8 Tips For Making Your Coffee Habit Healthier

Let’s cut straight to the chase— I love coffee.

But in different seasons of life, coffee hasn’t always loved me in return. Sometimes it’s triggered anxiety or poor sleep. Other times it’s been poor digestion and heartburn. But through the years, I’ve learned a few tips that help to make my love for coffee a little bit healthier.

My Top Tips for Healthier Coffee

1. Pick Quality

   Did you know that coffee beans can harbor mycotoxins (mold), pesticides and herbicides? Just like other crops and agriculture, coffee beans can retain the chemicals they are sprayed with. One of my favorite organic, mold-free, low-acid coffee brands is Fabula - you can use code KAELYN to save 20% off your order ✨

   (I wrote an article all about low-acid coffee HERE if you’re interested in learning more!)

2. Always after food

   You know that “wired but tired” feeling you sometimes get after a cup of coffee? All jittery and anxious, but without the actual energy behind it?

   Caffeine triggers stress hormones in your body, and if your body has no fuel— it can work against your body. That is why I always recommend having a nutrient-dense, protein-packed breakfast before having a cup of coffee.

3. Sweeten Smart

   I have a whole blog post about healthier ways to sweeten your coffee but the long and short of it is this: try to limit artificial sweeteners and added sugar when possible. I try to opt for natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup which not only add sweetness but nutrients and minerals.

4. Choose a nourishing alternative

   There have been seasons where coffee and I just do not get along. These are times when I love a good coffee alternative. It allows you to keep the ritual of your morning coffee, without dealing with any of the side effects.

   Plus many of these coffee alternatives have their own benefits- like stress reduction and increased focus from adaptogens, or anti-inflammatory ingredients like cinnamon and turmeric.

   My favorite coffee alternative is MUD\WTR- a blend of adaptogens, herbs, and spices that help to nourish and support your nervous system. I have a whole blog post going over the ingredients HERE.

5. Keep it early

   Generally, the half-life (or the time it takes to be eliminated from the body) of caffeine is between 4 and 6 hours. But for others, it can be upwards of 9 hours! That means if you are drinking coffee at 2pm, caffeine can still be affecting your system as last at midnight.

   When coaching clients have trouble falling or staying asleep, my first action step is eliminating caffeine before noon. If you have a regular afternoon crash and feel like you need a pick-me-up, that could be a sign your body is lacking specific nutrients.

6. Pack in the nutrients

   Over the years I have really become a fan of this idea of “habit stacking”. What that means is picking something that is already a habit or ritual in your life (like for many, their morning coffee) and simply adding something else that you would like to be a habit.

   For me, I use my morning coffee as a vehicle for added nutrients. Lately, that has been collagen, colostrum, and cinnamon!

7. Listen to your body

   What works for my body may not (and probably) won’t work for yours. That is because of this idea of bio-individuality. This means we all have our own health history and our bodies have adapted accordingly. Start paying attention to your body, it’s signs and symptoms and soon you will start recognizing patterns and trends.

   Upset stomach every afternoon after you have had coffee in the morning?

   Anxiousness in the morning?

   A huge afternoon energy crash?

   These can all be signs that your body is not tolerating caffeine well, or that you have a dependency on it.

8. Clean your coffee maker regularly

   Is your coffee pot harboring mold?? If you are not regularly cleaning it out, it probably has some spores in there. Thankfully there is an easy solution— run your coffee pot on the highest setting with one part water and one part white vinegar. This will kill any mold spores as well as de-scale your coffee pot for you!

   
   Whenever I mention cleaning up someone’s coffee habit, people get defensive. They often think I will tell them to cut it out cold turkey. But i hope this post shows you that there are a lot of different ways you can improve your morning coffee!

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