Coffee is the most popular and arguably the most addictive beverage in the world, with more than 400 billion cups consumed each year. Americans drink a whopping 450 million cups a day. I really enjoy the taste and buzz I get from coffee and being a health enthusiast, I’m always looking for ways to maximize the health benefits of my coffee consumption.
I reached out to some of my favourite health experts to find out what type of coffee they use, and their tips on how to make my coffee healthier. Get ready to drink up and enjoy!
Paul Gagné
Posturologist, somatherapist, strength and conditioning specialist, and co-founder of Desmotec Training Systems (DTS)
Paul’s Choice of Coffee – The Brazilian Peaberry is great for cold brew and also makes a great espresso.
Paul’s Coffee Optimization Tip – I have my own coffee roaster. I have been roasting my organic coffee beans for the last 10 years. This is the best way to maximize the antioxidant content of the coffee. Coffee beans lose their nutrient value within a week and it is important to have access to fresh roasted coffee beans on a daily basis.
Larry Vinette
Professional athlete at IFBB Professional League and coach at Pro Gym
Larry Choice of Coffee – the King by OrganoGold This coffee was introduced to me by one of my mentors, Dr. Rob Rakowski. It contains the spores of the incredible mushroom called ganoderma, which is classified as a superfood with many health benefits.
Larry’s Coffee Optimization Tip – Choose a coffee that has the spores and is organic, since coffee beans are something that are highly sprayed with pesticides and herbicides.
Dr. Joel Seedman
Performance and fitness expert at advanced human performance
Joel’s Choice of Coffee – I’m not much of a coffee drinker but based on research we know it has a plethora of health benefits as well as potentially helping increase neural drive, strength, and performance during workouts.
Joel’s Coffee Optimization Tip – Don’t over do it. I typically recommend having no more than two cups per day to maximize the health and performance benefits of coffee while eliminating any chance of possible issues associated with excessive caffeine use.
John Paul Catanzaro
is one of the premier trainers in Canada. John Paul, has appeared in countess fitness publications and is my personal fitness guru.
John Paul’s Choice of Coffee – I drink primarily espresso. My two favorite brands are Kicking Horse (I use this for the stovetop espresso coffee that I have every morning with breakfast) and Ethical Bean (I use this one in my machine for the coffee I have after lunch and sometimes after dinner).
John Paul’s Coffee Optimization Tip – Taking boron and adding some organic cinnamon to the grounds are two tips with the stovetop version of my coffee, which I usually have with a handful of nuts.
Shane McLean
– Head writer at Balance Guy Training
Shane’s Coffee of Choice – Living in the south, my favorite coffee is Community Coffee. The different flavors of coffee satisfy my sweet tooth without adding sugar and calories to my diet.
Shane’s Coffee Optimization Tip – I’m a big believer in not adding calories to my coffee. Drinking it without adding sugar and milk allows me to enjoy the coffee and caffeine better. Plus, drinking it 30 to 60 minutes before training gives me the energy to attack my training with vigor and alertness.
Will Brink
– Health and fitness writer for over two decades at Muscle Media, MuscleMag International and Muscle and Fitness
Will’s Coffee of Choice – https://theroasterie.com/about/
Will’s Coffee Optimization Tip – Will has many great tips but one that resonated with me is adding a natural cocoa powder that has not been Dutch processed or alkalized. Will also recommends adding L-Tyrosine, a nootropic and cognitive enhancer that balances out the possible jitters you may get from a caffeine packed cup of coffee. You can get Will’s full “bomb proof recipe” here.
Johnny Olsen
– Owner, Johnny O’s Gymnasium, Boca Raton
Johnny’s Coffee of Choice – Johnny is a major coffee connoisseur having made over 75,000 cups of coffee. His brand of choice is a roasting company by the name of Caffé D’arte. According to Johnny, “They are not your usual coffee roasters. If you want to be a vendor of their coffee you must go through a strict training procedure and you are taught about the 24 second pour. No more and no less than 24 seconds gives you the perfect coffee.”
Johnny’s Coffee Optimization Tip – The benefits of coffee are very overlooked in my opinion. Not only does it supply you with great energy but it also helps with thinking more clearly and can help protect you from Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as from Type 2 diabetes. I enjoy my coffee every day and don’t over do it. This way I always continue to have the same enjoyment from it every morning.
Igor Klibanov
– author of five books on exercise and nutrition, including Stop Exercising!
Igor’s Coffee of Choice – He admits that he is not a coffee aficionado so he doesn’t have a favourite.
Igor’s Coffee Optimization Chip – If you’re a slow metabolizer, to maximize the health effects of coffee, don’t drink it 🙂 Switch to decaf.
If you’re a fast metabolizer, only drink coffee one or two times per week. The more you expose yourself to something, the less effective it is. When a 20-year smoker has their first cigarette, it has a huge effect. By the time they’ve been smoking for 20 years, they probably need a pack a day to get the same effect as one cigarette did 20 years earlier.
Igor gets into a lot more details here.
Kareem Rawlings
– Owner at GoodFITT Personal Training and Wellness Services
Kareem’s Coffee of Choice – I don’t have a favourite brand of coffee. I’ve only become a fan in the last year or so using it as fuel for my early morning runs. I wish I was more of an expert!
Kareem’s Coffee Optimization Chip – I prefer to drink it black after drinking water in the morning. The key is to use it as soon as it’s available in your system, so the earlier the better!
Marc Lebert
– Owner of Lebert Fitness
fat metabolization which is just a bonus because I would drink it anyways before a workout!
Derrick Samuel
– Transformation coach at QuikTrain
Derrick’s Coffee Optimization Tip – Caffeine is an antioxidant so it can help free radical damage which ages your tissues skin, ligaments tendons etc. It’s a nootropics so it boosts cognitive function, memory recall and alert fullness. It also boosts energy and increases pain threshold. It should be cycled, consistent use leads to higher tolerance and lower positive effects.
