There’s nothing more satisfying than when that first sip of coffee hits my palette, inadvertently waking me up. But, here’s the thing—I know that this relationship can get toxic—and, yet I can’t get myself to stop. Other than the fact that my body has come to rely on (read: is addicted to) that caffeine hit, coffee as the first food to wake your body isn’t the best thing for your system.
Coffee on an empty stomach in the morning is known to interfere with your body’s natural cortisol production, which can eventually lead to a crash during the rest of the day. Plus, your body loses liquids through the night, which leaves you dehydrated when you wake up. Coffee, being a diuretic, will trigger more loss of liquids, leaving you even more dehydrated.
Evidently, your morning coffee isn’t doing you any good. But, if you’re anything like me, is giving it up entirely the answer? Not quite. Nutritionist and founder of SelfcarebySuman, Suman Agarwal spills the tea on 5 ways in which you can make your morning coffee a lot healthier for your body, without giving it the boot.
Start your day right
First things first, make sure to avoid coffee on an empty stomach. Add a handful of nuts for a satisfying crunch and extra nutrients.
Mix with chocolate whey
Elevate your coffee routine by mixing it with some chocolate whey protein powder. This is not only a tasty way to consume your coffee, but is an easily digestible protein alternative to milk. It’ll give your metabolism a healthy boost.
Add unflavoured collagen
Incorporate an unflavoured collagen in your coffee. This will mask the taste effortlessly, while enhancing your coffee’s nutritional value. It’s one of the simplest, yet effective ways to kickstart your morning.
For black coffee lovers
If you’re extremely passionate about your black coffee (and are sensitive to milk), enhance your coffee by adding a few drops of lemon and a pinch of cinnamon to it. This adds flavour, and also helps alleviate the heavy-headed feeling especially in cold weather.
A combo twist
Combine your coffee and breakfast and create a meal with both. Add frozen banana slices and whey to your coffee and make it a nutritious cafe latte that will help power you through the day.