Haven't you also given up on big holiday binges? Do you feel a little bloated and guilty about eating too many calories? It's impossible to resist a toast and that extra sweet in company, even for the most virtuous of the calorie count.
Let's face it, during these festive days we have indulged in some excesses and the surplus of calories ingested has (inevitably) increased our waistline.
Between dinners, endless desserts, fun evenings and a few too many drinks - not to mention the gym which is rightly neglected in this historical period - it is normal to feel a little overwhelmed. But this feeling can be remedied without the need for deprivation or drastic diets: you simply need to adopt some sensible measures to stay lighter and feel better.
After the great Christmas binges based on pandoro and panettone or the New Year spent eating cotechino and lentils, the time has come to deal with the scales. First of all, you shouldn't be too strict with yourself , in fact getting on the scale after a few days after the holidays is not a good idea. Putting on a few extra pounds is also quite normal, the important thing is to start a diet after the holidays that is balanced and sensible. The concept of diet is often distorted in the common imagination and is seen as a sort of fasting, altering the metabolism.
In this regard, our beloved coffee comes to the rescue!!
In fact, a cup of bitter coffee has only 3 calories, is a very powerful fat burner and does not provide other substances to the body. Its secret is caffeine which, if taken in the right doses, reactivates the metabolism . Numerous scientific studies have in fact shown that this substance, if taken at the end of a meal, prevents the deposit of lipids and the formation of fat deposits, helping to eliminate excess kilos. Basically finishing every meal with this drink is the best way to lose weight.
Not only that: coffee also helps block the feeling of hunger , making the diet easier, especially for those who want to cut calories a lot. How to make coffee your best ally in the fight to lose weight? First you must consume it in the morning and after each meal, in order to activate your metabolism . Remember to never add sugar, because it eliminates its slimming power, experts instead recommend a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Be careful though, coffee should always be consumed in the right doses, to avoid unpleasant side effects. In fact, caffeine, in addition to being an ally of the diet, can be addictive, causing palpitations, headaches, stomach problems, anxiety attacks and nervousness. Better to drink a maximum of 4 cups a day, always without sugar.
How does the coffee diet work?
We start in the morning with a glass of still water , followed by a cup of bitter coffee. Then enjoy a seasonal fruit and two biscuits with a veil of honey. For lunch, opt for brown rice with courgettes and carrots, accompanied by grilled vegetables seasoned with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and herbs. For dinner , bring to the table a sea bream baked in foil with a side dish of steamed vegetables. Conclude each meal with a cup of bitter coffee, while as a snack choose almonds, walnuts or a seasonal fruit.
Caffeine burns fat: the scientific explanations on the matter
The relationship between coffee and body fat exists, and is demonstrated by various studies on the subject.
As we will see, we cannot say with certainty that caffeine "burns" excess fat: what this substance does is slow down the proliferation of the fat itself, and stimulate the production of "brown fat" which, unlike "white fat" , does not increase triglycerides, and therefore does not make you fat.
The first study that provides us with a scientific explanation on the subject was carried out by the University of Illinois in 2019, published in the Journal of Functional Food, and was conducted on a group of mice.
The researchers made the animals follow a very specific diet, and some of them were also given caffeine: the mice that "drank the coffee" gained 16% less weight and accumulated 22% less fat body compared to those who took the decaffeinated product.
From this result it emerged that caffeine slows down the production of triglycerides and therefore helps to avoid accumulating excess fat.
Another study was also developed in 2019 by the University of Nottingham and concerns the differences between "white fat" and "brown fat". The first is fat which we can define as harmful because it is loaded with triglycerides, present in the body in greater quantities, and which replicates quickly; the second is the "good" fat, which allows you to protect yourself from the cold and therefore defend the body from external agents and which is present in the body in smaller quantities. A greater presence of brown fat allows white fat to proliferate less: the study cited has shown that some foods, including coffee, stimulate the production of this "good" fat.
Coffee and training
As we know, regular nutrition is not enough to lose weight, you need to combine your diet with a good dose of physical exercise. In this regard, let's find out how to combine coffee intake with a good workout.
Drinking coffee becomes a real energy recharge even before training. Indeed, it would be more correct to say especially before training: sipping a dark and steaming cup for example before a run, a session in the gym or before any type of exercise helps to have more energy, to get tired less and to tolerate fatigue more long.
Furthermore, precisely as regards weight loss, the combination of sport + caffeine is the best thing you can do to obtain the desired results, maintain perfect physical shape once achieved and above all stay healthy. But you can also find the properties of coffee and its constituent alkaloid, caffeine, after training. That's right: a cup of steaming dark drink after doing sport replenishes lost mineral salts and restores glycogen percentages , thus contributing to complete energy recovery. A marvel of a drink.
Suggestion
Blends containing a greater quantity of caffeine help speed up the metabolism, for this reason we recommend selecting coffee blends with a prevalence of ROBUSTA.
Robusta is characterized, right from its name, by a more massive dose of caffeine: almost double that of Arabica.
In the Buongiorno range, the blend that fits this description is Sublime Rosso . Made from 80% Robusta, with a strong flavour, with a long persistence of toasted dried fruit (bitter almond) and dark chocolate accompanied by a persistent cream.
Research conducted by the Life Science Institute at the University of Michigan has shown that cinnamon in coffee has very positive effects on the diet . Cinnamon in coffee, in fact, speeds up the metabolism and guarantees faster and longer lasting weight loss . Furthermore, according to researchers, cinnamon helps to avoid a sudden increase in blood sugar levels and thus avoids feeling hungry shortly after breakfast. The researchers, in fact, after treating samples of human fat cells with cinnamic aldehyde, which is the substance that gives cinnamon its flavor and smell, saw that the cells burn excess fat instead of storing it .
The cinnamon in coffee might also slow the rate at which your stomach empties after a meal. Research on how and to what extent cinnamon added to coffee can impact the loss and maintenance of body weight is still very long. Of course, putting a sprinkle of cinnamon on your coffee certainly won't do any harm.
As much as these studies may encourage caffeine lovers, aware of the beneficial properties it brings, it is essential to know that massive coffee intake is not to be considered an aid to losing weight.
Those who really want to better control their health and body weight, carrying out a slimming diet if necessary, must refer to professionals in the sector - doctor, dietician, nutritionist - eat healthy and balanced foods and do sport regularly.
However, coffee remains one of life's great pleasures, and should always be taken in the correct quantities.
We at Caffè Buongiorno are at your side also during this period of the year and we offer you a delicious fat-burning coffee in every format , grains , 100% compostable pods ,ground coffee , compatible capsules A Modo Mio , Dolce Gusto , Nespresso , Lavazza Point and americanfilter .
If you liked this article, don't miss other curiosities about coffee.