Coffee: Good, Bad or Ugly?

Hands up: does anyone else start thinking about their morning cup of coffee the night before?!?! Some people are surprised to hear that, being a Naturopath, I'm a coffee drinker. Here is how I make sure my morning cup of beauty is as healthy as possible:

• First of all, coffee is generally heavily sprayed with pesticides, so make sure that the coffee you purchase is organic. If you missed my blog about which foods I think are most important to buy organic, you can see it here: https://www.pleasantwellnessmi.com/post/why-choose-organic

• Second of all, coffee is known to contain high amounts of mold and mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are waste products from mold, and are often found on coffee (even before it expires), so you want to keep your coffee in the fridge or freezer. I keep the whole beans in the freezer, and grind enough for about 3-4 days at a time, and keep that in a mason jar in the fridge. I also make sure to purchase a mold and mycotoxin free coffee. This is my favorite:https://puritycoffee.com/PLEASANT

• Since mold thrives in a dark environment with moisture, make sure that you keep your coffee pot, and any travel mugs you may use, clean and dry.

• Another important thing to keep in mind is that while coffee itself actually has some health benefits, a lot of the things that people add to their coffee are unhealthy. Don't load it up with a bunch of sugar and artificial flavors/sweeteners. I add 1/2 tsp of honey, half a tsp of raw sugar and organic milk or heavy cream. Note that raw sugar still has the enzymes to help your body process the effects of the sugar. Raw sugar also contains minerals. So while you want to use it in moderation, raw sugar is superior to processed sugar. Here is the one I like: https://amzn.to/4mGGfLi

• Lastly, you know those plastic individual coffee pods that a lot of people are using these days? Plastic, especially when heated is a known endocrine disruptor (plastic and healthy hormones are not friends!). Swap out the plastic pods for a re-usable stainless steel mesh cup that you can refill. Like this one: https://amzn.to/4nYMwmB

A few interesting facts:

• According to the Blood Type Diet, coffee is beneficial for people with type A blood. Bonus!

• Here is where I may lose some of you: coffee should be enjoyed in moderation. When it's consumed too much (I try to keep my coffee-drinking clients to one cup a day), it can put stress on certain body systems like the adrenal glands and thyroid.

• Coffee can be dehydrating as well, so where the goal should normally be half of your weight in ounces of water a day, for every cup of caffeine you drink, you should add an extra cup of water.

  
  

Enjoy your morning brew. Cheers!

Kelly Cullen, ND

Pleasant Wellness

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