The coffee, besides helping us start the day, it also gives us antioxidants that can be beneficial for our health. According to the nutritionist Morgan Pearson, MS, RD cited by Verywell Health, little changes in the preparation or on the ingredients can make a cup of coffee, an ally for healthy eating and nutrition.
The advice is to choose well how you take it. Drink it by itself, add spices like cinnamon or cardamom, put some cocoa or even protein or collagen can make a big difference. Even plant-based drinks are an alternative for those who prefer a creamier version without added sugars. Besides, compounds like the coffee’s chlorogenic acid are related to anti-inflammatory effects and cardiovascular protection.
How to prepare your Coffee to take more advantage of its benefits
The expert’s recommendation is to take it alone, all by itself; prepared only with water, and no sugar or cream. This way, you benefit from the antioxidants (like chlorogenic acid) avoiding “empty calories” and sugar peaks.
If you want to add flavour without losing the essence, you can try adding a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom; This spices add up an aroma and compounds that have possible benefits for digestion; some investigations point out that cinnamon could help balance glucose, without needing syrups.
Another option that Morgan Pierson highlights is incorporating pure cocoa without sweetening: rich in flavonoids, which can potentiate the antioxidants profile, and better yet, it can improve your mood. It’s a healthy mocha. Furthermore, if you want to take it to a next level, add a bit of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon.
“Functional coffee”: add protein, collagen or plant-based drinks
The so called “functional coffee” consist of adding ingredients that can offer you something extra. One scoop of protein without flavor, or collagen can increase the feeling of satiety, contribute to maintaining muscular mass and support the skin and articulations. When you mix that with caffeine, you get a sustained energy drink to start the day.
If you’re like me, and rather a creamier coffee, Pearson suggests to add a little of skimmed milk or choose plant-based drinks without sugar, like oat, almond, or soy milk. Milk can give you calcium and protein, but it’s still lactose (which many stomachs cannot digest well), and plant based drinks offer that cream effect without added sugar (you have to check the tags, and avoid sweeteners or flavored versions).
If you want something different you can experiment with other spicy spices, like ginger. They add an exotic touch but are still easy to prepare, and coherent with a balanced and healthy nutrition.
Practical tips to make your routine healthy and easy
The key is to keep it simple, but constant. If you try to do something too complicated, changing drastically your diet, it might stick for only a couple of days, and then you will leave it behind, so start easy: If you drink coffee every morning, you are already benefiting from the antioxidants. So if one day you want to have a different, flavor it out, with cinnamon, cardamom or pure cocoa.
If you are usually hungry early in the mornings, you could think of adding a bit of protein or collagen, it will make it more filling for the stomach. And, for those days you feel like a little foam on your cup, then use plant-based drinks or skimmed milk.
Enjoying the benefits in each sip
Coffee can be strong for the stomach, especially is you drink too much throughout the day. That’s why Morgan Pearson suggest some tips to make it work for us, so we can still enjoy the flavors, the routine, the culture of coffee, but making it coherent with a healthier way of eating.