choose Organic:
• While organic coffee is typically more expensive, the health care costs for the aforementioned conditions are much greater.
• By choosing an organic coffee you are not only improving your own health, but the health of the coffee farmers and the condition of the land on which the plants are grown
Other Notable Coffee Trends:
• Shade-grown: Coffee is grown in a manner that protects rainforests. Shadegrown coffee farmers will plant their coffee crop under another crop such as avocados or citrus trees. Shade-grown coffee connoisseurs tout that this type of coffee is more robust and flavorful than the full-sun-grown counterparts.
• Fair-trade: Fair trade was created in the effort to promote a more amicable trading environment to ensure that producers in developing countries are paid a fair price for products while increasing sustainability. Grounds for Change coffee is an example fair trade, organic and shade-grown coffee. Almost half of organic coffee is also labeled as fair-trade.
• UTZ-certified: Signifies that the coffee was grown under fair labor practices with as minimal chemical application as possible. It is traceable from farmer to roaster to consumer and emphasizes transparency.
What We Put In Coffee: Chemicals, Creamers and Sugars….Oh My!
1. Sweeteners & Artificial Sweeteners
a. Sweeteners: Putting poor-quality sweeteners in coffee adds unwanted chemicals AND calories. Case in point – Starbucks most popular blended coffee drinks rack up about 500-750 calories per 16 ounce serving. Most of that is sugar, which converts in the body to fat.
b. Artificial sweeteners: Add to the chemical load of the body, convert into other more carcinogenic substances during the body’s own detoxification process, and increase the carbohydrate cravings.
2. Poor Quality Dairy :Most creamers or coffee lighteners that are sold as such are some of the lowest quality dairy products on the market.
a. Whole Milk
• Contains lactose, casein, and whey for those who may be intolerant
• High fat content
• Triggers growth hormone production in human body
• May have added hormones and/or antibiotics from dairy cows
• If you need to use a liquid coffee lightener, choose organic whole milk
b. Low-fat Milk/1% Milk/Skim Milk
• Contains lactose, casein, and whey for those who may be intolerant
• Triggers growth hormone production in human body
• May have added hormones and/or antibiotics from dairy cows
• May contain chemical additives to replace the removed fat
c. Non-Dairy Creamer
• Typically made of partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats), casein, corn syrup solids, soybean, canola and/or sunflower oils, artificial flavors and colors, etc. (basically a storm of chemicals).
• While “non-dairy” creamer does not contain lactose it does contribute to the overall inflammatory process of the body because it increases arachidonic acid production in the body. Avoid.
d. Flavored Creamers
• Flavored creamers such as Coffee-Mate are generally chemical nightmares that contribute to systemic inflammation • They often contain: - Corn syrup solids – triggers insulin response and may lead to insulin resistance - Vegetable oil (including partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil) – trans fatty acids that may lead to heart disease and/or stroke - Sodium caseinate – triggers opioid centers in the brain increasing desire to consume more - Dipotassium phosphate – a fertilizer that is used to prevent clumping - Sodium aluminosilicate – contains aluminum which has been connected to the development of such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease - Artificial flavor depending on the type purchased
The Highest-Quality Coffee
• Organic, fair trade, shade-grown
Drink black or add:
o Teaspoon of Kerrygold unsalted grass-fed butter and/ or some coconut oil or MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil.
If you blend coffee, butter and oil, coffee will get frothy and taste like a richer, healthier latte
Google Dave Asprey’s “Bulletproof Coffee” for more information
How Do I Quit Drinking Coffee Without Losing My Mind?
• Gradually dilute your coffee until you are consuming only hot water.
• Start with 90% coffee and 10% water. Keep this ratio for a week or more.
• Next, reduce the coffee to 75% and increase water to 25% of your cup. Again, keep this ratio for a week or more.
• Now you can go quicker! For four days, try a half and half coffee-to-water mixture.
• Let coffee go and switch to hot water with lemon
Additional Strategies
• Switch from coffee to green tea and follow the reduction schedule above. Green tea has approximately 25 mg of caffeine per cup compared to coffee’s 75-150mg per cup.
• Ginseng can help keep you in balance during caffeine withdrawal. Caffeine constricts blood vessels and ginseng dilates them. Be sure to take ginseng BEFORE the onset of a headache. Follow label directions.
• Consider switching to herbal teas such as dandelion tea. This tastes like coffee, but also adds liver cleansing benefits.
• Try coffee alternatives, like Dandy Blend or Teccino (made with barley but has no detectable amount of gluten).
******Make sure to drink at least 6-8 glasses of filtered water daily. This helps to keep you hydrated and helps the bowels eliminate. This is especially important for those who tend toward constipation.
• Make sure you get 8 hrs of sleep every night. Also, try afternoon 20-min power naps to increase energy and productivity.
• Exercise! Even if you can only fit in 30 minutes of walking during a lunch break it will do wonders for your energy (plus it will help get bowels moving).
Whatever you decide in the end - knowledge is power and there are always ways we can start small and shift our habits to create balance within!
I hope this was helpful and here to support your healthy journey! Feel free to email me or follow me on instagram @holistichabitswithpetra and DM me if you have any questions
Love & Light
Credit @ Health Coach Institute
Photo Credit: @bridgettetohm
