The worst coffee habits for a flat belly
Coffee has a way of filtering
itself into a person's morning routine until it becomes a habit. And, for many,
"habit" may not even be a bold enough word. Call it what you will—ritual,
dependency, obsession—a borderline-caffeine-addiction is widely considered
manageable, if not beneficial. Several studies (perhaps conducted by hopeful
coffee lovers) point to ways in which java can be healthy. As we've reported in
the past, coffee may help you live longer, give you better vision, even boost
your metabolism.
"Caffeine can improve weight
loss efforts," says Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD. "Coffee can be
beneficial by providing the body with antioxidants, acting as a diuretic, and
improving bowel movements in those with digestive issues. It can also help
increase energy which is a necessary factor in exercise, which can lead to
weight loss."
But those potential health perks
hinge entirely on how you take your cup of Joe.
We're not here to wax poetic
about right and wrong ways to consume coffee; if you have an affinity for
indulging in funnel-cake-flavored frappuccinos, who are we to stop you?
However, if you're looking to coffee for weight loss benefits, you may want to
be mindful of how you take it. We spoke with a couple of our favorite
dietitians and found out the worst coffee habits to avoid when making coffee
for a flat stomach. Then, for more drinking tips, be sure to check out our list
of the 112 Most Popular Sodas Ranked by How Toxic They Are.
1. Adding sugar
Coffee itself is naturally
antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory, but adding sugar negates those inherent
positives. An over-sugared coffee becomes inflammatory, and the nutritional
deficits of the added sweetness quickly outweigh any of the benefits the
caffeine may offer. Plus, as Clara Lawson, RDN, explains, the amount of coffee
many Americans drink in a day would easily result in maxing out recommended
sugar intakes, if that coffee is too sweet.
"Women should stick to 6
teaspoons of sugar and men should stick to 9 teaspoons in a day to maintain a
healthy body weight and prevent diseases," says Lawson. "So if you
are drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee along with artificial sweeteners, you are
ruining your body to a great extent."
The solution here? If you don't
want to sacrifice adding sugar to your coffee, just be mindful of your sugar
intake beyond the java habit.
2. Adding other "fancy ingredients"
If you're committed to the frap
life (say, for example, the aforementioned funnel cake Allstar is calling your
name) that's okay, but you cannot depend on your cup of coffee to lead you to a
flat stomach.
"Fancy forms of coffee such
as lattes and mochas have a very high sugar content that can exceed your daily
required calorie count," explains Lawson. "The fancy ingredients that
are worst for your belly include high sugar, whipped cream, and chocolate
syrups."
Luckily, though, Lawson has an
easy fix.
"For a leaner stomach, it is
advised to make your coffee at home so that you can avoid all these fancy
ingredients that are eventually going to accumulate and increase your
waistline," she says.
You can also try making healthier
versions of your favorites at home with these 12 Tastiest Homemade Coffee
Drinks From a Nutritionist.
3. Adding creamer
Coffee, the way we currently
consume it, is so inextricable from cream and sugar that one is rarely offered
without the other. But in the same way sugar can mess with your ever-emerging
abs, creamers will likely do the same.
"By adding high calorie and
fat creamers you are increasing the likelihood of your regular coffee beverage
causing weight gain," said Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD.
Beyond just packing on the
calories, many popular creamers use questionable ingredients, which takes a fairly
natural beverage—coffee—and turns it into a more artificial, and therefore less
healthy, drink.
To wean yourself off of creamer,
you could start by substituting it for milk.
"Taking coffee with skim or
whole milk only adds up to around 30 to 40 calories, whereas taking it with
creamer gives you around 120 calories," says Lawson.
4. Only drinking sweetened/flavored coffee
The more you drink sweetened and
flavored coffee, the more that sugary and dimensional flavor profile will
become a part of your morning habit. As Best explains, "the worst coffee
habit for weight loss and obtaining a flat belly is relying on sweet and
flavored coffee."
If you can't drink coffee without
flavor or sugar, you may be at extra risk of undoing your other hard work in
the kitchen and the gym.
"These extra ingredients are
only serving to increase calories and fat," says Best. "It is best to
opt for black coffee or naturally sweetened varieties."
One natural sweetener that we're
particularly fond of, which may also help flatten your stomach even further, is
cinnamon. Give it a try next time you brew a pot.
5. Pairing coffee with dessert
This popular after-dinner duo is
fairly iconic, but unfortunately not that healthy. In the same way relying on
coffee with cream and sugar forms poor habits, allowing your brain to associate
coffee with sugary snacks could be detrimental to your pursuit of a flat
stomach.
"While pairing your coffee
with some pastry or other dessert doesn't harm your flat belly if you do it
occasionally if it is something that you do frequently, it's one of the worst
things you can do to your belly," says Lawson.
The most failsafe way to avoid
these weight-gain risks, of course, is to make the switch to black coffee and
to drink it alongside other nutritional foods.
Not a fan of straight-up java
yet? Check out our piece, When It Comes to Coffee, This Is the Only Way You Should
Make It, for tips on how to make black coffee more palatable. Then, be sure to
sign up for our newsletter for even more healthy tips!
