I’ve been enjoying a cup of coffee for years to give me my morning pick me up, but it wasn’t until recently that I started to discover that this morning habit was actually good for me. Coffee consumption is on a big time rise in the US.  According to Reuters, a study commissioned by the National Coffee Association surveyed 3,000 Americans and found that 64% of Americans drink a cup of coffee every day! What’s more is that of the growing number of coffee drinkers 79% of participants in the study reported making their coffee at home, while 36% reported patronizing one of the growing number of coffee shops popping up on every street corner. The type of coffee you drink and how it is prepared can play a big role in how “healthy” it really is for you. Let’s take a look at the recent research on the benefits, do some myth busting and read all the way to the bottom for my favorite high protein coffee recipe.

Before we get into the interesting stuff I digress for a minute to tell you that not all coffee is created equally.  You want to look for coffee that has been grown and harvested without pesticides and herbicides and are mold free.  You will pay a bit higher of a premium for these bags of coffee but at least you know you will be fully enjoying the health benefits without the collateral damage harsh chemicals and molds can do to your body.  Bulletproof Coffee and Isagenix Coffee are two trusted brands.  Isagenix coffee also comes with the side benefit of trace minerals and MCT oil in each serving.

Myth Busting Coffee:

1. No, coffee acidity alone won’t hurt your bones. According to the Am. J. of Epidemiology and the J. of Nutrition, coffee alone shouldn’t affect bone health. Consuming good amounts of calcium and Vit. D and making sure your Vit. D serum levels are in a good place is a more important piece to that puzzle than coffee consumption.  Just make sure not to consume so much coffee that you don’t drink or eat the proper diet full of calcium and Vit. D.
2. No, coffee doesn’t dehydrate your body! We’ve always been told that coffee is a diuretic and that you will get dehydrated the more you drink. A growing body of scientific evidence is proving this to be not true and in fact just the opposite. So drink a cup before a workout. It can even improve performance!
3. No, coffee will not interfere with a fast or cleanse day. I’m a huge proponent of cleansing the body to allow the liver to do its work of detoxification. According to a Liver Int. 2014 article, coffee doesn’t interfere with the livers ability to detox.  Coffee also acts as an appetite suppressant so this can be very helpful on a day where you can’t eat food.

Scientifically researched benefits of Coffee:

According to 2017 report in the Annual Review of Nutrition and the PLOS Biology Journal

1. Probable decreased risk for Cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and several types of cancer
2. Direct positive effects to the Mitochondria (power house of the cell) in heart cells specifically. The heart cells were able to withstand strong mechanical forces because the strength of the fibers increased. Also, it was reported to promote repairs to the linings of blood vessels and the inner chamber of the heart.

According to a recent blog article written by Isagenix Health

1. Drinking Coffee regularly can help with calorie control and weight maintenance. According the study cited participants who drank considerably more coffee successfully maintained their loss compared to the normal population.
2. Drinking coffee can manage hunger. The cited study found that obese and overweight individuals that drank coffee consumed significantly less calories at their next meal.
3. Drinking coffee can make exercise feel easier. Several studies have proven that drinking coffee leads to a decreased “rate of perceived exertion.” So if you are feeling more energy to go to the gym now you won’t have to dread how hard it will feel! Drink that cup or two about 20 min before your workout.

If you are already enjoying coffee, now you know why you should keep doing it! But if you aren’t a coffee drinker I don’t recommend you start mega dosing because of this article. You know your abilities to handle caffeine.  Also, if you have a medical condition and/or pregnant than you should definitely not be drinking coffee without a doctor’s permission.

French Press Protein Coffee Recipe:

Items you will need:

• French Press
• Milk Frother
• Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
• Premium Coffee
• Flavored Stevia Drops

Recipe:

Scoop 2 TBSP coffee grounds into French press and add hot water, wait 2 min and press the grounds to the bottom. Pour the coffee into a mug and add 1 scoop of Whey Protein Powder. Next add ½ dropper full of flavored stevia. Now use your milk frother to blend all of the ingredients together for a “high end” coffee taste and feel.  Enjoy!

12 oz Mocha Protein Coffee: 100 calories, 2 g Carbs, 1 g Fat and 18 g Protein

Compared to a Premium 12oz Nonfat milk Mocha at a well-known coffee shop: 190 calories, 32 g Carbs, 2 g Fat, and 10 g Protein