Coffee! Or, “Java, java, java, java, java, java, java” as George of the Jungle would say. The magic liquid that makes someone go from tired to energetic in the matter of seconds. It can also change the moods of people very rapidly! It’s almost too good to be true. Right? Well, I believe in coffee, so I will defend it! Although, I’m not afraid to admit it has a few drawbacks. But wait, there are a few simple steps that we can take to avoid them. Let me explain!

Coffee has drawn negative attention from people for several reasons. One thing people do not like is the caffeine within each cup. It is believed that caffeine aids in the formation of addiction. Scary! Another common point that people make is that coffee causes weight gain. Gain weight!? Unfortunately, these two points are true. Coffee can be problematic, but in my opinion, completely avoidable.

1.       Coffee causes addiction? – This is certainly true. Many people cannot function unless they have their cup of coffee before the day begins. People use coffee as their crutch to make it through the day. I’ve heard people say, “I’d take my coffee in an IV if possible!”. Wow, that’s a little overboard. I do believe this is due to the caffeine. Like energy drinks, the caffeine gives a temporary boost in energy. Some people enjoy having a little spurt of “productiveness” in their day. However, I believe there is a better way to keep productive energy throughout the entire day. The only step would is to get enough sleep! You know how doctors recommend 7-9 hours of sleep? Well, we should probably listen. No matter how much social media or Netflix seems to be calling your name, simply get to bed earlier. If you do this, your body will function better. Think of it this way: everyone enjoys a fully charged phone. Right? And to get this, people charge their phone until it says fully charged. Our bodies are the same way! Except most people are pulling the plug on sleep way too early. It’s no wonder we need energy booster drinks to make it through the day. Pair enough sleep with proper nutrition and there will be absolutely no need for caffeine, thus no addiction!

2.       Coffee causes weight gain? – If you breathe the words, “I would like the Double Venti Cinnamon Almond Milk Macchiato with extra cream on the top” or anything of the sort, this point is for you. Firstly, coffee itself has nearly zero calories. This is great, but many people dislike the taste of zero calorie black coffee. To some people coffee is strong, bitter, or simply not good. Therefore, we have evolved to loading it with sugar, cream, caramel, chocolate, salt, whipped cream, and more. Although many people know these things have added calories, they seem to ignore them. People believe any hint of coffee means that the calorie content is low. Oddly enough, many of the “coffee” drinks people order nowadays have almost no coffee. There are more additives than the coffee itself! This is obviously problematic because people do not account for what they are drinking. Many of the drinks (like I mentioned above) have more calories than your average can of pop! We all know this not good when trying to eat (or drink) a well-balanced diet. The simple solution to this problem is to track what goes into the coffee and account for all the calories you are consuming! If you drink a high calorie coffee drink, it will take away from filling food that you would normally eat. Choose wisely!

What are you telling us Health Cop? Should we drink coffee or no?

This is completely up to you! If you dislike coffee and have no desire to drink it, that is certainly fine! Or if you like different drinks each day, that is also fine! I drink coffee almost every day. However, I always drink black coffee. I know, many of you dislike the taste of black coffee. All I can say is I started drinking black coffee from the very beginning and always enjoyed it that way. One time I added sugar and creamer and thought it tasted terrible. Every time I drink coffee, I simply drink it because I like the taste. It does not help me make it through the day whatsoever. I am under the impression that caffeine is all in the mind. I know science disagrees with me, but I often drink coffee right before bed and it has no effect on me.

As you go forward, all I can recommend is to drink coffee because you enjoy the taste. Avoid drinking coffee if it is your crutch to make it through the day. If you think this is impossible, cut coffee out of your diet and add more sleep into your routine. You will be amazed at the increase of energy in your body. If you do not use it as a crutch, that is great, but make sure to track the calories of anything you add to it. This will make sure you do not gain any unwanted weight while enjoying your drink.

Do you drink coffee? Who enjoys black coffee like me? Comment below! I would also love to hear about those high calorie drinks and how we can incorporate them into your diet if you so need!

Yours truly,

Health Cop