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Coffee is undoubtedly a major morning staple for many people and is often used as a means to kickstart the day and provide ample energy to make up for potential lack of sleep, or simply build on the energy you do have. Preparation methods can vary, but it’s no secret that black coffee is the healthiest iteration which can function to boost your metabolism and increase fat burn in the body to improve your chances of healthy weight loss.
However, not every way you could take your coffee will necessarily benefit your overall well being, and in fact, there are certain things you could do to your morning cup of joe which may entirely negate the positive impact it can have on your health. If you’re looking to optimize your coffee to help you reach your wellness goals, there’s one thing you should stop doing which will help to set you on the right track.
It’s unlikely that everyone will enjoy drinking their coffee black, but when you start adding heavy sweeteners and dairy products to your beverage you run the risk of skyrocketing the calories of your morning coffee, potentially making it more difficult to maintain a deficit. “If you are trying to lose weight, you want to avoid specialty coffees that have a bunch of added sugar and fat, which equals extra calories,” warns Zoë Schroeder, MS, RDN, CSCS. “And we aren't talking nutritious, fueling calories, we are talking empty calories.”
Calories are essential for providing your body with energy, but when they’re coming from sources such as whole milk and sweeteners, they fail to adequately fuel you and will lead you to turn to other sources to get more nutrients throughout the day.
If you often find yourself loading your coffee with milk and cream or adding dense amounts of sugar so your drink tastes like a dessert, you may be setting yourself up for worsened cravings throughout the day. The more of something you eat, the more your body will ask for it, and starting your morning off with a high sugar drink is certain to cause a crash of energy while also overloading your body with excess calories.
Easing down on the amount of sugar you add to your coffee is a great start to severing your body’s dependence on sweet foods, and especially if you’re struggling to lose weight it can be useful to first audit your morning routine to make sure it’s serving your needs.
Ordering your drinks out can also make you more inclined to make unhealthy choices, so adjusting your coffee order can be useful in making healthier decisions to start out your morning. “Instead of a specialty latte with whole milk or frappuccino, try an Americano with a splash of half and half and sugar free syrup or a skim milk latte,” suggests Schroeder.
Trying dairy-free alternatives or adding milk with a lower fat and calorie content are great ways to preserve the health benefits of your black coffee, and moving towards sugar-free sweeteners to wean yourself off of sugar can be a great interim. However, try not to depend too much on sugar-free or calorie-free sweeteners as they come with their own host of issues that can negatively impact your health.
Coffee can be a wonderful addition to your diet and can even lend itself to healthy weight loss, but when prepared with high calorie and high fat additives you run the risk of gaining weight, provoking worsened cravings and subjecting yourself to a sugar crash first thing in the morning which are all detrimental to your health.
Choosing healthier alternatives or even training your taste buds to enjoy black coffee will ultimately have a positive impact on your health, providing your body with energy while also giving your metabolism a boost without overloading you on empty calories.
