The coffee experience is full of choices. There is the initial choice of cream and/or sugar, decaf or not, but then there is dark roast, medium roast or light roast; Arabica or Robusta; single origin or blend; espresso, drip or cold brew. Add in all the possible milk options, syrups and flavors and you can have a different brew for each day of the week.
I’m a black coffee purist most of the time (homemade cold brew and/or espresso are my staples), yet I’ll add other stuff to coffee every once in awhile to experiment and live on the wild side. Seriously, the following items pack a nice nutritional benefit and gives us some variety in flavors, too.
Collagen Protein Powder
Collagen is a great, taste-less addition to coffee. It aids healthy tissue repair while maintaining healthy levels of inflammation and revitalizing your skin. It also stands up well to the heat of coffee, which is not true of quality whey protein.
Grass-Fed Butter/Ghee
Grass-fed butter blended with coffee gives it a creamy consistency. It also provides quality fats that helps with nutrient absorption. It’s the key ingredient to a creamy delicious latte (instead of using low-quality milk).
Not only that, but grass-fed butter is a good source of butyrate and contains important nutrients like Vitamin A, beta-carotene and the fatty acid CLA.
And for those of you with a lactose intolerance, use ghee, which has most of the lactose removed.
Cayenne
I first had this at a great little coffee shop in North Shore (Brew + Foam). The cayenne pepper added a kick that paired well with the espresso. Cayenne is well known for its health impacts (especially because of capsaicin); it’s been linked with immune-boosting benefits, thermogenesis and pain relief.
Cacao Powder
Cacao is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants and we all know how great cacao tastes with coffee. Mocha latte, anyone?
Maca Powder
Maca, also known as Peruvian Ginseng, is an endocrine adaptogen that can help balance hormones and reverse hypothyroidism. It’s also high in vitamins and minerals like magnesium, potassium, and zinc. It’s got a tasty, nutty flavor to it.
Ceylon Cinnamon
Ceylon Cinnamon can help you regulate your blood sugar and reduce insulin resistance, along with helping guard against irritable bowel syndrome and stomach flu, while increasing memory and response times.
Ceylon is in contrast to the kind of cinnamon you usually find in generic grocery stores, which is called Cassia – it isn’t actually made from the real cinnamon plant. It’s worth upgrading to Ceylon.
Putting It All Together (Recipe)
The benefits of moderate consumption of black coffee are numerous. Adding some of the foods/spices above will provide a nice boost in nutrients and flavor. Put it all together for an amazing homemade Optimized Coffee latte:
- 8-12 fl oz coffee
- 1-2 T of grass-fed butter/ghee
- 1 serving collagen protein powder
- 1 T of cacao, maca or Ceylon cinnamon (depending on desired taste)
- 1 t of cayenne (optional)
Ahhh, coffee.
Expect Success,
oo I have been wanting to try that collagen powder in my coffee for a while. I keep hearing people talking about it and the benefits that are associated with having it in your coffee. Might just give it a shot
It’s simple to add in, especially if you have a personal blender, and it makes the coffee a bit creamier. Definitely give it a shot!