The 4 things to avoid in your coffee

The weekend is time to relax, celebrate, explore or simply enjoy life. So it can be tough on Mondays when the atmosphere returns. Sometimes you need a big cup of coffee to get into the grove. Two-thirds of Americans (66%) drink coffee daily, an increase of nearly 14% since January 2021. Globally, coffee is the fourth most consumed beverage after water, tea, and beer (yes, beer). But despite the hot beverage preference, there are four things you should dump in your coffee to make your body feel better.

RELATED: Here's how to realistically reduce sugar in your diet

From the rich smell to the gentle feeling when it comes to mind. Coffee is a popular drink. Researchers have extensively studied its many health benefits, including its ability to increase energy levels, promote weight management, and potentially enhance athletic performance. But how to maximize all the benefits of the bean? Here are a few things you might want to reconsider when stirring into your cup.

White sugar

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While adding sugar to coffee in the morning is a ritual for most people, using white sugar provides no nutritional value and can quickly get out of hand if you add it to the sugar you consume the rest of the day, especially if one tends to consume several cups of coffee per day.

RELATED: Here's how to realistically reduce sugar in your diet

Fortunately, this is one of the easiest problems to solve. While sweeteners have a bad reputation, studies on their possible side effects are unclear and are believed to be neutral elements: they are not good for health, but not harmful either. Sweeteners have much fewer calories and provide more sweetness than sugar, resulting in a drink with fewer additives. So instead of white table sugar, try SweetDrops, stevia, maple syrup or even coconut sugar.

Flavored syrups

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At the top of the sugar list are flavored syrups. Next time you order your double tall vanilla latte, ask for “a shot of syrup,” otherwise you might get three, which is common practice at many coffee chains. Flavored syrups are pure cane sugar in liquid form. If you're using syrup to mask the taste of your coffee, maybe it's time to find another coffee shop.

Powdered milk creamer

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Powdered milk is basically just chemicals and oils with a “cream” flavor. Powdered milk can actually be explosive. We're not kidding. Cow's milk or plant-based milk is a good substitute because it has fewer calories and fewer worrying things that could ruin your morning. And if you want to avoid all the extra hormones, which aren't great either, go for plant-based milk products. Oat milk may be the closest thing to the real thing.

whipped cream

Photo courtesy of Starbucks

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You already knew that. Whipped cream may be the most delicious addition to any hot beverage, but it adds calories, fat, and sugar to your morning coffee, not to mention high cholesterol fat if you whip your own cream by half. If you use the stuff from a spray can, you're also dealing with a lot of corn syrup and nasty chemicals. It's best to leave everything out and make the coconut cream yourself.