Weekday morning coffee is a missed opportunity for many people.
Coffee itself is a health beverage full of antioxidents, but most people ruin it with excess consumption (caffeine overload), added sugar, and fat.
Instead of doing this, you can turn it into a vessel for healthy ingredients you’d never otherwise consume (without sacrificing taste). And because it’s such a reliable morning staple, it becomes automatic.
Here’s how I do this.
My setup:
I use a ceramic coffee dripper (so I’m not pouring boiling water over plastic) and a self-heating “smart mug" called the Nextmug, which is an underrated life upgrade.
It’s one of those gadgets I didn’t think I needed, and now I can’t imagine going without it. Having your coffee stay warm at your preferred temperature all the time sounds small, but it makes a real difference when you’re sipping it throughout the morning.
My base:
My base is Four Sigmatic ground decaf mushroom coffee. Functional mushrooms aren’t something I’d ever include in my diet, but in coffee it’s easy and tastes just like regular coffee, not mushrooms.
The decaf part matters for me, too. Caffeine is a whole topic on its own, but long story short is I don’t like how I feel when I consume too much and I also don’t like feeling dependent on it, which happened when I was drinking 2-3 cups of regular coffee each morning.
These days, I don’t completely go out of my way to avoid caffeine, but I’d rather enjoy it in something like a Diet Coke instead of coffee.
My additions:
Instead of the usual sugar and cream, I add the following to my coffee:
- A few drops of liquid Stevia: My natural zero-calorie sweetener of choice
- 1 tsp local raw honey: Honey contains natural beneficial enzymes and antibacterial properties. I get this from my local farmer’s market (Gallberry is my favorite kind). A 12-ounce jar lasts me months.
- 5g creatine monohydrate: Creatine is one of the most well-researched supplements for building and maintaining muscle. It’s safe and effective for the vast majority of people. It’s also cheap, unflavored, and mixes well.
- 1 tsp Vanilla collagen peptides: I use the Vital Proteins Advanced formula with Hyaluronic Acid. It dissolves well in hot coffee, adds a little vanilla flavor, and provides skin and joint health benefits.
Conclusion:
Once everything is mixed, I just sip it throughout the morning while I’m working. It’s a truly enjoyable part of my morning. Always hot because of my special mug, and sweet enough to feel like a treat, but without the caffeine jitters, sugar spike, or excess calories.
If there’s one takeaway for you, it’s this:
Your morning coffee is low-hanging fruit for building a healthy habit.
If you’re already drinking coffee every day, you might as well make it actually good for you. Use it as a vessel for healthy ingredients instead of the opposite.
Use my recipe or get creative and build your own. Give it some time and you’ll notice a real difference in how you feel.