Life Fit with Laura Lewis: Perk Up Your Weight Loss Plan

Being Life Fit is about your total health, including the health of all of your relationships. Life Fit is a journey, not a destination. It is a process of continuous growth: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Check in each Tuesday to Life Fit with Laura Lewis, author of "52 Ways To A Healthy You," as we explore our total life fitness. Then, weigh in with your own thoughts over at Laura's "Life Fit Chat" each Wednesday and Thursday for further discussion on the week's topic. Or check out "Ask Laura" every Friday for answers! For more information visit Laura at www.LauraLewis.com.

Coffee is a ritual ... a morning ceremony. The smell of coffee first thing in the morning, the sound of it percolating on my stovetop espresso maker, the warmth of the first sip -- coffee is a simple joy in my life that brings a sense of contentment to the start of each day. And for those of us who love our coffee, I offer you good news ... coffee not only has health benefits, but can also contribute a perk to a weight loss plan.

Health Benefits. Coffee can lower your risk of developing diabetes, Parkinson's disease, liver disease, and cancer. Coffee can perk up your mood (don't even talk to me before I have my morning cup!), treat headaches, and lower your risk of cavities (who knew!?). And, coffee is a leading source of antioxidants. As a matter of fact, Dr. Joe A. Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, found that the average American adult consumes 1,299 milligrams if antioxidants daily from coffee.

Weight Loss. A 2006 study in BioMed Central Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that green coffee beans actually promote weight loss. The discovery mirrors earlier research on green tea, which was found to slightly increase metabolism and to speed up the body's ability to burn fat. Green coffee beans appear to have a more potent effect than green tea. Hiroshi Shimoda, the lead author of the study, discovered that people who consume 2.2 pounds per day of food containing .35 ounces of green coffee bean extract for 14 days could suppress their body weight by as much as 35 percent. Caffeine increases fat lipolysis -- an action that increases free fatty acid utilization. Free fatty acids are an important source of fuel for many tissues because they can yield large quantities of energy.

• Do not consume more than two cups of coffee daily.
• Drink coffee with food to avoid elevating cortisol and blood sugar.
• Drink organic coffee, and buy Fair Trade when possible.
• Always drink fresh ground coffee in order to get the highest dose antioxidants.

Too Much Of A Good Thing. Don't get carried away with your coffee consumption. You can have too much of a good thing. Caffeine, coffee's main ingredient, is a mild addictive stimulant. And coffee does have modest cardiovascular effects such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and occasional irregular heartbeat that should be considered. But, the negative effects of coffee tends to emerge in excessive drinking so it is best to avoid heavy consumption.

Action Tips

• Invest in a good coffee pot. I prefer the stovetop espresso maker by Bialetti.
• Get the best flavor by grinding your beans fresh each day.
• Be smart about what you add to your coffee. If you don't prefer your coffee black, add non-fat or soy milk with a natural sweetener such as stevia.

Perk up your mood, your health and your weight loss program with coffee.