It’s the best part of waking up, and where would we be without that first delicious cup of coffee in the morning? The smell alone is enough to perk anyone up out of even the deepest stupor. For something that plays such a large role in our everyday lives, it might be time to sit down and get to grips with how healthy it is. More to the point, what kind of coffee is the most healthy?
Let’s sum up it succinctly – the more you add to your coffee, the less healthy it becomes. Ultimately, the healthiest way for you to enjoy coffee is as it comes – black. Despite what some say, consuming coffee is a healthy choice. According to a study from Harvard School of Public Health, enjoying a few cups of coffee daily provides you with antioxidants and can help fight (type 2) diabetes. There are so many health benefits to coffee, but often, we undo all the good work it does with our choices.
Types of Coffee
The healthiest way to enjoy coffee is black. If you absolutely cannot stand black coffee, then use a dash of milk, soy being the healthiest. Let’s get into how you can make your black coffee as healthy as possible!
Light Roast
For a healthy boost of antioxidants, a light roast takes the cake. Antioxidants help protect your body from damage and reduce the risk of disease as well. You might find you enjoy the flavor better, too, as many people complain about the burnt flavor of darker roast coffee beans.
Organic
An organic coffee bean brand will provide you with pesticide-free nectar. There are no synthetic fertilizers or chemicals used in the growth or production of organic coffee beans. Pesticides aren’t just harmful to you, it also impacts the soil, water, workers, and the planet! So, by choosing organic you gain the health benefits and help the environment at the same time. Of course, purchasing organic beans will be pricier than the normal bean, however, if you want to pursue healthy coffee, it’s the way forward. Just be sure the USDA organic label is on the package.
Decaffeinated
Now, decaffeinated coffee isn’t the most healthy. However, if you are a coffee lover with health conditions, then it might be the healthiest choice for you. For example, if you suffer from diabetes, hypertension or you’re pregnant, then making the switch to decaf might be the right choice for you. While pregnant, a cup or two of normal coffee is perfectly safe. For the most part, a balance of decaffeinated and caffeinated beverages should keep you within your recommended allowance and help you avoid side effects from overdoing it.
That’s just for starters! There is more you can do to ensure your coffee is the most healthy coffee possible.
Increasing Health
Firstly, you can benefit from grinding your own beans. Buy whole beans and grind them as you need them for the freshest coffee possible. Next, opt for filtered water in your coffee brewing process. You can request a water quality report from your utility company. This will show you whether there are potentially harmful substances in your drinking water. This isn’t to scare you, it’s simply to better guide you on your journey to purchasing the right water filter.
We’ve already mentioned opting for black coffee. It keeps the calorie count low, but if you can’t – non-fat milk, soy, or a nut milk are a good option. You probably don’t think much about dumping two or three sugars in every cup of coffee, but a single teaspoon contains 40 calories. Why waste calories when coffee is delicious as it comes? Make the switch to sweetener, whether you opt for honey or an artificial option, to get started. Alternatively, you can try flavoring your coffee with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, or nutmeg. Spices have their own benefits, such as potassium, vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium.
No matter how you choose to consume your coffee, remember that it is a caffeinated beverage. If you also consume soda, energy drinks, and tea, then you will need to learn to balance your coffee intake to avoid dehydration, indigestion, jitters, and other common side effects relating to caffeine. Typically, four to five cups of coffee each day are well within your recommended limit of 400mg of caffeine a day. It just goes to show, you don’t have to feel guilty about your daily coffee habit, provided you’re doing it as healthily as possible.
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