At times, drinking coffee can get a bad rap particularly if too many cups a day are consumed.
But Jo Woods loves nothing better than to start her day with a cup of rich, aromatic coffee – provided that it’s organic, of course!
Jo is famous for her support of all things organically grown and produced, it is also the reason she founded her organic fragrance and beauty range.
Organically grown coffee is free of pesticides and chemical residues, prompting coffee lovers like Jo to say it has a fuller, richer flavour than conventionally grown coffee.
“The antioxidants found in organic coffee beans are a healthy bonus” says Jo. “But, even a health-boosting cup of organic coffee can be made unhealthy by adding bad ingredients” she says.
So here are Jo’s top tips to enhance your cup of coffee whilst making it even more nutritious:
- Use paper coffee filters as these capture any potential impurities .
- Why not add one or two teaspoons of organic, unsweetened cocoa powder to make your cuppa even more delicious? Cocoa in coffee helps to satisfy chocolate cravings, advances antioxidants already present in coffee and reduces the risk of heart disease.
- Spice up your cup of steaming coffee with cinnamon. Over and above tasting fantastic, cinnamon lowers cholesterol and helps regulate blood sugar levels for people with diabetes. Yum!
- If you need a sweet taste, use only aspartame-free, natural sweeteners. Sugar, whether white or brown and artificial sweeteners should never make contact with coffee! Stevia is a better option. Jo loves to add a teaspoon of Yucon syrup.
- Cut out dairy milk and cream as well as artificial coffee creamers which use artificial colours as well as added sugar and sodium – really bad for you!
- Another no-no are the syrups which are loaded with sugar. Avoid!
- Coconut oil gets a yes – add a generous teaspoon full for a brain and heart function boost.
- Try butter coffee which contains small amounts of health boosting MCT. Not too much though, the calorie count is quite high.
Jo’s absolute favourite cup of coffee is an organic espresso to which she adds a half-teaspoon of Maca powder which is known to balance hormones and provide an energy boost.