Over the last few decades, obesity has become a worldwide epidemic. In the United States alone, one in three Americans is obese or overweight resulting in several adverse health effects including an increase in the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer, dementia, and depression.
In addition to the negative health effects associated with obesity, excess weight gain causes a huge burden on healthcare costs ranging from about 147 billion to 210 billion dollars a year. Because of this, there has been great interest in identifying strategies that help promote and manage long-term weight loss goals. However, the most effective strategy for managing weight is to combine diet and exercise and maybe even a cup of joe.
You Can Drink Coffee While You Are on a Diet
People diet for several reasons but the main reason is to manage or maintain a desired weight. From flexible dieting, vegan, low carb or even paleo, most people are concerned with both their intake and their total volume.
The good news is you can drink coffee on a diet and it may actually help you if you are trying to lose weight. Coffee contains very little few calories and it is rich in antioxidants. The caffeine in coffee is an appetite suppressant, making you feel less hungry throughout the day.
If you do not feel as hungry, you are less likely you consume excess and unnecessary calories. Coffee also gives you a boost of energy, making it more likely that you will exercise. It can also help you work out harder and longer, as it has been shown to improve blood flow and increase your heart rate.
Hot coffee has also been shown to improve your overall metabolism as it causes a slight increase your body temperature and thermogenic properties. This causes your metabolism to work more efficiently and burn more calories and will ultimately help you lose more weight.
How to Prepare Coffee While on a Diet
Although you can and should have coffee on a diet, you must be careful about what you add to it in order to achieve your desired taste. First, adding sugar and cream can add hundreds or excess calories that can make you gain weight instead of losing it.
Adding sugar can also cause a release of insulin from the pancreas, which may cause you to feel tired and lower your energy levels. An alternative to sugar is to add vanilla to your coffee, which is a healthier, more natural way to make your coffee sweeter without the excess calories or hormonal effects.
You should also be cautious with artificial sweeteners as there are some studies that suggest they may cause insulin resistance.
So if you are trying to lose weight and maintain a healthy diet, there is no need to cut out coffee from your diet—you can and should drink coffee to help with your weight loss goals. Coffee can help you lose weight by suppressing your appetite, improving your energy levels and workouts and by boosting your overall metabolism. Just remember to be mindful about preparing it to avoid excess sugar, fat and calories.