Healthy Cup of Coffee
It is easy to go back and forth with the dangers vs. the benefits of coffee consumption. By sticking to a few key practices, you can be sure that you are avoiding the dangers while reaping the benefits. As with many things, moderation is important. Always avoid more than 3 cups in a day.
Coffee lowers your blood glucose level and increases the metabolic activity and quantity of healthy bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. Fresh coffee from organic, whole beans that are pesticide-free can help keep your brain and muscle tissue young. Drink it black! Adding milk, creamer and sugar (as the popular commercialized convenient stores do) counterbalances all of the wonderful health benefits and value you receive from coffee. Choose organic coffee! Conventional coffee farms use unwanted pesticides. Time it just right! Consume coffee in moderation prior to exercising in order to maximize health benefits. Dark roast coffee beans are richer in beneficial compounds and lower in caffeine than lighter roasts. Grind your own whole beans at home to be sure it is fresh. The already ground up coffee is likely rancid by the time you get it home. Do not use the bleached white coffee filters because they leach poisonous compounds like chlorine and dioxin into your brew.
Some of the more recent research supports the benefits of coffee consumption in areas including:
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Prostate, Liver, Kidney and Colorectal Cancers
• Heart Rhythm Problems
• Pulmonary Function
• Stroke
• Gastrointestinal Flora
Pregnant mothers should continue to avoid coffee to prevent the increased caffeine from harming the baby during development. Caffeine is a diuretic that may cause dehydration and depletion of certain vitamins and minerals in the body. Be sure to be drinking plenty of water every day and eat a well rounded, whole foods diet. Those with adrenal function problems or struggling with anxiety should avoid caffeine.
The perfect time to grab a cup of Jo is 30 minutes to 1 hour before you exercise. This boosts your metabolism by 20% and gives you a powerful kick-start to your workout and allows you to push harder than you would without the coffee. This practice has also been shown to decrease your post exercise muscle soreness so that you are not so uncomfortable after a strenuous workout and you can stick to your routine. Avoid the Java after the workout because it interferes with your body’s recovery.
Grab a cup of ‘Go Juice’ and then try a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout.
Cheers!
