When you’re trying to lose weight, the beverages you drink are just as important for your metabolism as the foods you eat–especially for women over 50. Drinks like sodas (are diet sodas really better for you?), sweetened teas, juices, energy drinks, and coffees are loaded with refined sugars that could be causing your metabolism to slow down. Specifically, excessively drinking frozen coffee can be detrimental to your weight loss plans.
We spoke with health experts Nataly Komova, RD, and fitness expert, and Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements. They said these frozen coffees are often loaded with sugary, high-calorie ingredients, and sipping on this beverage every morning could ruin your metabolism and contribute to weight gain. Find out more below!
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Frozen coffee
Despite the fact that these drinks are absolutely delicious, frozen coffee drinks–such as Starbucks Frappucinos– are loaded with refined sugar and full-fat dairy creamers that are terrible for your metabolism and will eventually lead to weight gain when consumed regularly.
"Unfortunately, for those wanting to lose weight, these coffee habits might be stalling their efforts," Best adds. This daily frozen coffee habit is detrimental to weight loss goals, "especially for those that consume more than 1 cup a day," she continues. And, these ingredients can cause inflammation issues that can only exacerbate weight loss even further.
"Taking a cup of frozen coffee with creams and lattes, especially from coffee shops, can significantly slow down metabolism and trigger weight gain," Komova says. While black coffee is generally low in calories, frozen coffees are typically loaded with calories from an abundance of syrups, creams, whipped cream, and more. All of these sugars really add up. "Frozen coffee is high in sugars and calories, ranging from 400 to 1200," she notes. "When you consume all of these calories as soon as you wake up, you're starting your body off on the wrong track for the rest of the day. Komova warns that this can "slow down digestion and metabolism while stripping you any natural effort of the body to cut weight."
Best says instead of drinking frozen coffees, "opt for natural sweeteners [or] plant-based creamers" instead. Even though plant-based creamers are generally healthier and anti-inflammatory, some are still high in full-fat and refined sugars. So, it's "important to still pay attention to the nutrition label." Noted!
"Consider using honey or cinnamon to flavor your coffee rather than refined sugars. These two ingredients are natural, [and] anti-inflammatory, and cinnamon can help to boost metabolism and stabilize blood sugar," Best recommends. "All of which," she adds, can improve "weight loss efforts and reduce bloating." Noted!
At the end of the day, coffee is generally okay to drink, even if you're trying to lose weight. However, it's crucial that you leave out sugary ingredients if you want to maintain a fast metabolism and lose weight. Unfortunately, that means removing frozen coffee from your diet. Instead, opt for a cup of green or black tea with a splash of milk. This is much lower in fat and green tea can even help speed your metabolism and reduce belly fat!
