Coffee makes the world go round.

In fact, billions of cups are consumed daily by people from all walks of life globally, as a mood-elevating and social ritual.

Despite its popularity, there are conflicting opinions as to whether Coffee is "good" or "bad" for you.

The truth is that coffee is a bean/plant that does have significant health benefits, when consumed in a certain way.

For thousands of years, coffee has been worshipped, but the problem with Coffee today is two fold:

1.  It has become one of the most over commoditised crops in the world, subjected to too many chemicals in growing and transportation;

2.  What most people "add" to coffee negates the main benefits of the coffee itself.

So let's look at the origins of coffee, how it's meant to be consumed as part of a healthy lifestyle, plus the key things to avoid so that you can get the most out of your daily cup... 

The History Of Coffee

Originating in Ethiopia, coffee was traditionally used in ceremonies in combination with herbs and spices to incite positive feelings as well as give drinkers energy and promote health.

Coffee then reached neighbouring Yemen in the 15th century, the port where the first beans were received was called “Mocha” these days recognisable as the prefix of “mochaccino” which is a blend of coffee, chocolate and milk available in most cafes around the world.

Cultivation then reached beyond Yemen to Egypt, Persia and Turkey and became popularly known as “Wine of Araby” and coffee houses started to spring up all around the region. These early versions of modern-day cafés were called “Schools of the Wise” and became focal points of the community as it was where people would go to exchange ideas.

Due to its stimulating effects from its caffeine content, coffee was then decreed to be forbidden in many places and this began its demonisation and plagued it with a negative reputation even after the bans were lifted and it proceeded to spread around the world.

Is coffee good for health?

Coffee in its purest, organic form, free from chemical pesticides and fertilisers, is a healthy drink.  

It contains essential nutrients including vitamins B2, B3 & B5, manganese, potassium, magnesium and niacin.

Beyond its well known mood and energy boosting properties, coffee is also super high in antioxidants and packed full of other nutrtients that can be beneficial to health when consumed in moderation.

Health Benefits Of Drinking Coffee

Having 1-2 cups of organic black coffee daily can:

• Stimulate metabolic rate & digestion
• Elevate your mood & mental focus
• Improve physical performance
• Protect your cardiovascular system
• Boost sustained energy
• Aid weight loss 
• Extend your lifespan
• Protect against bad bacteria & parasites in the digestive tract

Recent studies have indicated that people who regularly drink coffee are at a much lower risk of certain health conditions and diseases such as:

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Alzheimer’s 
• Dementia
• Colon & liver cancer
• Heart disease & stroke

What about caffeine?

Much of the negative press about coffee relates to the fact that it contains “caffeine".

The important thing to realise is that "natural" caffeine, like that found in coffee beans and up to 60 other various plant species, is the complete opposite to "synthetic" or "processed" caffeine, like that found in various sports drinks, colas and certain prescription drugs and medications.

Natural caffeine contains naturally occurring vitamins and nutritional components known as methylxanthines, which balances the delivery of caffeine to the system, ensuring the sustainable absorption of nutrients into your bloodstream.

Caffeine can actually help make you smarter as it blocks the neurotransmitter “adenosine”, sparking other neurotransmitters including norepinephrine and dopamine (a feel good chemical). This may improve brain functions such as memory, mood, cognitive processing and other mental faculties.

Synthetic caffeine is the cheapest and most prominent form of caffeine found in non-coffee based beverages that contain "caffeine".

This type of caffeine is generally exposed to harsh chemicals during production, such as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide - which causes a 'spike' in the brain and an instant 'high' before you crash and burn.  

The excessive, consumption of these drinks will send the brain and nervous system into chaos, eventually leading to degenerative diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and insulin-dependent disease like Diabetes. 

Drink Coffee in the Morning

Coffee is meant to be a morning drink because it supports the expansion and contraction of the "peristaltic action" of the intestines, activating the waste elimination cycle of the body, which is designed to occur during the 'break' 'fast' period after you've slept at night.

Drinking too much of it can cause nervousness and anxiety in some people so please only consume it in moderation and especially avoid drinking it after 3pm to prevent any issues getting to sleep at night.

Be Careful About What You Add To Coffee

The best way to drink coffee is to use organic, locally sourced beans, to grind them yourself and fresh brew your own coffee at home.

The next best thing is to source ground organic coffee from a trusted supplier or to get your morning cup from a local coffee shop or barrister that does it right.

To make the most of its health benefits, skip adding any kind of refined sugar or sweeteners to your coffee which will spike blood sugar.  Instead, add raw organic honey or consider organic coconut sugar.

Also, if you're going to add milk, be sure that it's organic dairy or better still, organic plant-based milks such as almond, coconut or oat milk.  Regular milk and creamers are heavily processed and will compromise the quality of your morning cup.

Bullet Proof Coffee

You may have heard about “Bulletproof Coffee”, which has gained popularity recently for its benefits in promoting ketone production and fat burning when consumed on an empty stomach in the morning.

The alternative to adding grass-fed butter to black coffee, is to prepare "Magic Bullet" which harnesses the performance-enhancing properties of MCT Coconut Oil.

Learn more in our blog MCT Coconut Oil: What’s All The Fuss About?

Other Health Benefits Of Coffee

Apart from drinking coffee as a hot or cold beverage, there are other ways it can be used to enhance your health and wellness…

Skin Care

Thanks to its high antioxidant content, coffee is effective at protecting the skin against free radicals. Additionally, it contains properties that can not only make the skin appear brighter and smoother but can also help encourage blood circulation.

You can use ground coffee on the skin in the following ways:

• Face Scrub - Mix with a little brown sugar and coconut oil to create a gentle face wash and exfoliator
• Scalp Wash - Massage into wet hair for two minutes then rinse out with a natural shampoo to help get rid of any build up and dead skin cells
• Body Scrub - Mix with a little sweet almond oil, Peppermint Pure Essential Oil and Celtic Sea Salt to create an anti-cellulite body scrub and skin exfoliator to use in the shower
• Puffy Eye Aid - Apply under the eyes and around the eyelids, leave on for a few minutes then rinse off to reduce puffiness

Coffee Enemas

Many people have reported positive results when adding coffee to a traditional water enema, some effects include:

• Constipation relief
• Increased energy
• Getting rid of parasites
• Heavy metals removal

The Main Takeaway

You can enjoy your morning coffee ritual and receive the healthy intended benefits of coffee, if you source organic fresh brewed and minimise the additives whenever you can.

Also, if you're not already used to drinking coffee black in the morning and you're experimenting with intermittent fasting, it's good to know that black coffee will not break your fast.  In fact, the polyphenols in natural coffee will actually assist the digestive process when your body is in its natural eliminatory cycle.

Continue to enjoy your daily cup!

Tolman Self Care.