Drink Coffee, or Don’t

If you are like many people, coffee in the morning is a must have. And then follow that up with a mid-morning coffee, and an afternoon coffee, and a few more. Some people really like their coffee. Fortunately, coffee is not usually a bad thing as long as you are drinking it mostly plain. While it is generally not a good idea to become too dependent on any one thing in life, drinking coffee is not going to kill you.

The real problem with coffee generally comes in two different ways. First off, you’re adding too much creamer or other high calorie additives to it. Plain black coffee is simply the best option for your health - no calories really but you still get that caffeine boost that you’re really looking for. Unfortunately, it’s a bit tough for many people to drink their coffee black, so they’re adding something to it.

If you must add something to your coffee, then stick to the no-calorie sweeteners. Stevia or other sugar-replacements are your best option on this front. Add just enough to get your coffee to a place where you can drink it and enjoy it. Avoid creamers and other high-calorie alternatives. They certainly make the coffee taste way better, but they also like to make your waist look a bit bigger as well.

The other place that coffee becomes a problem for some people is when they are buying it at the local coffee shop. If you’re buying coffee at the local shop multiple times per day, then you’re likely spending well more than you’d really like on coffee. Try to make your own coffee as much as possible (or drink the stuff at your work). You’ll save a ton of money by making your own coffee rather than buying it somewhere else.

As an example, you can buy a simple Keurig coffee machine and treat yourself to five cups a day for what you’d spend on a single cup from your local coffee shop. Not only that, but the coffee you can get for $1/pod is some top of the line coffee as well. You can drink way more coffee than that, and save even more money with more economical options over a k-cup machine - just buy a boring pot.

Another choice is to simply not drink coffee at all. There’s no reason that someone has to drink coffee. There are plenty of people in this world who don’t rely on a cup of coffee when they wake up in the morning or that need a cup after lunch to help them make it through the day. If you’re currently not drinking coffee, then there’s really no reason to start doing so as it often turns into an addictive habit.

If you’re looking to get out of drinking as much coffee as you do then a couple of ideas are to make sure that you’re getting enough sleep at night, and when you wake up in the morning you’re spending a few minutes to get your blood flowing. Whether that be through working out or some stretches, you want to do something to help your body wake up and get moving to shake off your sleepiness.

Coffee is a great way to start your day for many people. Make sure you’re avoiding the extra calories from different sweeteners, and try not to drink too much throughout the day.