You count calories like they’re going out of fashion. But when it comes to those sneaky additions that find their way into your daily diet, the thing at the top of the list might surprise you.
Coffee, which many sip absent-mindedly first thing in the morning, can in fact contain a huge number of calories, milk and sweeteners.
In the same way you can get a ‘beer belly’ from too much beer, dietitians are now warning against the dangers of too much coffee, or coffees laden with milk, sweeteners or chocolate – which can cause ‘coffee gut’.
Dietitian, Lyndi Cohen (pictured), revealed to FEMAIL how a ‘coffee gut’ can be caused by excessively milky coffees, too much sweetener or ordering the large size
While not all coffees are bad for you, Lyndi said the danger can be drinking multiple cups rather than stopping at one (stock image)
‘The biggest mistake people make with their coffees is ordering a supersized coffee when a regular order would do just fine – or drinking multiple cups,’ dietitian, Lyndi Cohen, revealed to FEMAIL.
‘If you’re bloating from your morning coffee, you may want to consider how much milk you’re adding to your cup of joe.’
Lyndi recommends ordering the smallest size coffee possible, which she said alone ‘would help you to lose 4.5 kilograms or ten pounds over the year’.
‘A small coffee with full cream milk has about the same amount of calories as a slice of bread whereas a supersized coffee with full cream milk is equivalent to having a sandwich in terms of calories,’ Lyndi explained.
‘The easiest way to get healthier – and prevent coffee gut – is to cut out the sugar from your coffee. This habit can re-train your taste buds and help to reduce sugar cravings.’
‘A small coffee with full cream milk has about the same amount of calories as a slice of bread whereas a supersized coffee with full cream milk is equivalent to having a sandwich in terms of calories,’ Lyndi said (stock image)
If you want to make your coffee order healthier, Lyndi (pictured) recommends opting for a small coffee, a Piccolo option or just drinking your coffee black
So how can you make your coffee healthier, should you want to, and what are the alternative options available to you if you need an energy hit?
Lyndi recommends opting for a small coffee, a Piccolo option or just drinking your coffee black.
‘Opt for your favourite herbal tea instead of getting multiple coffees a day,’ she explained.
‘Cut out sweeteners and sugars in your coffee. It’ll take several weeks to get used to the taste, but soon enough your tastebuds will adjust and you’ll have reset your taste for sweet coffees.
‘Even just one teaspoon of sugar in your coffee a day equates to 1.2kg or 2.6 pounds of sugar over a year!
‘Making this one simple change can have massive benefits for your health, cravings and skin.’
Lyndi (pictured) explained that while drinking coffee has many health benefits, you just need to make sure you’re not drinking too much of it, or filling it with the bad things
Alternatively, you could try something like a matcha latte, which could help you to get an energy boost – without reaching for a milky coffee.
‘A dusting of chocolate on top of your coffee isn’t going to have a massive impact on your waistline but having whipped cream on top will add up quickly,’ Lyndi explained.
‘Drinking coffee is linked to many health benefits including better concentration and alertness, endurance and strength at the gym and may even help you live longer.
‘You just need to make sure you’re doing it right.’
Bloating occurs when the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is filled with air or gas.
This can be caused by excessive dairy in the diet – and it may be a sign you’re lactose intolerant.
For more information about Lyndi Cohen, please visit her website here.