Nourish - 5 Ways to Upgrade Your Coffee – Part 1
Coffee often gets a bad rap, but actually, there are a plethora of health benefits to a good cup’o Joe. Especially when your coffee is combined with nutritionally dense ingredients. And that’s where these 2 blog posts come in. Today we’re talking about 5 Ways to Upgrade Your Coffee.
I’ve split this blog post into 2 parts since it got pretty long!
But why do we need to upgrade our coffee you may ask.. well…
Often people complain of negative side effects from coffee. Interestingly, whether someone reacts negatively, or even positively for that matter, will depend on the individual. Furthermore, the individual’s diet and overall health will play a huge role in how the person reacts.
How Nutrition Affects Your Reaction To Coffee
If we’re talking about somebody with a history of constant dieting, poor nutrient intake for long periods of time, malnourishment or even a slow metabolism, this person is unlikely to respond particularly well to coffee. At least at first.
In this case, the individual’s body has gone through a lot of stress as a result of inadequate fuel and nourishment. Add caffeine to an already stressed-out system and it has the potential to actually cause the person to exude more energy than necessary resulting in exhaustion. (Adrenal fatigue anyone?).
In contrast, when someone has a good nutrient intake and adequate food and is not stuck in a stress response, they’re likely to respond differently. Caffeine in this case might actually be beneficial for them, even relaxing!
Drinking Coffee on an Empty Stomach
When somebody drinks straight black unadulterated coffee on an empty stomach, they may find it too much for their body. Hormones go out of whack, the thyroid is affected, metabolism is affected, and even blood sugar levels. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach also often causes an increase in adrenaline and over-acidity. That’s why I like to suggest drinking coffee with added nutrients, or with food. We’ll go into more detail in a bit about some excellent add-ins and why in a sec, but first, let’s expand on this.
In contrast to taking coffee on an empty stomach, when coffee is included in the diet alongside nutrient-dense ingredients, it doesn’t send stress hormones crazy and leave us feeling depleted. Blood sugar levels stay more stable and energy doesn’t spike, crash and leave us exhausted. Additionally, our adrenaline levels remain calm.
In summary
Not getting enough nutrients and being undernourished is actually a really common cause as to why certain individuals don’t cope well with caffeine. As is how you take your coffee. Plus it’s not just the nutrients consumed, but also our habits and lifestyle of course.
And naturally, different bodies metabolize the caffeine in coffee differently depending on a range of genetic and lifestyle factors. It’s not simply that you’re undernourished!
Personally, however, and for many friends and colleagues, when we started to change our coffee habits in the ways we go into below, our tolerance and physical reactions to caffeine as a whole changed and for the better.
Ok, enough explaining – let’s get to the coffee!
Coffee Upgrade No. 1 – Medicinal Mushrooms
Mushroom coffee may sound strange, but really, it’s simply coffee with added medicinal mushrooms. But these aren’t your average culinary mushrooms. These are mega mushrooms with centuries of use behind them by many cultures around the world. The result is a mighty fine cup of crash-free coffee with a side of balanced body and mind.
Why we love shrooms…
Medicinal, AKA functional mushrooms offer many of the same benefits as coffee. They’re linked to increased focus, energy, and overall wellness, plus they’re overflowing with antioxidants. When you combine coffee and mushrooms, they work beautifully together and offer an amazingly smooth and rich brew.
For some people, coffee has unwanted effects on the body. Perhaps it interferes with digestion and sleeping patterns. Others feel jittery, anxious or struggle with acidity. That’s what really makes coffee and mushrooms a match made in heaven. These mushrooms actually help to buffer the body against every one of coffee’s downsides outlined above.
Furthermore, since medicinal mushrooms are adaptogens, they help support the adrenal glands, thereby helping to mitigate caffeine’s jittery side effects. These adaptogenic properties actually help the body fight occasional stress.
Additionally, the prebiotics and polysaccharides in mushrooms are thought to contribute to the production of healthy bacteria in the gut. As a result, these beneficial bacteria help the good gut bacteria to do their job and help digestion run smoothly. Furthermore, the adaptogenic side also helps those that suffer from anxiety-based IBS.
If you want to learn more about medicinal mushrooms, have a read over my previous blogs where I cover in-depth information:
- reishi
- chaga
- cordyceps
- Candida
- Memory, Cognitive Function and Overall Brain Health
- Cold Sore Virus
- Supporting your sanity
Buy Shrooms:
We stock plenty of shroomy goodness for you in-store and online.
Four Sigmatic is a personal favourite. They use only high-quality mushroom extracts, and every batch is tested in a third-party lab for heavy metals, allergens, bad bacteria, yeasts, moulds, mycotoxins, and pesticides before they get in your hands.
Coffee Upgrade No. 2 – Collagen
Collagen is becoming exceedingly popular, and for good reason. Taking it internally has numerous benefits ranging from healing the gut to glowing skin.
Collagen is a protein that makes up one-third of all the protein found in the human body. It’s actually the most abundant protein in our bodies.
Collagen is essentially the “glue” that holds us together. Unfortunately, around the age of 25-30 our natural collagen stores start to decrease. Indeed, that’s also when we may start to say hello to crow’s feet, sagging skin, achy joints and poor digestion.
Have a read over my blog post here: What’s the Scoop On: Collagen and Why to Take it.
Collagen is popular for:
- joint health
- tendon, muscle and cartilage support
- intestinal tissues (e.g repairing leaky gut)
- reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and stretch marks
- skin, hair and nail support
Easily add a scoop to your coffee regularly for added support.
Buy Collagen:
Coffee Upgrade No. 3 – MCT Oil / Coconut Oil
Another excellent upgrade to your coffee routine is MCT oil. MCT Oil, aka medium-chain triglycerides, are a medium-chain fatty acid. MCTs are different from LCTs (long-chain triglycerides) in that they are processed in the liver. Because of this, they are actually used as an immediate source of energy. They don’t have to undergo a large digestive process so the body gets to use the energy fast.
And not only that but MCT’s provide sustained natural energy, which makes them great for combining with a busy day as well as with exercise.
Since this product is such a great energy booster, many people like to use it before and after exercise in replacement of energy drinks. Equally, the brain uses a lot of energy, especially when prepping for an exam, studying or working on a project. For some added pep in your step, upgrade your coffee by adding some MCT oil into your daily routine and see how you feel.
Where do they come from? MCT oil is concentrated with capric acid and caprylic acid and is commonly derived from coconuts. In fact, adding a spoon of pure coconut oil to your coffee is another great way to get in these good fats. Naturally, taking it this way will give your coffee more of a coconut taste.
When taken alongside a balanced diet and exercise routine, consuming MCT helps to support energy levels and weight management.
Upgrade your coffee by adding a spoon of MCT oil to your next brew.
Buy MCT Oil:
Keep reading more about how 5 Ways to Upgrade Your Coffee here in part 2.
Emily Nöth
Any questions? Drop into your local Nourish store to chat with our expert team and explore our full range of foods, supplements and skincare. You can also find our full product range in our online store.
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*Please note that while we are knowledgeable about our products and nutrition, this blog should never be a substitute for medical advice and attention.
Please remember that you should always obtain the all-clear from your doctor before starting any new supplement plan or diet if you’re on any medication.
