The benefits of coffee

Bonjour,

Yes I confess, I AM ADDICTED.

I’m addicted to coffee. And I’m not alone: 400,000,000,000 cups of coffee are drunk globally every year. I’m definitely not alone!

You know me: I want to enjoy what I like without guilt… Is it possible when it comes to coffee? Should we think ahead before we sip our delicious latte (with full cream milk, of course!)?  Is coffee good or bad for you? What are the dangers and the benefits of coffee?

Yes, I love coffee!

Well, let’s start with the not so good news… First known in Europe as the Arabian wine, coffee is the most prevalent used stimulant in the world. It dehydrates and acidifies the body, raises cholesterol and blood pressure, worsens irritable bowel syndrome, can contribute to miscarriages… Enough!

Don’t panic! There’ s some excellent news for all coffee lovers! A lot of research suggest that coffee -in moderation- brings substantial health benefits. Drinking one or 2 cups a day may lower the risk of cancer colon by 25%, gallstones by 45%, cirrhosis of the liver by 80% and Parkinson’s disease by 50%. Coffee also contains four times the amount of cancer-fighting antioxidants as green tea and has been shown to increase protection against liver, rectal, and lung cancers. It can also reduce headaches.

So yes, we can enjoy our coffee every day – in moderation.

The way the French love their coffee might also contribute to the facts that they are one of the slimmest and healthiest countries: 2 cups of black high quality coffee, one for breakfast and one after lunch. No sugar. No milk. That’s it.

If you love lattes (as much as I do), choose full cream milk only. Low-fat milk is a highly processed product, soy milk is full of GMO and definitely not a good idea when it comes to women’s health, and almond milk is often loaded with sugar. If you can, choose organic milk: it is up to 70% higher in anti-inflammatory omega-3, 500% higher in anti-cancer CLA and has a concentration of antioxidants 2 to 3 times higher than conventional milk. Once again, the rule of choosing real food (in this case real full cream organic milk) prevails if you want both health and pleasure. It is actually one of the key topics of Week 1 of my new online program, Bonjour Summer, which starts in 2 weeks. You can check it out here. 

Choose your coffee carefully: commercially grown coffee beans are highly treated with chemicals and pesticides. So go organic, fair trade and even local: organic coffee from Byron Bay for instance is excellent. Please avoid decaffeinated coffee at all cost: the decaffeinating process is predominately carried out with strong chemicals and benefits to drinking coffee seem to come from caffeine.

Who knew I would love my coffee with coconut milk… So good!

I now have a new reason to love my coffee – just like if I needed a new one! I recently tried to have my coffee with coconut milk. As weird as it may sound, I also tried with coconut oil. I absolutely LOVED it. It is actually a new(ish) thing, mainly driven by the paleo trend. It is not only delicious but it fills you up for hours. I don’t need my morning snack when I have my coffee this way. Coconut milk (or oil) is one of the healthiest fats on the planet, very easily burn as fuel by the body. It speeds up your metabolism and actually helps you lose fat. Coconut fruit, milk and oil are very popular for all paleo fans (and highly recommended in Bonjour Summer, my new online program too, even if it’s not super French!).

My love for coffee is also in my blood. My great grandmother was a coffee addict too. And she used to make the most of this precious food: she used to keep the coffee grounds to fertilise her vegetable garden and soothe insects bites. I might start doing the same very soon!

And you? how do you like your coffee? Filtered? Black? Expresso? 

Talk to you next week!

Yves

PS.If you haven’t done it already, check out my new online program Bonjour Summer: if you want to feel and look your summer best, this program is for you!