Coffee?

_Amy_Budd

So, when I started losing weight and getting healthy, I stopped drinking coffee, pretty much because I thought the caffeine, as a stimulant, wasn't healthy, and therefore had to go. (And don't say "decaf" to me - that's NOT coffee!)

But lately... how do I put this delicately? - I've been missing the easy after-effect of that cup of coffee in the morning. So, I've been considering starting to drink it again.

So, how many of you include coffee in your Primal/Paleo world? If you don't, why not? If you do, how do you take it? (I used to be skim milk and Splenda, but clearly both of those are now out.) I'm thinking coconut milk, and maybe a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder.... Or some ground cinnamon?

Looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts on the subject...


Amy

Drunkadelic

I still eat dairy so I do mine with a touch of heavy cream. Like 1-2 teaspoons tops.

But sometimes I use coconut milk. When I open the can, I take what I don't use and freeze it in ice cube trays then plop one out into my coffee. Perfect amount and it cools my coffee to the perfect temp

I never thought of coco powder! That would probably be really good. So would cinnamon.

jamk1446

I'm a decaf drinker, I can't have the caffeine but I like the taste of coffee. And really coffee is a vehicle for cream or half & half for me. I prefer half & half and a lot of it. Then I add a few drops of flavored liquid stevia. This has never been something I drink every day and since it's decaf I haven't really ever had an issue with it.

Sp1nGoddess

I drink decaf, I am one of those people who can't have caffeine. I drink it with almond milk and/or regular milk, which sweetens it a little.

KavemanKarg

I drink between 4 to 6 large coffee before lunch every day. I use 35% cream, and erythritol for sweetener.

My blood pressure at the doc 2 months ago was 120/75 which is better than fine.

I will stab you with my spear before I give up my coffee and I absolutely do not believe real coffee is bad for us.

tjnahm

My wife and I are/were big coffee drinkers. It was not unusual for us to burn through a full 12 cup pot of coffee daily, plus a few cups at the local coffee shop as well. Recently I have stopped drinking coffee and pretty much only drink green tea and water.

Nothing wrong with coffee and our weight loss.

kcalla

Coffee is MY vice. And I'm a coffee snob. I love North Pole Coffee in a french press. I try not to drink it after 3pm. Hey... I've given up flour, dairy, sugar...and BROWNIES!! Stay away from my coffee pot!

demuralist

I make a morning mocha everyday. 16oz of coffee, 1oz heavy cream, 5 drops liquid stevia, 1/2C frozen wild blurberries, 2scoops of Designer Whey (the one sweetened with stevia).

I don't get any kind of jolt from the caffeine, and could just as easily do this with decaf, if I so desired, but I happen to think that not only is coffee not bad for weight loss, it might actually be helpful (there is research to show this).

I am currently drinking almost a gallon of liquid a day to try to overcome the effects of coming off of a diuretic. I had to come off of it because my BP went too low. So besides the 2C of morning coffee, I drink 2 (12oz) mugs of green tea, 2 (12 oz) mugs of herbal tea and 3 liters of water. I generally add a splash of coconut milk (Trader Joes canned light) and a couple drops of the stevia to my teas.

It is working well for me, so I will likely keep it up.

momof8munchkins

Coffee is MY vice. And I'm a coffee snob. I love North Pole Coffee in a french press. I try not to drink it after 3pm. Hey... I've given up flour, dairy, sugar...and BROWNIES!! Stay away from my coffee pot!

I feel the same way lol..but I have reduced how much I do drink.. I went from a pot a day to only 2-3 cups in the morning
I use full fat canned coconut milk and raw sugar or coconut crystals. soon I will be using fresh cream.

Primalgal

Give up my coffee??? NO WAY! I have cut down and don't usually drink any after noon. I switch to decaf tea if I need a warm beverage in the afternoon.

yummummum

Coffee is MY vice. And I'm a coffee snob. I love North Pole Coffee in a french press. I try not to drink it after 3pm. Hey... I've given up flour, dairy, sugar...and BROWNIES!! Stay away from my coffee pot!

THIS IS ME exactly!! HAhaha!

Total coffee snob! And I consider it my one vice! I have cut WAY down but still have a cup in the morning and one in the early afternoon. The gym owner swears if you cut out coffee you will lose weight but honestly, I have given up sugar, flour, grains and all processed food. I gotta have something!! LOL

I use half and half or heavy cream. Some days it is my only dairy.

hpsnickers1

I drink between 4 to 6 large coffee before lunch every day. I use 35% cream, and erythritol for sweetener.

My blood pressure at the doc 2 months ago was 120/75 which is better than fine.

I will stab you with my spear before I give up my coffee and I absolutely do not believe real coffee is bad for us.

This is good to see. I'm assuming it's 4-6 large CUPS of coffee. I drink a lot of coffee and I have no issues with it. I can drink a pot of coffee and go to sleep afterward. Energy drinks give me the jitters, coffee does not. I also don't believe coffee is bad for us.

I had no issues losing weight while drinking coffee all this time. I recently read a study done on the effects on cortisol and it said if you are "conditioned" to drinking coffee then morning coffee has no effect on cortisol levels. Afternoon coffee will spike cortisol and evening coffee had no effects on cortisol (the level continued to fall through the evening).

Sometimes having a hot cup of coffee when I get home from work is just so relaxing.

yummummum

Interesting hpsnickers.....
Thanks for sharing.

SO, afternoon coffee will spike cortisol? I wonder why...

monkeydharma

We drink coffee, and like you, feel that de-caffing it is like de-clawing a cat....

I only drink one cup in the morning - caffeine irritates the prostate (I'm old, what can I say?). I drink it black.

My wife resisted giving up her half-and-half for a long time, but then suddenly switched to Trader Joe's LITE coconut milk, and has bee very satisfied with the creaminess it provides. She often adds ground cinnamon, and sometimes some cocoa powder.

bellinachuchina

I drink between 4 to 6 large coffee before lunch every day. I use 35% cream, and erythritol for sweetener.

My blood pressure at the doc 2 months ago was 120/75 which is better than fine.

I will stab you with my spear before I give up my coffee and I absolutely do not believe real coffee is bad for us.

Yes. :drinker:

My blood pressure was also top notch when I saw my doc last month. She was like "Do you work out?" lol I drink at LEAST 8 cups a day. I use skim milk sometimes, but usually have it black.

nanodot

Coffee is good. It is, after all, just beans soaked in water... I'm keeping it. I put half and half or cream in it, and splenda. I'm keeping the splenda, too.

MrsCurtisinTX

OMG AMY! That sounds so awesome I have to try that with the ice cubes. That was ingenious!

immacookie

I drink 2 cups in the morning... pretty much every morning... and occasionally if it's VERY cold outside I will have 1 or 2 cups in the afternoon. Always with heavy cream, no sweetener. :drinker:

amycal

Hmm I haven't heard that the cortisol spike only occurs in the afternoon. My friend's trainer is a paleo expert and he was not drinking coffee until recently when he started for the anti-oxidants in it. He told me that coffee before a work out is good because it spikes the stress hormones that help with a workout - but I should not drink coffee after. This guy recommends full fat organic cream in coffee.

I did find an article last week while looking through paleo blogs that talked a lot about coffee (caffeine) and cortisol. It kind of scared me but I do really like my coffee and drink about 2 mugs a morning with organic half and half. I might try to cut back but I think it is more important to cut out sugar and gluten right now.