Anyone that knows me, knows I simply adore my morning coffee. It’s the one thing I look forward to most when hopping out of bed!
Sticking to the one-coffee-a-day rule, I always make sure it tastes the best it possibly can, so it’s fair to say I’ve tried, tasted and tested plenty of coffee recipes in a bid to find ‘the one’. THIS recipe is by far my favourite yet and it actually holds a number of health benefits too (hoorah)!
I only ever have one coffee a day which is always in the morning between 8:00am – 10:00am (depending on whether it’s a weekday or weekend) and never in the afternoon (purely because I’ve had sleep issues in the past – sleep blog post coming soon. Plus more than one can often trigger sugar cravings).
I make my coffee with almond milk or brown rice milk, depending on which one I have in my fridge at the time and my fav brand for this recipe is Rude Health.
The secret ingredient I’ve been adding into my morning coffee lately is coconut oil! It might sound a little strange and you probably wouldn’t pair them together usually, however trust me - it really works! Blending coconut oil into coffee creates a thick, creamy latte texture (and we haven’t even added the milk at this point).
Benefits of Coconut Oil:
Most people get a little scared when it comes to eating coconut oil and often say ‘… but it’s so high in fat’. On face value, yes it is high in fat, 90% saturated fat to be to exact, however it is a healthy fat (what does that mean..? See below for more details) and when eaten in moderation it can actually help BURN fat, as well as leaving you feeling fuller for longer, increasing energy levels and assisting with glowing hair and skin. Several studies have shown that just by adding coconut oil into your diet, you can actually lose fat especially the dangerous, stubborn fat around the abdominals.
Although I don’t tend to focus on weight loss as such, it’s always a winner when your delicious morning drink can contribute to losing a pound or two (especially as summer season is nearing – wooo).
Good fat vs Bad fat:
In short and in unscientific terms, we have the bad fat (trans fats) that you find in processed food, fried food and takeaways which can clog arteries and raise LDL “bad” cholesterol levels and the good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) that you find in nuts, seeds, avocados, oily fish, unrefined oils etc.
Despite coconut oil being largely made up of saturated fat, which if overconsumed can raise “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, interestingly the type of saturated fat in the coco oil can actually do the opposite and boost the “good” cholesterol levels.
According to one study “saturated fat is divided into various types, based on the number of carbon atoms in the molecule, and about half of the saturated fat in coconut oil is the 12-carbon variety, called lauric acid. That is a higher percentage than in most other oils, and is probably responsible for the unusual HDL effects (i.e increase of good cholesterol) found in coconut oil”.
That being said, eating a whole jar of coconut oil in one day will not favour you, so sticking to moderation (approx 1-2 tbsp a day) is key. 😀
I also love lathering it over my skin after a warm bath to get that lil bubba soft skin feel.
Ingredients:
1 shot of Coffee
2 tbsp organic, virgin coconut oil
¼ mug of almond milk – optional
N.B: If you like your coffee sweet, add 1 tbsp honey
Equipment:
Blender / nutri-bullet
Coffee machine (will also work with a cafetière or instant coffee)
Milk frother – optional (I love my milk frother to create a frothy lattee but it still taste just as good without one)
Method:
With coffee machine: Make coffee to usual strength.
Without coffee machine: Make your coffee as per usual (cafetieres or instant)
Add coffee shot and coconut oil (plus honey if using) into the blend and blend until combined.
Meanwhile, froth milk (if using a frother) or just add milk at the end.
Add blended coffee into a mug, followed by milk and enjoy!
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