Coffee, the favorite drink of many. Some drink more than three cups of coffee per day. Many never stop to think about the chemicals, pesticides or other issues with consuming large amounts of coffee. The debate over coffee’s benefits are conflicting at best. Research shows it is beneficial to drink, but there are also studies that show it can be detrimental. For those reasons, I chose to spend some time revamping my daily coffee fix to ensure I am getting the most out of it.
Last year, there was a disturbing video on Facebook showing a little thought of issue with using a Keurig coffee maker. As I watched this video, I vowed to stop using my Keurig immediately. This machine, found in most homes and offices, has been shown to create mold. It makes perfect sense that this could happen as water just sits inside of the machine’s inner mechanisms. This dark environment is ripe for breeding mold. Additionally, the fact that this machine and the pods used cause damage to our planet are not lost on me either on this Earth Day. My husband and I when we used the Keurig always used the reusable attachment and did not purchase pods. It was not only better for our environment, but more cost effective.
Aside from mold, coffee is a crop that is known to be heavily sprayed with pesticides. Most people don’t stop to think about this when they are sipping up to six cups a day. My husband drinks 5 cups of coffee per day. If we didn’t purchase organic coffee, his exposure to pesticides would be extremely high. Though it may be more expensive to purchase organic coffee beans, I am asking today that you think about the long term effects of drinking cups of chemical laden coffee.
Finally, most people use coffee creamers in their daily coffee. I was a huge fan of french vanilla flavored creamer and thought nothing of adding it to my cup to make it light and sweet. Others use artificial sweeteners to avoid adding calories to their morning cup. Research has strongly linked these sweeteners to autoimmune diseases, as well as cancer.
With all these dangers lurking, you begin to wonder if your daily cup of coffee is even worth drinking. Then you read that coffee has many benefits to your health, plus you just plain love it. The simple solution here is to do a recipe swap and upgrade your coffee drink.
Here is how I updated my coffee routine to ensure I was getting the benefits of drinking coffee while limiting the dangers.
Change Your Pot
I stopped using the Keurig after watching the mold video. I definitely don’t want coffee laced with mold. Honestly, I was so grossed out I don’t think I’ll ever use one again. I immediately pulled out my old Faberware pot given to me 30 years ago when I got married. When it finally died a few months later and I began looking for a replacement. The newer Faberware pots did not have great reviews, so I decided not to spend the extra money to purchase one. I purchased a Presto pot and absolutely love it.
An added benefit to percolator coffee, aside from the fact that it’s a hearty cup, is that it is hot. I never felt the drip coffee pots, or Keurig made a hot enough cup. I often put it in the microwave for 30 seconds just to heat and you know how I feel about using the microwave. Here is the actual pot we purchased. We also bought one for all our family members over the past year in hopes they’d make the change. Not everyone has joined us on this journey, but we tried.
My son purchased a French Press for his girlfriend. This is another great option for a healthier cup of coffee. This is a great option if you don’t drink a lot of coffee in one sitting. It wouldn’t be a good choice when you have a lot of company. Here’s the French Press I liked.
Change Your Coffee
I only purchase organic coffee at this point. My husband occasionally picks up coffee on sale which is not organic. I will drink it, but really try to limit my exposure to pesticides through coffee consumption. If you order coffee at Starbucks they have organic options. I’m betting you can request this when you go in for a cup as they do sell organic coffee beans. I’ve tried many different brands and have settled on one of these two options. Both are available through subscribe and save for further discounts.
I prefer to purchase whole beans for the freshest cup. I grind the beans on a weekly basis.
This coffee is slightly more expensive so I only get one bag per month on subscription and fill in with the other less expensive option in between.
Change Your Recipe
I stopped using flavored creamers completely and will not use artificial sweeteners to replace it. I’ve written and shared about my switch to drinking superfood coffee. I only drink one cup per day and it’s very satisfying and has been said to improve your health. When intermittently fasting, this coffee, with its healthy fats is very satiating and provides a nice energy boost. Here is my recipe for coffee (based on bullet coffee):
Ingredients
- 1 cup brewed hot coffee
- 2 tbs collagen
- 1 tsp ghee (or Kerry gold unsalted butter)
- 1/2 tsp organic raw honey (optional)
- 5 drops of liquid stevia
- dash cayenne pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp raw cacao
- 1 tbs brain octane oil (or coconut oil)
Directions
Place all ingredients in blender. Blend (hold the cover) until smooth for a refreshingly delicious frothy cup of coffee.
I played with this recipe for a bit until I got it the way I liked it. The first day I wasn’t sure about this whole concept, but gave it a week. I love it so much now that I can’t drink a regular cup anymore.
If you are a big coffee drinker, I hope you’ll spend some time reflecting and exploring. Read up on healthier options for your daily cup. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Here’s the link to the collagen I use and the brain octane oil in the event you’d like to give those a try.
Reclaiming My Health 