First of all, you really can put whatever you want in your coffee. I am not the food police. Truly. I don’t want you being scared of your favorite coffee creamer or not ever wanting to treat yourself at your favorite coffee shop. That is not the vibe!

There are, however, some tweaks and hacks you might want to consider for your daily cup of joe to support your weight loss goal – because, let’s be real, you definitely can overdo it on added sugar, unnecessary oils, and just other not-so-great ingredients. 

First things first. You have to think about your blood sugar.

If your goal is weight loss, your body needs to stay in a fat-burning mode as much as possible during the day, and the best way to do this is to avoid added sugar as much as possible. 

Unfortunately, some of the most popular, tasty, appealing coffee creamers are jam-packed with added sugar. Again, this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them in moderation, but it is something to think about for your daily habits.

Here are my best pieces of advice if you are typically adding a big splash of coffee creamer with a good amount of sugar (I’m talking like 10 grams of sugar or more because you’re probably not sticking to just one tablespoon…you’re not the only one):

• Decrease the portion of your preferred coffee creamer to balance your blood sugar better. So, just keep using what you love but get that tablespoon out and measure to have a better awareness of what you’re adding.
• Drink your coffee without any added sugar and use heavy cream or half and half for the creaminess instead. If you need to be dairy free, unsweetened coconut, oat, almond, cashew, or hemp all work too. 
• Add a few drops of Stevia for a natural sweetener option
• Use the creamer you want in the portion you want BUT prioritize a high-protein, high-fiber breakfast to lessen the blood sugar spike*

*Ideally, you should be pairing your coffee with a high-protein and high-fiber breakfast with your cup of coffee regardless. Pairing coffee with a meal or having it after a meal is much better for regulating cortisol levels in the AM.

Ok, next step, I want you to take a better look at the ingredients of your coffee creamer. 

Many coffee creamers have a very long list of less-than-optimal ingredients! I don’t believe in being scared of foods with a long list of ingredients necessarily, but sometimes it really is just not needed to have a lot of fillers, gums, sweeteners, flavorings, etc. Let’s work on keeping things more simple for your blood sugar and gut health!

Keep your eye out for some of these, for example:

• Vegetable oils and seed oils (palm oil): these are high in omega-6 fatty acids and important to consume in moderation or eliminate to avoid high levels of inflammation
• Artificial sweeteners (sucralose): these will be found in zero-calorie syrups and are not ideal for gut health long-term
• Thickeners and fillers: (carrageenan, locust bean gum, etc.) these maybe be a concern if you are struggling with GI issues

So what are some potentially better options?

There are no 100% “perfect” coffee creamers. There just aren’t. Everyone has different preferences, health goals, etc. What you may want to avoid may not matter as much to someone else. These are just SOME potentially better-for-you options on the market right now.

• Elmhurst Oat Creamer
• Laird Superfood Creamer
• Nut Pods
• Organic Valley Creamer
• Bulletproof Creamer

Ok, not to ruin the vibe – but should you ditch your morning cup of coffee in the first place? 

Maybe yes, maybe no.

Quality coffee has many great health benefits, but some people do much better without coffee (which I know can be hard to hear).

I always recommend taking a break from coffee to see how you feel! If you struggle with gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety, low energy levels and crashes, etc. you might do better without coffee and better with decaf coffee or switching to something like matcha.

Remember, there is room for everything in your life and what you splash into your coffee here and there shouldn’t be something you stress about in the grand scheme of things. Your overall lifestyle is what makes a difference toward your weight loss goals and health.

These are just some nuggets for thought to support your journey and optimize your metabolism!

Coach Elle