Guest Post: Healthy Ways to Enjoy Your Coffee

The average Brit spends around £2000 on coffee in cafes and high street shops every year showing how the drink has become a much-loved addition to our diets. Tired mums often need a little boost to start the day and a morning coffee can really become part of your routine. Here are some ways to enjoy your treat in a healthy way and without breaking your diet.

Get Creative

Instead of visiting your local coffee shop to grab a boost, sticking to a delicious homemade coffee recipe will help you keep to your healthy diet. Although coffee shops often give a healthier alternative, making your own will ensure you know what you are getting. Mother’s-to-be should also avoid drinking too much caffeine and many high street coffee shops add extra shots to their drinks. At home, substitute cream for low fat milk or replace milk chocolate with dark chocolate to get a boost of disease-combating antioxidants. You can also brew decaf if you are expecting or want to reduce your caffeine intake.

Limit Your Intake

As mentioned, the coffee in many high street chains may contain more caffeine than you think. The daily recommended allowance of caffeine for pregnant women is 200mg or two mugs of coffee per day according to the Food Standard Agency. This reduces the risk of problems during pregnancy as well as health risks to you thereafter. There is a possibility that three cups of coffee per day carries some benefits to the heart and liver so those who are not expecting can enjoy a little more coffee to get them through the day.

Reduce the Sugar

That rush you feel when you have your coffee could be coming from the sugar as opposed to the caffeine. Too much refined sugar can often make you feel low when the high not to mention the effects it has on your teeth, so it may be best to find an alternative. There are some studies which show that coffee is linked to reduced risk for type II diabetes but adding 6 sugars to your favourite drink is likely to counteract these benefits. Instead, try some natural sweet alternatives like cinnamon, cocoa powder or coconut cream to flavour your coffee.

A steaming mug of coffee is the perfect way to start a long hard day so there is no reason you can’t enjoy it in a healthy way that could even benefit your body in the long-term.

Jane Sandwood is a professional freelance writer and content editor with over 10 years’ experience across many fields. Jane has a particular interest in issues relating to health, fitness and nutrition.