Are you more of a “gourmet” coffee person than a strong espresso in the morning? But be careful, certain additions could be harmful to your good health by causing inflammation and weight gain. Here are 4 ingredients to keep away from your cup, and some healthy alternatives.
A morning without coffee, in Europe, is often impossible. But the favorite drink of the French, (with 3 kg on average per year per consumer), can quickly turn out to be more harmful than expected if you add sugary or fatty ingredients to it. In the magazine Shefinds, dDietitians have described 4 mistakes not to make on a daily basis.
Sugar and syrups
Sugar and flavored syrups, such as hazelnut, can add flavor, but they also pose many health risks. For what ? Because most flavored syrups are heavily sweetened with corn syrup which significantly increases blood sugar levels linked to weight gain. Sugar also contains high amounts of fructose, which is linked to all kinds of problems like weight gain and diabetes. “but also inflamed rashes and premature wrinkles.”
More serious, these sugar and flavored syrup additives are highly inflammatory for the body and thus increase cholesterol levels in the blood. “The downside of refined sugar is that the body is able to metabolize and break it down quickly, causing blood sugar levels to rise.” explains a dietician. “In return, there is overproduction insulin. If this continues, your body will have insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes and other heart diseases. In addition, experts point out that these ingredients are empty calories and therefore have no nutritional value.
Fresh or thick cream
Certainly, the habit is not very French, but the trend is arriving here from the United States: 65% of Americans like their coffee with a touch of cream for taste and smoothness. Which is also a big mistake: many creams are high in sugar, which can lead to blood sugar spikes, weight gain, etc. “If you regularly overuse the cream, your waistline will unfortunately pay the price.” alert the specialists.
Much of the fat in creamers comes from saturated fats which have also been linked to an increased risk of high cholesterol. And plant-based creamers can contain just as many, if not more, calories than regular dairy creamers.
Whipped cream
Do you dream of coffee with Starbucks-style whipped cream? You shouldn’t make a habit of it. Because obviously whipped cream is not a very healthy food for your body. A serving of whipped cream contains about eight calories, one gram of fat and half a spoonful of sugar.
Not to mention that the whipped cream is in pressurized containers which require nitrous oxide to function. And when it comes to global warming, this gas has three hundred times more warming power than CO2.
Sweeteners
Finally, beware of sweeteners which ultimately do not offer such a healthy alternative to sugary products. These contain sucralose and aspartame, which your intestines do not particularly like. Ultimately, they weaken the intestinal flora and can lead to an imbalance called dysbiosis, causing fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, immune deficiency or digestive disorders.
NO to diets, YES to WW!
Healthy alternatives, for a more delicious coffee
These recommendations do not say that it is forbidden to put a little cream or syrup in your coffee, but that it is better to do without it on a daily basis for your health, and only succumb to it occasionally.
On the other hand, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t add anything to this comforting little coffee. According to the experts interviewed by the magazine, you can easily use healthy alternatives to milk or cream by pouring an unsweetened and flavored plant-based alternative, such as vanilla soy milk, or oat milk into your cup.
Finally, also think about spices, such as cinnamon or pumpkin spice, which add flavor to your beverage without the drawbacks of products that are too sweet or too fatty.
Slide: The 10 benefits of coffee
