Hello there! Hope all is well. I’m just sitting here drinking a fabulous chocolate & coffee smoothie and its 2:58 pm. I feel no shame, no guilt because honestly a mid afternoon coffee isn’t the worst habit for your (or my) health.
I made my coffee bevy using Health Warrior Chocolate flavored Superfood Protein + Probiotics and some coffee. I recently ordered this protein using my promo code mindonnutrition30 and definitely use it if you’re interested in trying it yourself!
I work from home and honestly it gets a little boring sometimes. I’m extremely grateful that I don’t have to deal with Denver traffic and when it’s cold outside I’m snuggled up on the couch coaching people on healthy habits. I got a good thing going but I am extremely social and so without the regular banter my mind can get, well, flat line.
So something like a mid afternoon coffee is a boost in my mood and since I love coffee so much, I regularly read research articles on el cafe. In fact, I set my google scholar up so I am alerted when a new research article comes up on good ol’ java.
I feel like coffee is one of those things people feel guilt for enjoying. And often I hear people saying they “gave up coffee”. And I’m just like, well, cool but that sort of deprivation / restriction sounds awful to me.
Coffee is a ritual of sorts so putting aside the nutrients that coffee provides and its physiological effects, its the habit of waking up grinding 8 cups worth of organic fair trade beans that gets my morning going.
I listen to the Armchair Expert Podcast by Dax Shepard and Monica Padman and in one of the episodes I was listening to Dax talked about how he wakes up and makes his coffee. There are smart devices , like Alexa, that you can set up to turn on your coffee pot for you but in doing so he would have nothing to really do int he morning. It was a valid point because making coffee is part of so many routines.
Usually I talk about how to break unhealthy habits with people, but making coffee? Just not a bad habit in my book. I think there are ways to turn a coffee habit into a less than positive experience for your mind and body but in general sticking to 4-5 cups a day and not adding a ton of sugar and creamer is going to likely bring more positive things to your life than negative.
Don’t just take my word for it. You can read about Coffee & Health from Harvard here. They do a great job at explaining the current research and how to make the most of your coffee habit.
This isn’t something I regularly share with people but in another life I have a feeling I opened up a coffee and chocolate shop. I always have this vision of pairing these 2 favorites together in a setting that caters to dietitians & their nutrition counseling clients. I know when I first started out my nutrition counseling / nutrition coaching career I met people in coffee shops.
The pros were we got to meet in a neutral space so that it wasn’t too far from either of us, also we could have refreshments during the session, and it could also serve as a learning opportunity if we looked at the menu options and picked out what met their nutrition goals.
The cons though were that they were usually loud and seating wasn’t always ideal for an intimate conversation which generally is what happens during a session. I am sometimes playing the role of a food therapist and privacy is a must with some topics for some people. Until that comes to fruition though, I stick with virtual nutrition coaching sessions using my Telehealth portal.
What are your thoughts on coffee? Ever been tempted to give it up (even though you love it) ? Let me know!