You may be thinking “How is that possible? I love my coffee and I drink it black to ensure there are fewer calories. If there are practically no calories how it can make me fat?”
Calories
Yes drinking your coffee black will reduce the calories. By adding cream, sugar, flavoring, etc. really add to the calories and fattening substances in the drink (a mere 12 oz cup of Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha Frappuchino packs a powerful 155 calories, compared to a paltry 5 calories of an identically sized cup of black coffee).
Adrenaline
By reducing the number of calories, you are consuming in your coffee will help but cream, sugar and flavoring is not the only way coffee can make you fat. The caffeine in coffee stimulates the production of adrenaline. Sounds good, right? More energy for projects at work! Well, when adrenaline is released, your blood pressure, pulse rate, and blood sugar levels are all elevated to give you more energy and get you ready for action.
Blood Sugar
When your body doesn’t use that blood sugar (because you’re sitting in your car or at your desk), your blood can’t sustain it for long. Your pancreas is activated to release insulin (the fat storage hormone); this insulin will convert the unused glucose into glycogen, store some of it in your muscles, and convert the rest into body fat. Thus, all that sugar that could be giving you energy instead moves directly into the fat cells around your waistline.
Cortisol
Also, drinking excessive coffee will increase your cortisol levels. Cortisol is your long-term stress hormone which in turn can lead to a change in your metabolism. It has been suggested that elevated cortisol is behind metabolic syndrome; that is elevated blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and if nothing changes in the near future develop into Type 2 diabetes.
Recommendations
If you are a 2 or more a day coffee drinker, cut back to just one small cup (8 oz) a day or none. Do this for 1 month and see how your body responses. Caffeine’s signal for you may be fat storage or it may not be. The only way to tell is to cut it out for a month. It will feel like a sacrifice, but it be well worth it. In my next blog “The Best Belly Fat Blasting Morning Beverage” I share a healthy alternative to starting your day with coffee.
Be healthy! Get smart about your eating habits. Sheila Dancho,
