Coffee Aids Weight loss

A hot cup of coffee is how many people like to start the day. Some people swear by it and wouldn't think of beginning their day without a fresh cup. Others drink it by the pot. But is it safe? And will it help or hinder your weight loss efforts?

Research has been back and forth on whether a few cups of coffee a day is a healthy habit or not. The latest research shows that it is not only safe to consume several cups of coffee per day, but it can actually help you lose weight.

How Drinking Coffee Helps:•Coffee reduces the risk of type 2 Diabetes.
•Coffee gives you more energy for a tougher workout that lasts longer, making it possible to burn more calories.
•Coffee does not contribute to heart disease as we previously thought.
•Caffeine speeds up your metabolism making it easier for us to burn more calories --- even while at rest.
What To Watch Out For:
•Avoid fancy drinks from places like Starbucks that are loaded with hidden ingredients and additional calories. Frappacinnos and Mocha Lattes are not going to help you lose weight.
•Don't add cream and sugar to your coffee. These only add extra calories and make you crave more sweets.
•Don't give into the donuts, muffins and other similar goodies when you stop to grab a cup of coffee. A donut can add another 200-300 calories (and who can eat just one?) and a muffin can range from 450-700 calories depending on the size and type.
•Don't try to cut out coffee and reduce calories all at once. Gradually reduce your intake to phase it out if that is your goal.
Overall, coffee has been given a bad reputation and as long as you don't fill it or pair it with sweets it is a healthy way to start your day and kick start your weight loss.

Is filter coffee better for you than instant coffee?

Blending, roasting and brewing all contribute to coffee’s complex chemical composition. For example, brewing creates hundreds of different compounds. Each one weighs less than 0.3 per cent of the dry weight of the coffee but may still contribute significantly to coffee’s effects, and may act in tandem to enhance the bean’s health benefits. Most instant coffee is prepared by freeze drying and as a result many of these compounds will be retained. “My sense is that there is no appreciable difference between instant and brewed coffee if they are in similar concentration,” says Martin. However, decaffeinated instant coffee has between 30-50 per cent fewer compounds than filtered or caffeinated instant coffee.

Most studies which focus on the effects of caffeine in coffee give volunteers instant decaffeinated coffee and then add caffeine to create a standard dose. This could, of course, alter the results of psychological tests, as Hindmarch point outs: ”Instant coffee doesn’t have the same taste as brewed coffee and the taste can add a lot to the psychological effect. Drinking instant coffee is not like sitting down and having a latte. “ He adds that some of coffee’s properties can be attributed to psychology. “We wouldn’t say, ‘Let’s go to the bar and have a caffeine pill,’” he says, concluding that coffee’s taste, and it’s preparation all contribute to how we react to our daily brew.