Morning coffees are not all created equal. I am here today to introduce you to a couple of ingredients that will supercharge your coffee, providing much more than a pick-me-up in the morning. This new way of drinking coffee will speed up your metabolism, give you a ton of energy that caffeine alone cannot provide, and rev up your endocrine system! Lets take a look at the possible combinations based on your activity level.
Now for those who are watching their caloric intake because of their struggle to lose weight, we will use only one of the ingredients. Very active individuals and athletes can consider adding both to really boost their system or to replace a meal. Everyone can benefit from this supplementation but I would not want to undermine someone’s weight-loss by adding too many calorie rich fats to their system. Beneficial fats can actually speed up one’s metabolism but if losing weight, you still have to be mindful of energy (calories) intake vs how much you actually use.
Ingredient: Grass-Fed Butter
Now, before your world turns upside down just at the thought of adding butter to your coffee, consider the differences between grass-fed and regular butter. I had already written an article about benefits of grass-fed beef but cows grazing on pasture can also provide incredibly nutritious butter. All sources of fat contain pro-inflammatory Omega-6 fatty acids but grass-fed butter provides anti-inflammatory Omega-3s. There was a study done that determined that grass-fed butter to be more nutritious than corn/wheat/soy fed cows. This butter is also very high in saturated fat, which was widely demonized until enough recent research overshadowed Ancel Keys’s incorrect lipid hypothesis. Saturated fatty acids, in fact, increase HDL (good cholesterol) which completely exposes the lies many people spread about the effects of dietary fats (source/study).
Grass-fed butter is also full of artery-preserving Vitamin K and anti-inflammatory fatty acid Butyrate. It will melt almost instantly when added to coffee and provide a long-lasting effect. I found that a solid teaspoon per coffee cup is a good dosage, however, your preference may be different. Just drop the teaspoon into a cup of hot coffee and in a few minutes it will be ready!
Ingredient: Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is truly a miracle of nature. Not only does it provide Saturated Fat, which we discovered is actually good for our arteries, but also virus-killing Lauric Acid. Coconut oil also contains very beneficial Alpha-Lipoic Acid which is a strong antioxidant and helps increase insulin sensitivity. The improvement of insulin sensitivity leads to loss of body fat which brings me to the next power ingredient of coconut oil. Most of the fats we eat contain long-chain triglycerides but coconut oil is unique because it contains medium-chain triglycerides. These are absorbed and converted into energy much faster than even carbohydrates! MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) are easier for the body to digest than any other form of fat. The molecules are smaller so they require less energy and enzymes. This study concluded that a diet rich in MCT’s led to a significantly greater fat-loss due to increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation.
For absolute best results, choose cold-pressed Organic UNREFINED coconut oil. Refined oil is made specifically for baking to withstand higher temperatures. Same teaspoon per cup ratio applies here as well.
So now we have both ingredients at our disposal and they both really complement your morning coffee routine. Adding the right kind of dietary fat to your breakfast can really invigorate your body for the day to come. Regardless of which option you choose, you are providing yourself with endless energy and increasing the metabolism of nutrients. In conclusion, I want to highlight this study which showed a 13-15% increase of testosterone in men during a high-fat, low-fiber/carb diet vs hig- fiber/carb, low-fat diet. That is a significant difference and among other studies, there is further proof that dietary fat is not a health risk (as long as its not trans fat).
Feel free to experiment with either ingredient, or even both for those activity-filled days! I would love to hear back about how this supercharged coffee works for you!
