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Coffee Lovers Guide to Healthier Coffee Habits

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By. Dr. Elisha Cook ND

When it comes to coffee, some people are just down right passionate about it. Whether it is cold brew, hot brew, pre-ground or whole bean, there are some habits to consider to make this delectable beverage consumable in a healthier manner.

Habit 1: Always brew your coffee grounds through paper (i.e. filters).

            This may seem like an odd habit to adopt with coffee drinking, but, believe it or not, having your coffee grounds filtered through paper can make a large difference with the health effects of the drink. When coffee has been filtered through paper, it does not increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol, where as boiled coffee (such as through French press method) does increase LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels.

Habit 2: Increase your water intake to compensate for coffee.

            Coffee does not count towards your water intake. Many have been presented with the myth that coffee contributes to water intake, but what we have learned is that coffee can dehydrate. To balance out this effect, individuals should consider drinking 1 cup of water extra per 1 cup of coffee.

Habit 3: No coffee past 3:00pm.

            For some, coffee does not seem to have an influence on sleep patterns, but for many, caffeine can stay in your system quite some time, resulting in the potential to impair sleep. If you want to indulge in coffee, consider having it in the earlier hours in the day to allow adequate time for it to leave your system.

Habit 4: But first, water!

            It can be a force of habit to get up in the morning and go straight for coffee to get that energizing start, but we are missing a crucial first step: water. When we wake up in the morning, we have gone all night without water, and so, our body wakes up lacking. By starting with coffee, we end up putting our water start point even lower, potentially making it harder for our different systems and organs to function. By starting with water before your coffee, you might help your body to start on a better foot.

Habit 5: But first, food!

            I know what we just discussed above, but for those who do eat breakfast, it is important to make sure the fuel you get in your body is from food. By eating food first, we are better able to listen to the right amount our body needs to feel satiated. When individuals consume coffee before eating, it causes them to consume about 10 percent less at breakfast. This may sound like a good thing for some, but breakfast ultimately is the most influential meal of the day. If we do not get adequate amounts here, it can influence the rest of the day.

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in trying any of our services, working with any of our amazing practitioners, or are simply wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact the Plattsville Natural Health Clinic by calling 226-232-7665 and book your appointment today! 

Resources/ References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2029499/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180719085416.htm#:~:text=Summary%3A,participants’%20perceptions%20of%20their%20appetites.

Sneaky Ways to Increase Vegetable Intake

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By: Dr. Elisha Cook ND

Sneaking vegetables into the diet can be tricky for children and adults alike. For some, the texture of vegetables can be off-putting, and for others, frankly a flavour issue. Whatever your obstacle may be, there may be some surprising ways to increase your vegetable intake without altering the flavour of some of your classic dishes you have grown to love.

In this blog, we have provided not only a list of ways to increase your vegetable intake, but also some recipes to consider trying.

5 Sneaky Ways to Increase Vegetables:

  • Use them as a filler in ground meat recipes: whether it is zucchini, mushrooms, or onions, there are some great vegetables that you can finely chop or grate, and combine with ground meat for such meals as meat balls, meat loaf, or even hamburgers.
  • Apple sauce type pouches: Many stores carry convenient apple sauce pouches for grab on the go snacks. However, if you go to the baby section of your grocery store, you will see some pouches that have vegetables already incorporated. It may be a bit more costly, but if you need that convenience, it may be worth the investment. You can even consider making your own fruit and vegetable sauce and filling reusable pouches to fit your own flavour profile and reduce potential salt intake.
  • Smoothies: Smoothies are a classic and easy way to increase vegetable intake. You can consider using a greens powder to do this, or incorporate spinach into your smoothie. Generally, spinach does not alter the flavour of the smoothie, making it very easy to slip in unnoticed.
  • Oatmeal: A sneaky way to increase vegetable intake with oatmeal is to grate a carrot into it. This may seem strange, but think about it this way, do you enjoy carrot muffins? Likely, the oatmeal will remind you of that by adding in some pairings of apples, cinnamon, and maple syrup to your carrot and oatmeal combination.
  • Substituting vegetables for noodles: Whether it is spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles, you can consider using these as opposed to your classic wheat based noodles. Though it will not provide the same flavour, it will pack a nutritional punch!

Recipes to Increase Vegetable Intake:

Zucchini-Beef Burgers

These burgers are very moist and can be spiced up by adding cheese or other flavours that make your burger king of the grill.

Ingredients:

2 lbs of ground beef or chicken

½ cup grated zucchini

½ cup finely chopped spinach

1 cup of finely chopped mushrooms

¼ cup finely chopped scallions (approximately 1 large one)

2 tsp of Worschestershire sauce

Optional: ½ tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Shape into hamburger patties whether by hand or using a press, shaping them to your desired size. Throw them on the barbeque and cook until cooked all of the way through. Serve your hamburger patty as per your preference.

Apple-Cucumber Sauce

This recipe is super easy and requires minimal ingredients and supplies.

Ingredients:

6 cups of Apples cored, peeled and diced

2 cups of cucumbers pealed, seeds removed, and diced

¼ cup of water

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring half way through cooking. When the cooking time is done, mash well and serve as is.  If using in reusable pouches, place in a blender and blend until smooth consistency is reached.

This recipe is completely freezer safe. I generally fill 250ml jars and place in the freezer, pulling them as needed. If filling jars, make sure to leave ½ inch of space at the top to allow for expansion.

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in trying any of our services, working with any of our amazing practitioners, or are simply wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact the Plattsville Natural Health Clinic by calling 226-232-7665 and book your appointment today! 

The 12 Days of Giveaways 2023!

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It’s that time of year at PNHC. We are putting on another year of “The 12 days of Giveaways”. We invite you to participate in these draws whether you are a patient or not of the clinic. Please see below for the details and rules of our giveaways.

The 12 Days of Giveaways: Enter our Facebook contest for the 12 days of giveaways by finding Plattsville Natural Health Clinic (https://www.facebook.com/PlattsvilleNaturalHealthClinic/ ) on Facebook! We will be giving away a gift every day for 12 (Business) days starting Monday December 4, 2023, all you need to do is like the Facebook page, share the post of the day (It will be posted after 9:00am), and comment on the post. All three of these need to be done for a valid entry, and all steps need to be completed before 9:00pm that day.

The dates for this contest are as follows: December 4-8, 2022; December 11-15, 2022; and December 18-19, 2023.

Please note that you must be a resident of Ontario Canada, residing between London Ontario and Guelph Ontario. The winner for the day will be announced at 9:30pm on our Facebook page. It is contestants responsibility to check back to our Facebook page to see if they have one. You must be able to claim your prize by coming directly to Plattsville Natural Health Clinic to pick it up within 3 days of being notified that you have won. You need to contact the clinic regarding your win to confirm that you accept the draw prize. If you do not contact us within 24 hours of being notified of your win, the draw prize will be given to a subsequent winner. The prize is also not transferable or redeemable for the cash equivalent. This contest is not affiliated with Facebook, but is using Facebook as a platform to hold the contest only.

Thank you for the support over this last year and we look forward to providing alternative health care to the Plattsville and surrounding areas for years to come.

From all of us at Plattsville Natural Health Clinic, we want to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Welcome to our new RMT Joshua Morrison!

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We are so excited to welcome Joshua Morrison RMT, PTS, PN1,CMP, CR to the Plattsville Natural Health Clinic (PNHC) team! Josh will be available for all of your massage therapy needs Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am to 3pm. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge in the sports medicine and workplace injury world, with a background heavily influenced in physiotherapy. He also has a keen interest in and a desire to solve complex pain cases.

If you are ready to try registered massage therapy with Josh, email, call or text today to book your appointment! For a more detailed history of Josh’s knowledge base, see his bio below.

Josh Morrison RMT, PTS, PN1, CMP, CR Bio

Josh’s passion for helping individuals pursue better functioning bodies in the athletic and work environment began with his own experiences and struggles in these areas. Having been a New Balance team member, Josh competed in high performance distance running and elite athletic training. Additionally, repetitive factory piece work and long office hours have given Josh first hand knowledge to both the physical demands, as well as the benefits of massage and remedial exercise. These experiences, and his keen interest in the sports field, drove Josh to pursue education in these areas.

In the spring of 2015 Josh completed his schooling for Myomassology and Reflexology, and in the fall of 2016 he completed his schooling to become a personal trainer. He became, and still remains, a member of the Natural Health Practitioners of Canada.

With this training, Josh entered into client care, assisting patients in return to play and work through remedial exercise instruction, in collaboration and under the care of a physiotherapist. Josh further developed his passion by receiving certification as a Rehab U athletic prehab/rehab specialist, YTS Body Weight Training and Exercise Therapy Foot Programming Specialist, and orthopedic massage specialist (for the shoulder, foot and ankle, hip and pelvis, knee, forearm and hand).

Wanting to advance in this field, Josh went on to study massage therapy. In 2023, Josh became a Registered Massage Therapist registered with the CMTO.

Whether it be an athletic lifestyle, work or just day to day life activities, Josh strives to help patients achieve pain relief and have a better functioning body.  Josh finds it very rewarding to be part of his client’s path leading to health and healing.  .   

When he is not with patients, Josh loves to spend time with his family, exploring the outdoors, hiking, backcountry camping, fishing, rocking out to music, playing guitar, or just looking for critters!