Can coffee help me lose weight?
Coffee is one of the world's most popular drinks, and throughout history it's been used for all sorts of purposes. Today it's the go-to drink to WAKE YOU UP in the morning. It's been touted as everything from a medicine to an aphrodisiac, an appetite suppressor to a laxative, and a cure for pretty everything else nature has to throw at us.
But what role does coffee play in our lives today apart from sometimes giving us the shakes, and can it really help us to lose weight?
If coffee aids weight loss, why are we still overweight as a nation?
Here in the UK we're partial to our morning cup of coffee (and some!). But still we're piling on the pounds. Yes, indeed it's true, but it's probably a little unfair to shoulder coffee with the blame - it's SUGAR that's the real enemy here, but we'll get into that in a bit.
Coffee for many of us seems to stave off hunger for a little while, giving us a mental boost, even to the point of getting the jitters. Yet there is little evidence coffee drinkers are any thinner than non-coffee drinkers.
There is no conclusive evidence coffee helps you lose weight
Whilst there are indeed studies that show it can help, plenty show it can't. Which leaves us in a bit of a quandary. But do not fear: we have a theory, and it's a pretty good one.
Do you notice in coffee shops there are hardly any healthy snacks?
Something we have noticed is that in many coffee shops there is virtually nothing healthy: croissants, millionaire shortcake, rocky roads, panini, flapjacks and so on and SO SUGARY. Surely you'd think there would be a few more healthy options if coffee and weight loss were so well connected? Hmmm.
The connection between coffee and snacking
We know that when you have a high-carb breakfast the mid-morning crash can lead to a snack attack, but does the same happen with a coffee crash? Our opinion is: YES it does. When we crash from anything we often reach out for something to help level us out again, and for some of us that means a sugary or carb-laden snack, neither of which are good for weight management and will most probably lead to weight gain.
Your skinny latte and the hidden sugars
Skinny lattes, such a 21st century invention, and on the surface it seems they are relatively harmless. Lactose is a sugar and if you consider that lactose helps baby cows become BIG COWS, your views on skinny lattes should do a 180 turn. In fact there's a big drive to go for lactose-free lattes now, as more people are wising up to this.
So how do I use coffee as a weight loss aid?
OK, so here's where coffee like Ketonika's comes in. Their coffees are designed to avoid that mid-morning crash. They prolong the effect of the caffeine so that you don't get the jitters either.
This is achieved by adding butter, a healthy fat. Before you run for the hills, butter in coffee tastes very much like cream, only a little different. Regardless of taste, the effect the butter has is quite astounding. We have tried cream but we didn't get the same results. Butter seems to work well with coffee, for reasons we don't yet fully understand.
Hold on, but won't butter make me put on weight?
If you wolf down a whole tub of it, then, yes, it most probably will! But in the amounts you'll be putting in your coffee cup, no it won't. As with most things in life moderation is key.
Given the long-standing controversy over the health benefits of butter and the ongoing battle between butter and margarine, it's not surprising you're confused. Dietary fats are essential for the body. We need them for energy and structure.
However, whilst some fats are healthy, others are to be avoided. Butter is a saturated fat, making it one of the better guys, especially if it's grass-fed.
As long as you eat it in the right amount, and as part of a balanced diet, you won't put on weight. In fact, some people find that cutting out carbs and replacing them with healthy fats is one of the quickest and best ways to lose weight.
Can Ketonika Coffee help me feel full?
YES, and at only 100 calories it's not going to break any calorie bank. Regardless of whether or not you follow a low-carb diet, this works for most people. The added MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) give a feeling of fullness and help to stabilise blood sugar, hence reducing the effects of the mid-morning crash and stopping you reaching for the snacks. So if it stops you reaching for that croissant that's a saving of 300 calories before lunch.
Bulletproof Coffee Concept
The brainchild of American author and entrepreneur Dave Asprey, Bulletproof (also known as keto coffee) is a high-calorie coffee made with grass fed butter and MCT oil. High fat and low in carbs, it's intended as a breakfast replacement that can help increase energy levels, decrease hunger and improve mental focus. As such it has gained a lot of popularity on the Keto scene and with low-carb dieters who prefer to fuel their body with healthy fats instead of carbs.
Based on Bulletproof Coffee Ketonika has added Marine Collagen and BCAAs to their coffee to provide an extra beauty and feel-good boost. But we've reduced the calories to make this accessible to everyone.