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Many of us can’t imagine starting our day without a cup of coffee. We love it for the energy boost it gives us, and it’s also pretty healthy, thanks in part to the antioxidants it contains. But it’s also pretty easy to take your coffee to the next level and add even more nutritional value to your beloved brew.
These tweaks can help elevate your coffee and improve not just the taste, but the way it impacts your well-being too.
- Buy dark-roasted, fresh coffee beans - The beans you choose can affect coffee’s health benefits. Nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo recommends buying dark-roasted, fresh coffee beans to support brain health. She says they have the lowest levels of acrylamide, which is a chemical formed when coffee beans are roasted that can have a negative effect on brain function, so going for darker roast can protect brain health.
- Properly store your beans - This one doesn’t affect health, but it does affect the taste of your coffee. Oxygen, moisture and light are enemies of coffee’s freshness, so to keep it away from those, store your beans in an airtight, opaque container in a cabinet or pantry.
- Grind beans before each brew - Ground coffee loses flavor quickly, so buying whole beans and grinding before you make each pot or a cup will optimize the flavor.
- Make it cold brew - Registered dietitian Nour Zibdeh explains that cold brew coffee has about 65% less acidity than regular hot coffee, which makes it easier on the gut. And if you prefer yours hot, you can always warm it up after the brewing process.
- Try microdosing - Many of us down a couple cups of coffee to start the day, but integrative gastroenterologist Dr Marvin Singh recommends caffeine microdosing instead. That could mean having one cup in the morning, then only drinking green tea for the rest of the day, or it could be slowly sipping your morning coffee so you just get a little caffeine at a time. Microdosing helps to eliminate the jitters or dreaded afternoon crash and gives you little boosts throughout the day.
- Add some healthy fats - Have you heard of Bulletproof coffee? It’s made by adding butter or MCT oils to your coffee to increase focus, stabilize energy and help keep you full longer.
Source: Mind Body Green