One of the easiest changes you can make to improve your health is to drop sugar and cream from your coffee. While this may seem like a small change, over time it can have a big impact. Here’s the reason why…
The Problem with Sugar
Sugar is already a problem for most people as it seems to be everywhere in our diet. Adding sugar to your coffee just makes the problem bigger. Drinking coffee with sugar can add to weight gain, especially for those who drink more than one cup a day. Look at it this way, sugar adds about 16 – 20 calories for each cup. Therefore, compound this by two cups a day for 30 days, the extra calories may amount to almost an extra pound every two months, all else remaining the same.
Unfortunately sugar doesn’t just add calories it also impacts our blood sugar levels, which give a burst of energy usually followed by a crash. This leaves you feeling tired and wanting even more sugar. As time goes by, too much sugar can increase your risk for a number of diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Just by dropping sugar from your coffee you can reduce the chance of these health risks.
The Downside of Cream
People usually add cream to their coffee to make it richer and smoother tasting. Unfortunately cream also adds calories and saturated fat which may lead to higher cholesterol levels. The amount of extra calories added by cream is about 50 calories, more than twice that of the sugar you add.
Overall, adding cream to your coffee, aside from the more than twofold increase in calories, is better for you than adding sugar as cream will not affect your blood sugar levels. It is also better for you than adding flavoured creamers, which contain chemicals, emulsifiers, vegetable oils and lots of sugar.
The Benefits of Drinking Black Coffee
By drinking black coffee you cut out extra calories, sugar, and fat. Consequently, this small change can help you lose weight and keep it off over time.
Black coffee also has antioxidants which help protect your cells from damage. In fact, antioxidants can also reduce inflammation in your body and decrease your risk of chronic diseases.
Another fact that is little known to most is that drinking coffee actually increases your metabolism. The caffeine in black coffee boosts your metabolism and helps burn more calories for hours after drinking it. These benefits are greater when you drink your coffee without sugar and cream, which only add extra calories.
| DID YOU KNOW? There are two main categories of coffee beans – Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is considered higher quality and often more expensive [1]. |
Healthier Substitutes So You Can Drop Sugar and Cream
If it is difficult to imagine drinking your coffee black, there are much healthier substitutes to sugar and cream to consider. These won’t spike your calorie, fat, and sugar intake:
1. Stevia
- What It Is: Stevia is a natural sweetener that comes from the leaves of the Stevia plant.
- Why It’s Better: It contains zero calories and doesn’t increase blood sugar levels, making it a great alternative to sugar. In addition, it tastes sweeter than sugar, so you don’t need to add as much.
2. Unsweetened Almond Milk
- What It Is: Almond milk is a milk substitute made from the almond plant and is low in calories with a mild flavour.
- Why It’s Better: Unsweetened almond milk has very little fat and no sugar, making it a great alternative to cream. It adds a creamy texture to your coffee without the extra calories and saturated fat.
3. Coconut Milk
- What It Is: Another plant based option is Coconut milk which is rich and creamy.
- Why It’s Better: While a bit higher in fat than almond milk, coconut milk has an interesting flavour and contains healthy triglycerides (MCTs), which can boost your energy and helps support weight loss.
These substitutes provide healthier options to cream and sugar that both have flavor and a creamy consistency without also having the negative health effects associated with sugar and cream. Make a small change for a big difference to your health over time.
Lightened Keto Coffee with SteviaIngredients:
Instructions:
Nutritional Information (Approximate per serving):
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Conclusion: Make the Switch and Drop Sugar and Cream
It may take time to get used to switching to black coffee but the health benefits make it worth it. While in transition to black coffee or as an alternative to using sugar and cream, try out using stevia instead of sugar and either almond or coconut milk for a tasty alternative. As an option, If transitioning to black coffee, it may be easier to slowly decrease the amount of sugar and cream where eventually you are drinking just black coffee. Your body will appreciate you making the change.
Check out The Pros and Cons of Coffee: Unlock your Metabolism Now.
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The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the support and guidance of your physician when you are unsure about any health issues.
