For an overwhelming majority of people, the better part of the morning is played out in a groggy state.
This is when a nice hot (or iced) cup of coffee comes in for a little extra energy boost for an otherwise slow start.
While overindulging in coffee or filling each cup with heaps of sugar and caramel is not healthy, coffee itself can be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle.
If you are an everyday coffee drinker, here are things you can do in order to get the most value for your morning brew.
There are many ways that you can get the most benefit out of your morning cup of coffee. (iStock)
- Purchase coffee beans versus preground
- Store in an airtight container
- Give yourself time before drinking your first cup
- Keep daily recommended caffeine intake in mind
- Don’t take little sips all morning
- Keep afternoon coffee consumption to a minimum
- Don’t turn your coffee into a dessert
1. Purchase coffee beans versus preground
While this takes a little more work, consider purchasing whole beans versus preground coffee.
If you have the time, this is worth the nutritional benefits it provides.
Preground coffee contains more free radicals, according to research from the journal Food Chemistry.
These free radicals can contribute to both oxidative stress and inflammation.
To limit this, get your hands dirty and grind those beans yourself.
2. Store in an airtight container
An additional way to limit free radicals in coffee, according to Food Chemistry, is to store coffee beans in an airtight container instead of the bag it comes in.
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Greater air exposure causes an increase in free radicals.
Keep your coffee beans healthier for you by ensuring the beans are stored in airtight containers.
Buy beans instead of grounded coffee for extra health benefits. (iStock)
3. Give yourself time before drinking your first cup
Most people begin mornings by turning on the coffee maker before their eyes even fully open.
During the first few hours after you wake up, your cortisol levels are at their highest, which provides a natural energy boost. A couple of hours after you rise, these levels are going to start to drop and this is when the coffee is really beneficial.
Try to wait until the 10 a.m. range before you drink your first cup, and allow your body to use its natural energy first to see the most benefits.
4. Keep daily recommended caffeine intake in mind
When drinking your coffee, keep daily reccommended caffeine intakes in mind. The reccommended caffeine intake is 400 milligrams, which levels out to be just around four cups of coffee.
Try to stay within this range to maintain a healthy level of caffeine intake.
Instead of drinking your coffee as soon as you wake each morning, give your body a couple of hours before your first cup. (iStock)
5. Don’t take little sips all morning
Cups of coffee usually take a long time to drink. You probably take a sip, leave it at your desk and take another sip 15 minutes later.
At that point, your coffee is probably getting cold, and you’ll need to heat it up again.
Drinking little sips here and there over hours of time isn’t going to be extremely beneficial to you.
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Leaving your coffee out for too long can increase its acidity, which comes with a slew of health problems like indigestion and heartburn, and can erode tooth enamel.
The air exposure of a coffee sitting out can also lower its antioxidants. Therefore, in order to get the most benefit, try to finish your cup in just a little bit of a hurry, while still enjoying the flavors of your morning coffee.
6. Keep afternoon coffee consumption to a minimum
Coffee consumption into the afternoon can affect your sleep at night.
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You’ll want to think about ending coffee drinking in the earlier afternoon hours so that you can still get a good night’s sleep.
7. Don’t turn your coffee into a dessert
Overloading on super sweet creamers, syrups and heaps of sugar can quickly turn your coffee from a healthy balanced morning drink to an unhealthy dessert.
Coffee can get unhealthy fast when tons of additional sugars are added. (iStock)
The healthiest way to drink coffee is black, but many like to mask the bitter taste of black coffee with additional flavoring.
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Try a plant based milk in your coffee as a healthier alternative to creamer, and try adding cinnamon for a healthy added flavor.
