So you've likely heard about all the great health news regarding coffee, such as how it is associated with a lower risk of liver problems and protection against Parkinson's disease. But that daily cup can affect a lot more than just your long-term disease risk. Coffee drinks now include a much wider range than just plain black coffee, and what you get can really make a difference. Here are a couple of issues you might run across, along with how to handle them so you can still enjoy your daily cup of coffee.
Syrups, Cream, and Other Additions
Coffee itself is nice for a diet, but add in syrup, cream, and even butter for the bulletproof-coffee crowd, and you have a little calorie bomb sitting in that cup. If you are not aware of how many calories you're drinking, you could find yourself gaining a lot of weight without realizing it, until you try and fail to zip up your favorite jeans. That extra weight can lead to health problems like metabolic syndrome if you let it go on long enough.
The solutions here are simple, but one requires care. That one is to watch how much cream and syrup you add to coffee drinks. They're delicious additions, but caloric. However, if you are careful about what you add, you can enjoy your flavored coffee without worrying about what you're doing to your waistline.
The other solution is to treat those syrupy coffee drinks as treats, and gradually transition back to plain coffee as your regular drink. It's the same concept as limiting dessert to once a day -- you'll enjoy it more if you aren't eating it all the time.
Coffee Withdrawal
One potential issue is that, if you are addicted to caffeine -- this is possible -- you could experience withdrawal symptoms when you can't access caffeinated coffee when you want it. This can make you moody and irritated at best and unable to effectively function at worst. In fact, coffee withdrawal has actually been added to the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
There is a simple solution for this, though. If you're worried that your love of coffee has taken this type of turn, begin gradually cutting back on the caffeinated drinks and adding in decaffeinated versions. Decaf coffee really deserves a better reputation, and a good barista using good beans can create delicious decaf versions of your favorite drink.
As with anything, moderation is best. Local coffee roasters and coffee houses will have a wide variety of drinks that you can choose from.
Share13 March 2018
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