Is a cup of coffee healthier than a cinnamon scroll? Depending on what you order, you could be consuming the same number of calories as a pastry. Dietitian and Course Coordinator for the Graduate Certificate in Diabetes Education and Management, Dr Emily Burch, spoke on the SCU Buzz podcast about the benefits and cons of a cup of joe.
"The health impacts of coffee depend on how much you're drinking and how you have your coffee," Dr Burch said. While coffee may be rich in antioxidants, which protects cells from damage and can reduce some risk of chronic diseases, Dr Burch said these benefits are lost if not paired with a healthy lifestyle.
"You need to be exercising and eating well to reap those benefits. The other important thing is to be mindful of how you have your coffee," she said.
"Are you having a large white chocolate mocha or an iced coffee from the petrol station? Those sorts of drinks are laden with sugars, additives and flavourings that aren't great for us.
"Drinking a lot of milk or milk-based alternatives can also contribute really quickly to your daily energy intake. A large latte with full cream milk has the same energy or calories as a croissant or cinnamon scroll."
But it's not all bad news. According to Dr Burch, moderation is key: "Coffee is healthy if you're having one or two small cups a day and not including any of those additives or sugars."
Hacking your health
Nutrition is one of the most important factors in your overall health, according to Dr Burch.
"It's one of the top three modifiable risk factors that can help prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease," she said.
"Eating healthy is really simple. It comes down to the basic premise of eating more of foods that grow on trees or in the ground. If it comes pre-packaged in a box or has a long ingredient list, then it's best to avoid those foods as much as you can."
"We need to be focusing on unprocessed whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, lean meats and meat alternatives such as beans, nuts, lentils and legumes."
"If you base your meals on those foods, you will have a healthy diet."
