Knowing how to drink coffee properly can help maximize the benefits of your favorite beverage. If you’re like most people, you contribute to the billions of cups of coffee that’s been consumed annually. In fact:
“Around the world, more than 500 billion cups of coffee are being consumed every year. This makes coffee one of the world’s most popular drinks.” – Yurii Brown, Certified Barista and Founder of Coffeegeeklab.com.
In the US alone, 150 million Americans consume about 400 million cups of coffee daily. This indeed portrays that coffee is a vital part of the American culture.
And this is good news. Why?
Because coffee is loaded with tons of health benefits.
That said, taking coffee the wrong way may interfere with general well-being.
So, in this article, we’ll talk about:
- How to drink coffee properly
- Best time to drink coffee
- Healthy coffee habits.
And by the time you’re done reading, you’ll be ready to upgrade your coffee from a healthy to a super-healthy beverage. Let’s dive right in!
How to Drink Coffee
- Avoid taking coffee excessively
One thing you have to note about coffee is:
The major stimulating constituent – caffeine – is a drug, not a nutrient.
And like every other drug, the quantity consumed should be capped at some point. While the pump it gives us is quite desirable, you don't want to overstimulate your body and trigger undesirable effects such as experiencing chest pain when drinking coffee. This brings us to Portion Control. But don’t worry, you’re not being asked to take a considerably small quantity of coffee daily. In fact:
Recent research shows that individuals have varying levels of sensitivity to caffeine.
And, according to WebMD, consuming up to 300mg of caffeine daily has no negative effect on healthy individuals.
Since one cup of coffee contains roughly 100mg of caffeine, capping your coffee intake at 3 cups is a good idea.
Children, pregnant women, and people with disease conditions like peptic ulcers and heart disease should consider taking considerably lesser quantities, as they are more sensitive.
- Reduce sugar intake
While coffee is healthy, gulping it down with large quantities of sugar is counter-effective. The adverse effects of refined sugar and other artificial sweeteners cannot be overemphasized. Cautiously protect your health by limiting or avoid adding sugar to your coffee. Here’s one way you can achieve it:
Consistently add a known quantity of sugar to your coffee daily.
Then slowly cut it down by seemingly inconsequential amounts.
You may choose to reduce it weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Whatever works for you. However, stay consistent.
Before long, you’ll realize your sugar intake has drastically reduced or, better still, dropped to zero.
Other ways to drink coffee without sugar is by trying out natural, healthier alternatives like cinnamon, black cacao, and honey.
Best Time to Drink Coffee
Ever heard of cortisol? It’s the body’s stress hormone. Taking coffee when cortisol levels are high is a bad combo, as it results in excess stress for your body. Here’s what you should know:
- Cortisol levels start rising once you wake up.
- There’s a cortisol break from about 09:30 to 11:30 am
- For the average person, cortisol levels are high by lunchtime. 12 to 1 pm
- Typically another cortisol break between 01:30 to 05:30 pm
The first notable point is:
When you wake up, don’t take coffee immediately.
Cortisol levels are high at that point, and, as we’ve said earlier, it’s a bad idea to take coffee at a time where your body is producing this hormone. Ideally, it would be best if you left at least an hour window between your wake up time and your first cup of coffee. If you must take a drink once you wake up, tea is your best bet.
A simple rule of thumb is to take coffee during cortisol breaks. But there’s a caveat:
Caffeine remains in the body for up to 12 hours after consumption. And caffeine can interfere with proper night rest by keeping you unnecessarily active at night.
That said, the best time to take coffee is during the 09:30 to 11:30 am cortisol break. In summary, avoid taking coffee once it’s past 3 pm.
Some Healthy Coffee Habits
We’ve already talked about some tips on how to drink coffee. Less sugar, quantity regulation, and proper timing are just a few. Here are a few more tips for moving your coffee game from good to great.
- Choose a quality, organic coffee brand.
- Don’t patronize low-fat, non-dairy coffee creamers; full-fat milk is a better option.
- Avoid using the energy boost from coffee as an excuse to skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast slows down body metabolism and may lead to obesity.
- Note that caffeine may interact with certain medications. That said, speak to a healthcare professional about a possible inter-relationship between your medicines and coffee.
- Brew your coffee using a paper filter. This helps reduce cafestol – a compound that potentially increases blood cholesterol levels.
- You also want to make sure you’re finding some of the best coffee beans
There you have it, guys! Coffee is undoubtedly a healthy beverage. But with these tips, your coffee will be even more beneficial. If you're looking for recommendations then I will recommend Turkish Coffee brands. Give it a shot and take a look at those products.
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