- Coffee Myths: Where Is the Truth?
- Options for a Fasting Day
- How to Avoid Harming Your Health
How often, when we pour ourselves a cup of aromatic coffee, do we think that we are merely indulging ourselves? Many people tend to associate their addiction to it with a bad habit. We will tell you how to use all of its positive qualities to your advantage: make your figure slimmer, your eyes brighter, and your mood wonderful.
Coffee Myths: Where Is the Truth?
When something provokes controversial opinions (harsh criticism alternated by delight and admiration), it means that you need to look for the golden mean. In order to understand who is perfect for a coffee fasting day and for whom it is contraindicated, it is important to clearly understand the positive and negative aspects of this drink.
Pros
If we leave aside the emotions of fans, there are many positive aspects:
- Gives the body a powerful boost of energy, enhances physical and mental performance (caffeine is responsible for this).
- Lowers cholesterol levels, improves microcirculation, and strengthens the vascular wall (vitamins PP, P, and B3, that are produced when the beans are roasted).
- Normalizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract (chlorogenic acid and tannins).
- Antiseptic effect, which is important for preventing fermentation processes and improving the activity of the normal microflora of the intestine (essential oils).
- Improves mood (unique taste and aroma that can cure depression).
Cons
The negative effect is mainly associated with caffeine. Moreover, the amount is important here. If 1-2 cups usually do not have any consequences, 6-7 cups have an immediate impact on health:
- Regular consumption forms a psychological dependence.
- Increases heart rate and blood pressure (short-term effect).
- Increases the excretion of minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium).
- Strong diuretic effect (risk of dehydration).
If you think about it, many of the negative effects can be successfully used for weight loss. The main thing is to observe moderation. A well-organized coffee fasting day will help you to lose up to 1 kg of excess weight. Within a month, it is already 3-4 kg, and you do not have to exhaust yourself with prolonged starvation. It is enough to enjoy the exquisite taste and aroma once a week in combination with certain dietary products.
Options for a Fasting Day
Weight loss is achieved in several ways at once:
- boosting metabolism, including lipolysis (fat breakdown);
- reducing the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestine (action of chlorogenic acid);
- decreasing appetite;
- diuretic effect (getting rid of hidden edema);
- normalizing digestion and intestinal microflora.
It is difficult to imagine a more comprehensive mechanism for weight loss. This is why coffee fasting recipes are so popular.
With green coffee
It is made from unprocessed green beans. What are its advantages for weight loss?
- less caffeine, which appears during roasting, so you can increase the volume of the drink you consume;
- more chlorogenic acid, the main fat-burning substance;
- lowers insulin levels in the blood, which is important for accelerating metabolic processes (the pounds disappear faster).
It has a peculiar taste with a greenish-tart flavor, similar to unripe persimmons. During the fasting day, you can drink no more than three cups of such coffee, preferably before eating, to further reduce your appetite.
Sample menu:
- breakfast: 150 g of low-fat cottage cheese;
- lunch: tomato salad with herbs;
- dinner: apple.
You should drink at least 1.5 liters of water. It is also brewed slightly differently. One cup requires not one teaspoon, but three.
With black coffee
For fasting, you can use three to five cups. Drink without sugar, but always with some dietary product. Here is a list of foods that will not ruin the weight loss effect:
- 100-150 g of low-fat cottage cheese (additionally replenishes calcium loss);
- vegetables: bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, greens (you can make a salad with olive oil);
- apples.
Let’s not forget: it is better to do without sugar, but additional fluid is simply necessary.
With instant coffee
For many, the process of preparing ground beans becomes an insurmountable obstacle for such a fasting day. Can you replace them with an instant version? Yes, especially if it is green coffee. Then all the useful properties for losing weight are fully preserved.
We choose a high-quality product with a high percentage of solids (at least 95%). A few notes:
- it is quickly absorbed, the effect is immediate;
- it is more harmful to the circulatory system, since much more coffee oil remains on the walls of blood vessels (possible increased blood pressure).
Despite the disadvantages, some people prefer this type of fasting day. The main thing is to observe moderation.
How to Avoid Harming Your Health
Before deciding on a coffee fasting day, it is important to familiarize yourself with the contraindications for such a diet.
These include:
- individual intolerance to caffeine;
- high blood pressure;
- arrhythmia;
- glaucoma;
- osteoporosis;
- stomach ulcer;
- breastfeeding and pregnancy;
- severe neurological disorders.
Remember, coffee is not just a drink. It is a strong tonic that has a profound effect on the human body. You do not have to give it up completely. Just avoid excessive consumption—one cup in the morning or afternoon is enough to give you a boost of energy. It is better to drink a couple of cups of coffee on a fasting day to lose weight than to suffer from indigestion.
