Why Your (my) "Bad" Habit Might Not Be So "Bad"
If I'm not talking about curry...I'm talking about coffee.
- It's social
- Increases your mental and physical performance
- Tastes good
- And means you can "justify" a break from work...
A new client recently said they're going to give up coffee for Lent.
Surprised - given his on-the-go, always moving lifestyle...and love for coffee - I asked him why?
"errrm, I read it's full of sugar"
Now coffee alone contains NO SUGAR...
It was triggered by an article in the Daily Mail...highlighting the teaspoons of sugar in coffees like lattes and cappuccinos.
Yes Lattes contain sugar...but it's because MILK contains SUGAR.
A standard Grande Latte at Starbucks ... with foam on top... has 17g of sugar. That's actually less sugar than the equivalent (470ml) amount in just milk....which has about 22g of sugar in...
You get the point...
Now having coffee after coffee all day may:
- Make you less sensitive to caffeine meaning you need more to feel it's effects
- Decrease your sleep quality resulting in poor recovery and low energy levels
- Mean you become out of touch with your own energy levels...relying on coffee after coffee to get you through the day
The Solution?
- Cut out caffeinated coffee after 6pm to avoid it interrupting your sleep..unless you're training late - I'll let you off!
- Try to stick to a max. of 2-3 caffeinated coffees per day with 1-2 cups coming before you exercise to increase performance, help build more muscle and burn more calories
- Get a good decaffeinated blend to get your coffee fix at other times
Recent research has shown that 2 large cups of coffee can give you an increase in exercise performance by nearly 5%...(Hodgson et al 2013)
^^^^ Is this a lot?
Well, if Usain Bolt would have lost 5 % of his performance in the 2012 Olympics...he would have been a nobody...strolling across the finish line in 7th...
So imagine what this 5% could do for your performance? Your fat loss? Your muscle gain? Your goal to fit back into those fitted jeans and feel confident about your body on your summer holiday?
And I'm not done yet...
Coffee and tea consumption (both caffeinated and decaffeinated) was associated with a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes...(Huxley et al 2009).
Take Home
You don't need to give up your "favourite" drinks or foods. Structure them in to your daily / weekly food intake - just like my clients do - and you too can lose your gut and be ready for your summer holiday!
That "bad" habit of ours isn't too bad after all...
Speak soon,
Matt
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