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The RIGHT way to drink your coffee.

cup-of-coffeeI’m guessing you are a coffee lover/liker if you opened this little ditty of a blog note. Or maybe you’re just curious what I’m about to suggest so that you can try it or recommend it to someone else.

I personally don’t do traditional coffee very well. It makes my digestion get wacky, my skin breakout, dehydrates me like crazy, and makes me feel like I took a large dose of crack. More than 1/2 a glass and I can’t think straight or concentrate, and if you give it to me after 1pm I can’t sleep that night. BUT I still like the ritual, the taste, and the culture around it.

I’m also not one for giving up favorite foods. Nope, I’m all for finding the modifications that make it work fabulously AND be nutrient dense. Like consuming protein + fat with wine to balance the sugar, raw honey or stevia as your sweetener to boost gut health, or this awesome brownie recipe that improves your waistline.

So, 2 awesome coffee tips you’ll snag today:

  1. A new way for you to make your cup of coffee delicious and give you all of the benefits possible.
  2. An out-of-the-park coffee substitute that you are going to loooooove. Or really like.
  3. 2 recipes to get started now.

Before I reveal the good-for-you-coffee upgrade and my secret coffee substitute, the question, “Is coffee bad for me?” begs to be answered. And in truth… it depends.

First off, just to be clear…we’re talking straight up black coffee. Not the sugar loaded, chemically laden, whipped-cream topped, pesticide party, frappuccino with 6 pumps of vanilla syrup..for THAT type of “coffee”, yes, ban that absolutely. Come on now.

Let’s boil it down…

THE Coffee GOOD

  • May increase metabolism and burn fat
  • Increases beneficial bacteria in digestive tract
  • Improve workouts (speed, endurance, intensity)
  • lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and, for some, Parkinson’s.
  • Antioxidants can decrease the risk of various cancers.
  • lowers rates of age-related cognitive decline
  • Lowers blood glucose level

Check out this article and benefits chart from Dr. Mercola.

THE Coffee BAD

  • When taken without good fats, it can make you feel anxious, jittery, roller coaster with energy, and upset stomach. Adding coconut oil or grass-fed butter can help with this tremendously. (check out the upgrade recipe below)
  • Coffee beans contain mold toxins developed during the processing (either by drying in the sun or by fermented them to remove the bean’s outer layer). We must source beans that only use clean cold water right after picking (checkout UpgradeCoffee or starting asking your coffee supplier).
  • New research is starting to report that regular AND decaf can exacerbate gluten sensitivity as 10% of coffee beans are a protein that cross reacts with gluten antibodies .
  • Stimulates the production of adrenaline, a hormones secreted by the adrenal glands to help us in stressful situations. This adrenaline increases our alertness, strength, and focus, but constant stimulation puts excessive wear on the adrenal glands. (i.e. hormonal imbalances, mood, energy, mental clarity, and more).
  • Irritate the digestive system, bladder and prostate.
  • Mild diuretic (increases production of urine) which can leach calcium from bones and increase chances of osteoporosis.
  • Disrupt absorption of vitamins and minerals that are essential for your body to function properly. (like Vit A, Vit D, Calcium, Iron, B Vitamins, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Copper, Zinc, and more)

One more thought to add to the fire…

New research over the last couple of years also indicates that genetics play a role in the speed of caffeine metabolism, the severity of physiological effects, and how long caffeine circulates in the blood. (source)

Bottom line…

1 cup of coffee a day can be beneficial. More than that all the time is damaging.

Step 1: If drinking coffee, upgrade your coffee (modified BulletProof Coffee recipe).

  • 1 cup of organic high quality mold free coffee
  • 1-3 tsp. cold-pressed coconut oil (start with smaller amount if not consuming regularly)
  • 1 T. organic grass-fed unsalted butter (Yay, Kalona Iowa brand! Or Kerry. If you can’t handle dairy, use ghee)
  • 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
  • a few drops of stevia extract (best brand: NuNaturals)

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix on high speed for 15-20 seconds. Enjoy!

Step 2: Pay attention to how you feel with the upgraded version. (awareness!)

Step 3: If you don’t drink coffee or if your body doesn’t respond well to the upgraded version, try these amazing substitutions that give the ritual, taste, and culture of coffee a healthy space in your life.

Image

My go-to is Dandy Blend.

With this, you can make hot coffee, iced coffee, frappuccino’s, and more.

Dandy blend is a blend of water-soluble extracts of roasted roots of dandelion, chicory and beets, and the grains of barley and rye (gluten is removed during the processing).

I have yet to find it at a store in Colorado, but you can easily order it online and it is VERY reasonably priced.

My favorite way to use it…

Frappuccino Revamped (smoothie)
Serves 1-2

  • 1 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or 1/4 c. full-fat coconut milk + 3/4 c. water)
  • 1/2 banana, frozen
  • 1/4 avocado
  • 2 T. flax seeds (ground) and/or chia seedsImage
  • 1 T. vanilla protein powder (optional – Vega One French Vanilla, or Tera’s Whey – Vanilla)
  • 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Dandy Blend (add more for stronger coffee flavoring)
  • 5-7 drops liquid stevia (NuNaturals brand) or 1 T. raw honey (adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 c. to 1 c. ice cubes

Directions: Combine all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Adjust sweetness, dandy blend, and ice to liking.

Iced Vanilla CoffeeImage

  • 1 tsp. dandy blend
  • 1 c. almond milk
  • ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 5-7 drops liquid stevia or 1 T. liquid honey
  • 4-5 ice cubes

Directions: Combine all ingredients in mug and whisk together. (If using honey, add to 2-3 T. hot water first to dissolve the honey, then poor into almond milk and stir until blended, THEN add ice cubes).

Two other brands that you may like are Teeccino and Mountain Rose Herbs Herbal Coffee (however, for now, Dandy Blend has won my heart over).

Cheers to a cup o’ joe done right!

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