1 Drinking coffee instead of eating breakfast.
Many say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so of course, replacing it with coffee can’t be good for your overall health.
According to Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CEO of NY Nutrition Group, author of The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan, “skipping this prime meal time can lead to a less nutritious diet,” specifically, one that goes against healthy aging. And according to various research studies, skipping breakfast and just drinking coffee can lead to some serious health complications as well.
Instead of skipping breakfast and going straight to coffee, Moskovitz suggests going for “a breakfast consisting of fresh fruit, whole grains, and nuts or seeds.”
2 Taking your coffee light and extra sweet.
If you’re not about drinking your coffee black and would rather add in creamers and sweeteners, fair warning: it could affect your health, depending on how much you add.
“Moderate amounts of sugar in your diet is okay, but going overboard with sugar packets every time you need a pick-me-up may stack up over time,” says Moskovitz.
Specifically, as you age, you could be looking at a major increase in blood sugar, inflammation, and many other health conditions.
3 Drinking coffee instead of water.
Remembering to drink water is a habit that many often forget, but when you’re drinking lots of coffee, it can be a recipe for dehydration and disaster when it comes to your overall health.
According to Moskovitz, forgetting to chase your caffeine with water, “can lead to dehydration that can negatively impact your skin, digestion, energy levels, nutrient absorption, and even joints.”
4 Drinking coffee throughout the day—and night.
According to Moskovitz, “caffeine is a stimulant that, when consumed too close to bedtime, will disrupt adequate rest. Poor sleep can wreak havoc on recovery, immune system, mood, energy, metabolism, and everything in between.”
According to a UCLA study published in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, one night of inadequate sleep can age your cells quicker, which can contribute to age-related diseases over time.
5 Using artificial sweeteners.
According to Moskovitz, “not only are [artificial sweeteners] nutritionally void, but non-nutritive sweeteners such as sucralose and aspartame can harm insulin levels and gut health, which influences all vital pathways in the body, and lead you to crave more sweets in general throughout the day.”
