1. Caffeine and Weight Loss (secret
coffee smoothie recipe)
Bruce Krahn- www.ebodi.com
You are going to LOVE this!
Do you need caffeine to kick start your day? Many people do. In fact, caffeine is the most widely
addicted drug. Millions of people use it daily to help increase energy and focus.
I too fall into this category. While I wouldn’t consider myself to be “addicted” to caffeine I am
well aware of how effective it can be for increasing performance and losing body fat.
There have been three occasions in my life when I have dropped my body fat to below 6 percent
and each time I have used caffeine as part of my supplement arsenal. I discovered that 100 mg of
caffeine right before my workout increased my motivation to exercise, allowed me to exercise
with greater focus and intensity and lose more body fat along the way.
Caffeine Pre-Workout Assists in Fat Loss
Caffeine can assist your workout in many ways. Here are just a few of the benefits:
Caffeine mobilizes fat stores and stimulates your muscles to access fat instead of carbs for
energy
Caffeine increases exercise time to exhaustion
Caffeine can help relieve fatigue and increase endurance
I have found that using caffeine pre-workout helps me to lose more of the stubborn fat that
accumulates around my love handles- this is usually the most difficult spot for me to lose fat.
Pre Workout Only
2. For those folks who love to drop by Starbucks for some post workout re-fueling think again-
caffeine should only be use pre-workout- never post. The reason for this is two-fold:
1. Caffeine raises cortisol. Cortisol is a glucocorticoid and raises blood sugar. When you are
finished a workout the last thing you want to do is increase cortisol. In fact, this is the time when
you should be trying to lower blood sugar using proper post workout nutrition. Save the caffeine
for your pre-workout beverage instead.
2. Caffeine has a “glycogen sparing” effect. This means that caffeine will help your body use fat
for energy rather than stored glycogen- great for those who want to lose more fat.
(To find out what you should eat post workout please see my after workout shake article).
More Caffeine Benefits
Caffeine has even more benefits that extend beyond increasing performance and lowering your
body fat percentage. In a study of more than 600 men published in the August 2006 European
Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that coffee drinkers may be protected from age related
memory and cognitive problems. Another study, published in 2003 in the Journal of
Neurological Sciences, found that tea and coffee drinkers were protected from Parkinson’s
disease. Researchers found that those individuals who drank the most coffee (more than three
cups a day) were the least likely to get Parkinson’s. Personally I have found caffeine to also be
an excellent mood elevator.
Some Negatives About Caffeine
Before you rush out and down 10 cups of coffee listen up- caffeine is not without its side effects.
Caffeine can temporarily elevate blood pressure and heart rate but this effect is less pronounced
in those who consume caffeine on a regular basis. In addition, caffeine can induce blood sugar
fluctuations so keep this in mind if you have health issues related to blood sugar such as diabetes.
Caffeine may interact with certain medications so always check with your doctor before
introducing caffeine into your diet. Finally, when choosing your coffee always go with organic
as coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed crops.
My Favorite Coffee Smoothie
Now that you know a bit more about caffeine let’s talk about my favorite delivery system- the
coffee smoothie! This bad boy is just what you need to get you going in the morning. It has lots
of protein and a nice hit of caffeine plus it tastes fantastic. Here is a video I made that shows you
how to make it (visit theleanbody.com to see video):
Recipe:
1 cup water
1 cup ice
3. 1 teaspoon instant coffee
½ cup cottage cheese
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
½ teaspoon sugar free chocolate instant pudding mix
1 scoop chocolate whey protein
Mix all ingredients in a Magic Bullet or blender.
Nutritional Information (approximate): Calories: 250 Fat: 1.7 g Carbohydrate: 14g
Protein: 42g
Summary: Consuming 2-3 cups of coffee or 5-6 cups of green tea per day can actually hold
some health benefits for you (plus speed up your fat loss efforts). Caffeine is particularly
effective for fat loss when used on an empty stomach with cardio performed shortly thereafter.
The one caveat is to not load up your pre-workout coffee with too many calories by using sugar
or cream. The recipe I show in the video can be made to be relatively low calorie but if fat loss is
your goal I would simply stick to a cup of black, organic coffee and leave the fancy smoothie for
a day when you simply want a healthy, coffee treat!
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