5 + 1 ways for a healthier cup of coffee
Coffee is one of the healthiest beverages we can enjoy and one of the main sources of antioxidants in the diet of today's man. Despite all the benefits of coffee in our health, everything depends on our habits, as there are simple secrets that can make our everyday habit more hygienic without reducing the enjoyment of coffee to the minimum.
How can coffee consumption become even healthier?
By putting limits on caffeine intake: Although caffeine, when consumed in normal amounts, is not harmful to the human body at all, it can affect people with a sensitive nervous system causing irritability, insomnia, or in some cases, cardiac arrhythmias. We can set limits on daily caffeine intake by defining how many coffees we will consume on the one hand, and setting a time limit on the last coffee, which should be early in the afternoon around 4 pm. Attention: To calculate daily caffeine intake, it is important to count all caffeine-containing beverages, such as tea, cola and dark chocolate.
By avoiding Sugar: Coffee is healthy, full of antioxidants, zero calories and responsible for activating metabolism, making it an ideal aid for those on a diet. All of this, provided we do not add sugar to our cup! Adding sugar is a very bad habit, which increases the calories of coffee and puts the foundation for the development of obesity. If we definitely want our sweet coffee, we can use a non-calorie sweetener, such as stevia, to check that our coffee is bitter because of an error in extraction, or to switch to more sweet, mild coffees, such as blends exclusively made from Arabica.
By choosing quality coffee: Coffee is a natural product and the conditions of its cultivation, processing, storage and packaging play a decisive role not only in its taste and aroma but also in its quality. By choosing coffee from well known brands, we can be sure that all processes have been followed throughout the entire production chain so that the end product has all the qualities of quality. Going one step further, we can choose organic coffee, which has been grown according to all the necessary principles of organic farming, without chemical fertilizers, insecticides, etc. Lavazza Tierra Organic, New York Bio and Puro Organic are the right choices for to explore the world of organic coffee.
By addin cinammon or cocoa: In Greece, we tend to serve cappuccino with a little cinnamon and, although not used in Italy, is a health-enhancing habit. Cinnamon can help reduce cholesterol, blood sugar and triglycerides, and fits nicely with the taste of coffee. Of course, we should not overdo it because this will change the taste and aroma of coffee, while eating large quantities of cinnamon can affect our stomach.
The same applies to cocoa: a little cocoa powder in our coffee will enrich its flavor and increase the nutrients of our coffee. It is advisable to add authentic, unsweetened cocoa powder, not chocolate or syrup pieces, as we will add to our beverage with unnecessary sugar.
By not adding whipped cream: Italian coffee culture preserves simplicity, but the American is accustomed to overloading coffees with whipped cream, cream and other high-end toppings. As with the addition of sugar, whipped cream transforms coffee into a calorie-filled, fat-filled bomb, and that's why it's good to avoid it. It is also advisable to avoid synthetic or vegetable milk creams, advertised as light and low calories, as they may contain ingredients that are unhealthy. If you are craving the whipped cream, it is advisable to set limits, by adding it to our coffee once a week.
by paying attention to the extraction method: Each method of extraction has different effects, not only in terms of taste and aroma, but also in the ingredients that pass into our cup. One of the main differences is cafestol, a substance found in coffee oils, and according to some scientists it increases cholisterol levels in the blood and, according to others, is useful in treating diabetes mellitus. In espresso, the presence of cafestol is negligible, but in filter extraction, to limit the presence of cafestol in our cup, it is necessary to use a paper filter.
With a cup of good coffee, we not only have access to a daily, affordable but special treat, but at the same time we help our body, as coffee contains many useful ingredients for human nutrition. With some simple tips, eating coffee can be even healthier - it's up to us!
