If you are reading this article, then it is probably safe to assume that you love your cup of beautiful brown gold. Almost every coffee lover will admit that sometimes, there is just nothing better than the feel of your warm liquid-of-comfort greeting your taste buds and waking up your senses in the morning. You have a lot of reason to think that way, especially when coffee holds several health benefits — not forgetting the amazing things it does to your body and mood.
But here is the bad news, if you are not careful with your coffee habits, your fantastic cup of dark gold could be very problematic for your health. And the last thing you want to hear is your doctor delivering the awful news, “you have to limit your coffee intake or quit it entirely.” So, are you a coffee lover? Do you want to continue enjoying your cup of coffee regularly? Then be sure you’re not making these coffee habit mistakes.
By Team Savant
Image: Nathan Dumlao
1. Consuming Too Much Coffee
Surprise! There is such a thing as too much coffee, and it’s wrong, real bad. Just like anything else, drinking too much coffee is bad for your health. But, how much is too much? According to some experts, drinking more than four regular cups of coffee per day could have adverse effects on your health and lifespan. The reason is that the maximum recommended dose for caffeine is said to be 400 milligrams per day.
Experts believe that this amount has proven safe for adults, as 400 milligrams represent about four 8-ounce cups of coffee. Go beyond this quantity, and you put yourself at risk of insomnia or even experience certain heart-related diseases. But that’s not all; drinking too much coffee has also been linked to seizures. So, if you want to keep enjoying your coffee, you should keep your consumption level well under four 8-ounces cups in a day.
2. Drinking Leftover Coffee
If there is one coffee drinking habit most people don’t want to admit, it is drinking leftover coffee. Most people will do almost anything when they need a boost in energy, including drinking leftover coffee. So, what’s wrong with sipping on a cup of coffee left overnight? Well, beyond the considerable drop in flavour, leftover coffee quickly accumulates minor amounts of old or mould byproducts.
And this can affect you if you are allergic or your body is sensitive to mould, and that’s even worse if your coffee has milk in it, as it will go bad pretty quickly. If you must store leftover coffee or you intend to drink it a day after brewing it, your best option is to place it under refrigeration after brewing it. That will ensure that any bacterial activity is halted. This way, you can enjoy iced coffee or warm it up.
3. Drinking Your Coffee At the Wrong Time
Most people consume their coffee between 8 and 10 in the morning. Well, according to some experts, that’s the wrong time to enjoy your coffee. Starting your day with a cup of coffee is a bad idea as it interferes with the stress hormone cortisol, which is reaching its peak at this time of the day and making your body naturally caffeinated. That means you end up raising your stress levels for the rest of the day when you take your coffee during this time. According to experts, the best time to drink your coffee is mid-morning, when your cortisol levels drop considerably, and you can rely on artificial caffeine to keep the engine running. You can also enjoy your coffee between 1 and 5 pm.
4. Avoiding A Little Caffeine
You may be surprised to find out that some amount of caffeine is good for your body. While you need to stay away from taking your coffee early in the morning, there is absolutely nothing wrong with embracing a little caffeine in your coffee when your body’s natural ‘supply’ is low during the day. Some experts suggest that caffeine can help improve your health and extend your lifespan. Furthermore, some evidence suggests that coffee could reduce the risk of heart disease and, in fact, improve the overall health of your cardiovascular system altogether. That means, indeed, coffee does carry at least a few therapeutic properties.
Some have also argued that it can delay certain age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. The reason is that caffeine plays a role in the reduction of insulin while helping with dietary restriction. The most important thing here is that you are cautious with how much caffeine is allowed into your system. For example, consuming about 1,000 milligrams and above of caffeine in a day can have some adverse effects on your body. Such effects include insomnia, anxiety, and even some digestive issues.
5. Adding Too Much Sugar
Perhaps you love your coffee extra sweet, but that may not be good. Even if you love ordering your favourite caramel latte, you need first to know how much sugar you’re consuming. For example, a large cup of caramel latte comes with at least 30 grams of sugar.
And according to some studies, consuming too much sugar can shorten your lifespan. And the worst part is, this has nothing to do with other health issues like obesity and heart-related diseases.
Consuming too much sugar can lead to dehydration, which is one of the symptoms of high sugar content in the blood. And if you fail to monitor this or keep it in check, you’ll quickly put yourself at risk of diabetes. So, instead of opting for a too sugary latte or coffee at home, you can opt for a regular latte with a small amount of caramel. Or you can reduce your sugar intake in general for the sake of your health. Oh, and you might want to slow down with the frappuccinos.
6. Always Going To the Cafe
There is nothing wrong with visiting the cafe for a quick coffee and meeting up with your friends occasionally. But if you’re a coffee lover and always need to purchase your coffee already made, then you might want to put a stop to it, at least for the sake of your wallet. Plus, you can’t call yourself a coffee lover and not own a coffee grinder. Believe it or not, you will save money by making your coffee at home, instead of always buying it on your way to work. Let’s look at numbers for more proof.
If you buy your coffee daily, you’re probably spending between $1 and $3 per cup. That means you could be spending between $5 and $25 every week (and between $240 and $1,200 a year). Meanwhile, if you brew your coffee at home, you’ll probably be spending 16 and 19 cents per cup, which could be about $45 in a year. Take the time to check out some coffee grinders that will fit right into your budget, and give yourself the pleasure of making your coffee from the comfort of your home.
7. Doing A Little Too Much With the Creamer
Everyone has a particular way they prefer their coffee. Some want it without cream, some prefer some cream, and some want extra with the creamer. Just like using too much sugar, if you are not careful with your creamer, you will end up making your coffee a bit too sugary.
If you love to see your coffee creamy, you should find healthier alternatives with options like almond milk or just a little of the regular milk you have at home. But if you still want your coffee to taste a little sugary, then you need to be extra careful with how much sugar you add to it.