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Coffee is a part of many people’s morning routine. In fact, some people cannot function without their first cup of Joe. But besides giving you a lot of caffeine, coffee is actually good for your health.
Now it can get even better. That’s because you can take your coffee to the next level. According to mindbodygreen, you can optimize your coffee by adding nutritional benefits, antioxidants, and taste. Check out these seven tips to enhance your go-to morning brew.
Choose a quality brand of coffee beans
Choosing a quality organic brand of dark-roasted coffee. Compared to a medium or a lighter roasted coffee, dark-roasted has a lower amount of acrylamide. This chemical is formed when coffee is roasted and can be bad for brain-health.
Buying whole beans and grinding it yourself not only tastes better, but keeps coffee fresher longer, according to the Just Coffee Co-op. So check out some of these fair-trade coffee companies that make coffee that is good to the last drop.
Properly store your beans
To optimize the taste of your coffee, store your beans in an airtight container and contrary to popular belief, never store them in your refrigerator or freezer. “Oxygen, moisture, and light are the enemies to coffee's freshness, so you want to keep the coffee away from these elements,” Margaret Nyamumbo, the CEO of Kahawa 1893 told mindbodygreen.
Grind your beans right before you brew
Ground coffee starts losing its flavor and aroma, so to take your morning java to the next level, always grind right before you brew. “Ground coffee loses flavor so rapidly, it's basically stale by the time it gets to you,” Nyamumbo said.
Use a paper filter
Brewing your coffee with a paper filter is good for your heart health by lowering the amount of cafestol levels in your cup, according to Healthline. A paper filter will block cafestol – which can raise cholesterol levels – but still allow caffeine and healthy antioxidants to pass through.
Sometimes less is best
When it comes to adding sugar or milk to coffee, less is best. Sugar is one of the worst things about a modern diet, so try to avoid adding it to your coffee. If you cannot drink coffee without a sweetener, use a safe and healthy non-sugar sweetener like Stevia or one made of monk fruit.
Going milk-free is also better for you. Today there is a wide assortment of vegan dairy alternatives that are much better for you than the typical non-dairy creamers. You can choose between soy, oat, rice, coconut, and other healthy plant-based varieties.
Add cinnamon or chocolate
You can add some spice to your coffee by adding cinnamon to your brew. Cinnamon is loaded with health benefits from helping to lower blood sugar to heart health to aiding brain function.
If you prefer mocha, add some cocoa to your coffee, the darker the better. Dark chocolate is full of nutrients and antioxidants and comes with a host of health benefits.
Micro dose yourself
Instead of drinking two or three cups of joe in the morning, drink your coffee in smaller doses at a time, recommends mindbodygreen. This will help you avoid a case of the jitters in the morning and an afternoon crash. If you need some caffeine later in the day, switch to drinking green tea.
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