Coffee Yes Or No?

OK. Weight Watchers (at least when I went) used to say you can drink as much coffee, tea and diet sodas as you want. They are free. But then other diet/nutritionists say to limit intake of Diet Sodas and coffee.

I do believe for myself that Diet drinks add water retention problems. About 1 1/2 years ago I stopped drinking Diet soda (I love Diet Coke) and any type of sugar sodas like Coke. I also cut back coffee to one cup a day and drink mostly water or iced tea (probably not great but I limit to 2 a day) and then herbal teas.

Anyway, today I was having my one cup of coffee and someone who reads all the latest diet tomes told me that many believe that you should skip coffee completely.

I have heard this but I have to tell you that I love the taste of coffee and I am down to just that one cup in the morning. Sometimes I don't drink coffee except on the weekends but I find that I hate to give it up because I love the taste.

What do you all think and what is your practice with coffee/caffeine...etc.

Thanks.

Best wishes,
Karen

Karen,

Great topic! I love my morning coffees and will not give them up. I usually have two: one first thing in the morning (5 AM!) and another when I get to work at about 9. On rare occasions, I'll have a third cup (e.g. Friday afternoon since there is no need to get to bed early, or Saturday night after dinner). On weekends, I usually have a second cup with breakfast.

I use skim milk and one Splenda in my coffee, if they are available. I have learned to drink it fairly dark with one sugar if there is only cream/whole milk or sugar available.

I drink diet soda only once or twice a week. I try to drink water and juices as much as possible.

I know that caffeine isn't so great for you, but really enjoy/rely on those two cups a day and refuse to give them up. And since I've given up cream and sugar, I don't see the big harm.

Splenda is supposedly made in part with real sugar, and is hopefully not as harmful as Sweet-n-low & Equal. Does anyone have any good information on these sweeteners, while we're on the coffee topic?

Elissa

I used to have a large mochacino on the way to work, 5 days a week.
I found it made me hyper, nervous and moody so I stopped.

I really like the smell of coffee, but now do not follow through by drinking it.

Instead, I will get a cup of black coffee at work (free from the vending machine) and sit it on my desk just to enjoy the aroma.

No jitters and my skin is much better too.

One strong cup, morning, milk (I prefer whole), but usually it's 2%.

I would like to quit altogether, and switch to green or black tea, with a little milk.

In past years I cut back on coffee because of insomnia and acid reflux (used to be a constant with me). That, along with other things helped emmensly.

I have never did the diet pop thing, mainly because of the tooo sweet taste and the Aspartime thing. There are some real horror stories floating around about that.

I would be interested in any info on the Splenda-vs-Aspartime thing..?????

I love coffee but I lately learned from my GP and my natural path doctors that coffee robs us from our calcium so its important to limit the intake to at least two cups a day if you must have it.

Hi Diane...That was all the excuse I needed to switchback from black coffee, to coffee with milk....So I could get some Calsium...Oh Yeah! any excuse I can get

I did hear from someone that works at Starbucks in the management training program that the Frappacinos that you see everyone drinking can contain as much as 600 calories. That is if it doesn't have the whipped cream and all the other goodies. I can only imagine the Carmel Machiato and similar goodies. I used to drink the no fat latte but even that had a lot of milk. Now I drink one coffee of the day and add some 2% milk and limit to just one cup. It does seem to make a difference.

I recently discovered that you can have many of Starbucks' offerings made with skim milk!!! My favorite is skim Latte--the froth comes out so creamy it's hard to believe it's skim milk!

But not all of their treats can be made with skim milk :(

Also, $3.30 is a bit steep for a skim latte. On the other hand, it's a lot less "expensive" than a big fattening treat. I'm worth it.

And aren't most of they still high in calories??? maybe no fat, but still high in sugar. or sweetner?

I would love Iced teas or flavored coffees, with all of the flavor and NO sweet.

* My ideal concerning coffee.

A cup of coffee in the morning. Maybe one more cup later in the morning. In the afternoon or the evening a cup or two of green tea, sometimes black tea.

Sophie,

I add one Equal to my latte, so it's very low in calories I am not sure about the other products, but you're right--anything that they pre-sweeten (as opposed to us being able to add our own sweetener) is probably made with real sugar and that adds calories, depending on how much is used.

I am not very familiar with Starbucks other products, right now I am only drinking lattes but I will inquire before branching out, and report back here if I find something.

Elissa

Bratty, I keep meaning to tell you your icon is adorable :)

I think you can't go wrong with one or two cups of coffee a day. That is reasonable. I worry about friends of mine who drink 5 or more cups a day! I have heard there's a link between extremely heavy coffee consumption and pancreatic cancer, but I don't know if it's true. Caffeine is bad for other things too, though.

Does anyone have anything to report about the known health detriments of coffee/caffieine?

Elissa

OK, I couldn't resist. I decided to do some additional research on coffee and here is what I found:

1. In a Dutch study researchers found that heavy coffee drinkers were only half as likely to develop diabetes as those who never drank coffee.

According to Bennett Weinberg, author of The Caffeine Advantage
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/103-9337235-9349449
caffeine helps body cells absorb and metabolize sugar in the body more efficiently. Thus preventing diabetes and also helping with weight loss issues.

2. Dr. Peter Martin, MD of the Institute for Coffee Studies at Vanderbilt University believes that coffee has many benefits.

Both experts listed above agree with the new belief that sipping coffee approximately 30 minutes before you eat can cut appetite by as much as 35% and boost metabolism by as must as 5%.

Also, fitness experts claim that sipping coffee 30 minutes before exercising can help you burn even 31% more fat. I have heard this before but don't know if it is true or not.

Some research also shows that coffee prevents lung, endometrial and colorectal cancers or at least helps to minimize the risk.

Finally, the above experts debunk the fact that coffee increases breast cancer or fibrocystic breast disease. Not only do they claim that coffee does NOT increase these risks but it also reduces blood pressure and helps relieve migrane headaches and asthma attacks.

OK. Well it all sounds good to me. The critics do say that Bennett's book may not be as accurate about the risks of coffee as possible. Others say that he is "right on".

For a completely opposite view of coffee read Caffeine Blues which can be found also on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0446673919/ref=pd_sim_books_1/103-9337235-9349449?v=glance&s=books

Caffeine Blues takes 180 degree approach to coffee and caffeine.

Bottom line, decide for yourself. Me? I am going to stick with one cup of java a day from Starbucks. :-)

Best wishes,
Karen

i'm not into coffee just never liked the taste. my grandma uses mocha mix. instead of milk. has anyone tried that?