Put What In My Coffee??

For a long time I kept hearing people tell me they put fat in their coffee, because it was “really good for you.” When I asked them why, very few could actually give me a good answer. This lead me to think they are just following the newest trend.

Feeling resistant to a trendy society, I didn't even want to be open to understand this concept. All my life I was told that fat is not good for you, it causes cholesterol to rise, makes you gain weight, and it plays a roll in cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even cancer. So, why would I put fat in my beloved morning coffee? It is perfect as is, with just a splash of almond milk.

The more I continued to hear about this trend, the more I started questioning all I heard about fats, just because the people who were talking about this, simply looked fabulous, and their energy felt just right. Maybe there was something to it!

So I started my own research, reading all sorts of articles about fats. That's when I started to realize that all those things I heard abut fats were true and also that the “good fats” can be amazing for you. They serve the body as a source of energy, or fuel. A few examples of these good fats are the polyunsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds, vegetable oils such as corn and sunflower oil, and fatty fish. This category encompasses omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are known as essential fatty acids because our bodies don’t make them—we have to get them from food.

So far so good, very interesting, but what does this have to do with my morning coffee?

Can I just eat an avocado, or have a hand full of seeds for breakfast? Well, this is when the conversation returns back to coffee. It turns out that even though it has a bad reputation, coffee actually has a lot of nutrients, and also can help prevent heart and liver disease. Studies even showed that it can be cancer preventive. As much as I want to believe this, when I drink coffee I often feel like I feel really high and energetic for a little bit, and then I crash. I don’t necessarily feel nourished in that way. That is when the fat in the coffee turns handy..

Coffee also contains antioxidants called polyphenol, which are extremely beneficial, but our body doesn’t always take in all these goodies in the right way. When we drink black coffee, it gets quickly processed in the body, not only failing to deliver all the goods, but also can provoke adrenal glands to over produce. This eventually leaves them too dependent on the coffee to function properly, causing fatigue or even depression.

By adding good fats, like coconut oil or grass fed butter (or both!) , we slow down the process of this delivery, making sure the body assimilates these properties.

So…. What kind of fats do I use, and how do I make this fatty coffee? I've tried different ways to do this, and I ended up using the Bulletproof recipe, which worked the best for me. Basically, I blend my black coffee with a spoon full of grass fed butter and MCT oil, this recipe also uses collagen protein which helps with restoring cells in the body. By blending these together, you can achieve this creamy capuchino like consistency in the coffee, and it actually tastes amazing! If you don't blend the coffee, the fat can float on top of the coffee making its appearance less than appetizing, so I highly recommend to blend it.

MCT are unique fatty acids (there’s also XCT, the X, and the M, refer to the length of the chain of fatty acids) found in coconut oil, they are extracted by a process of distillation, and are a very powerful source of energy, they reduce inflammation, improves metabolism and optimize brain function.

My mother always told me to have a good hearty breakfast because that meal was the most important and would get me the energy I needed for the day, so growing up I usually would have coffee with a splash of almond milk, plus eggs, greens, and toast. I certainly do that still sometimes, but most mornings for almost a year now, I just have my bulletproof coffee, and a smoothie. Trust me, I don’t feel hungry till lunch. I feel incredibly energized, clear minded, I have lost a healthy amount of weight, and my skin hair a nails look better than ever.

So I encourage you to do your research about taking good fats and even collagen with your morning coffee. As humans we are so attached to our ways, and sometimes resist change, but todays science studies plus our growing fascination for health combined with globalization,allows us to share all kinds of new ways of looking at things, health being one of them. Opening our minds to other cultures and discoveries can turn out really good at the end!

You can find Noelia at the following classes at Yoga Art Space:

Mondays at 5:30pm - All Levels Hatha Yoga

Tuesdays 4:30-5:00pm - Kid's Yoga

Thursdays 4:30-5:00pm - Kid's Yoga