Three healthy ways to pimp yo’ coffee

 You all know how much I love coffee! So much so, I’ve partnered with the coffee specialists, Melitta (who offer an array of premium ‘at home’ coffee products including: Bean to Cup & Filter Machines, Pour-Over Manual Brewers, Filters and Accessories), to help spread the message on how beneficial coffee can be in supporting a healthy lifestyle.

For those of you new to my site, I’ve written about the health and fitness benefits of coffee previously, here:

1. The perfect fat-loss trio
2. Coffee, caffeine and fasting

 
Did you know that 4 cups of coffee a day can decrease your risk of all-cause mortality (that’s science talk for “death from any cause”)? A 2017 study[i] based in Spain found that:
 
“During the ten year period, 337 participants died. The researchers found that participants who consumed at least four cups of coffee per day had a 64% lower risk of all-cause mortality than those who never or almost never consumed coffee (adjusted HR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.19–0.70). There was a 22% lower risk of all-cause mortality for each two additional cups of coffee per day (adjusted HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66–0.92).”
 
Life is obviously about more than just ‘not dying’, rather, we all want to live better lives, with more energy, mental clarity and a spring in our step! If you read my two links above, you’ll see how I use coffee to support my workouts and fasting routines.
 
Sometimes though, a regular cup of joe just won’t cut it, and Melitta wanted to know how I recommend clients healthily pimp their coffee.
 
For those with a sweet tooth
 
Many of my clients prefer their coffee sweet, which means they’ll add sugar or a highly-processed creamer, to it. This isn’t great for your liver, teeth or waistline. Especially if you’re having a few cups a day.
 
Instead, I encourage my clients add a teaspoon of coconut oil into their coffee. Not only does it add sweetness and creaminess, but it’s also rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)
which promote satiety and is a great source of energy - without the sugar crash!
 
Adding coconut oil will not only help eliminate the white stuff from your black magic, but it’ll increase satiety which can help manage your overall intake throughout the day.

The breakfast of CHAMPIONS 
 
One of the things I tend to see in my client’s diets is a lack of quality protein – so I try to find convenient ways to help increase their intake. Enter the chocolate and coffee latte. Mix 150ml of milk with some chocolate protein powder before adding a shot of espresso and some ice. Give it a stir, a shake or a whiz in the nutri-bullet and enjoy it en-route to the office or as a late afternoon pick-me up to get you through until dinner.
 
The recommended daily advice for protein will help you avoid a protein deficiency – but it won’t help you achieve optimal health. If you’re active (which you should be), trying to lose or manage your weight (aren’t we all!?) or ageing (unavoidable) then you’re going to need more than the current daily recommended intake. Whether you get this from tofu, fish, lentils or grass fed steak is up to you, but you should up your protein intake to reflect your activity and hunger levels.
 
Plus, just like with the healthy fats - adding protein will help increase satiety and manage your overall intake.

​Coffee yogurt
 
Another great way to increase your protein and healthy fats whilst enjoying your ideal cup of coffee.
 
Allow your espresso shot to cool completely before adding it into a 170g pot of FULL-FAT Greek yogurt! I like to add a few drops of vanilla, too!!
 
And there you have it! Three healthy ways to pimp your coffee!
 
Do leave a comment below if there’s anything coffee-related that you’d like Melitta and I to create for you.

Ready, steady brew…
 
Speak soon, JC.
 
[i] https://www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/higher-coffee-consumption-associated-with-lower-risk-of-death