Are you thinking Megan, seriously? Do I have to detox my coffee routine? I love my coffee, it is a part of my daily existence. Yes, we do need to talk about that! If you do it everyday (or multiple cups a day) then it needs to be toxin-free.

5 Simple Steps to Detox Your Coffee Routine, Go Green, And Save Money

I’ll be honest, I absolutely love coffee. I love the bitter flavor and the warmth and everything about it. I have been drinking it since I was probably in high school. When I first started, I definitely loved sweetened coffee drinks. But now I have gotten rid of all that milk and sugar, which isn't great. I mostly drink it black and I still love it. 

However, I do go through periods of quitting coffee because I don't think my body likes it. Even if I have it just in the morning I go through bouts of waking up in the middle of the night not being able to sleep. It is hard man, it is hard to quit that coffee! But it really can be a good idea to quit it. So I'm not faulting you for drinking coffee, because I love it myself. But I'm just being open and honest that I have had to quit it before. And when I did quit it, it did help me sleep better. Right now, I've gone back drinking coffee pretty much every day, so I want to make sure that I’m being as healthy and eco-friendly as possible with this daily habit.

Let’s get to the 5 steps to revamp your coffee routine!

1. Ditch the K pods- those pods are definitely not good for the environment. Most of those little k pods are going into landfills and hanging around for 100’s if not thousands of years. It's also not great for your health. The hot water squirting first through the foil, then the coffee, then through the plastic. All of those different elements within those k pods are an opportunity for the toxins within the aluminum, coffee, and the plastic to get into your coffee. You end up drinking those toxins. , and then you end up drinking it. Even the reusable pods are made of plastic and hot water and plastic don’t mix when it comes to your health. 

2. How are you making your coffee?- Are the elements of your coffee maker made of plastic? If so, you need to make a switch. We know it’s important  to minimize the use of plastic and heat. The hot water going through the plastic container that is holding the coffee is another opportunity for toxins from the plastic to be leaching into your coffee. The healthiest way that I know of to make coffee is to do a drip system (Chemex) or a french press. So you'd want to use a French press that's either made out of glass or stainless steel. Or you can use a pour over type coffeemaker like a Chemex. Anytime you use a filter you want to make sure you choose one that is made with organic materials and aren't bleached white, because again, those chemicals that are bleaching the filter can actually leach into your coffee. 

3. What are you putting in your coffee?- Are you using milk? Are you using sweetener? Are you one of those people that is toxin-free in every other part of your life but you're still holding on to your delicious (and chemical laden) creamer? I truly feel like those creamers are addictive in their own right, even the most natural ones on the market (PS they’re not usually  “natural” at all). There's something about that sweet chemical goodness that so many people get addicted to. Your brain not only craves the caffeine, but also that morning sugar rush. You know I said earlier that I used to love my sweet coffees and now I drink it black or with a little oat milk. Well I didn't just go straight to black coffee. You can slowly wean yourself off of whatever creamer or sugary syrup you’re addicted to. I know, I’ve done it myself.  So if you're still wanting to use some kind of creamer, I recommend the Nutpod brand which is a lot healthier than your traditional creamers. When it comes to the milk, you really want to make sure that if you drink cow's milk, that you're choosing organic. If you are choosing some sort of alternative milk, just think about the milk and the process that it is used to create it. Ask yourself, is it manufactured in a way that is good for the environment and also good for my health?

4. Detox your mug- So if you are a Starbucks lover or you are a to-go coffee lover and you have a place where you get your coffee every morning, really start thinking about that cup.  If it’s not a reusable mug, or cup, what's your daily coffee habit doing to the environment… and also… what's it doing to you? For example, a typical to-go coffee cup is made of paper board and it has wax on the inside. A lot of people think that those are compostable or recyclable but I really question whether that lining is really made of. Is it really compostable? Then consider the plastic lid. When you drink hot coffee through a disposable cup, what’s in the lining? Is it melting into your coffee? What about the plastic lid? Is that BPA free? You're drinking hot coffee through the lid. Is that an opportunity for toxins to get into your coffee? Yes, it is. So detox that coffee container routine by bringing a reusable stainless steel mug for a refill. Also, if you're drinking out of mugs at home, you might be surprised to learn that many mugs often have lead in them. Can you believe that? I just think that's crazy. I have an episode about heavy metals that you should definitely check out. If you are curious about your coffee cups at home, maybe your favorite mug that you use every single day, I recommend you check out  Lead Safe Mama and see if she’s tested your favorite mug for lead. She has a website full of helpful articles about what stuff is safe and what is not and what kind of ceramics potentially have lead and other toxins in them.

5. Don’t forget about what’s IN the cup- Toxins often make their way into our coffee in the way that the beans are grown. They are often sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and chemical fertilizers. There's so many opportunities for the coffee to get those toxins in it before it even makes it to your cup. Also, there's often toxins in the coffee roasting process. So you need to find a roaster that really has a non-toxic process. Then, think about the way that the coffee beans are stored, is it in plastic? Is it in a paper container? If you were being as green as possible, you would take your glass container to the store and fill it up with your beans. That's not always something that’s offered in your area, but you can find place that use paper packaging. If you have a brand that you absolutely love, I would just do a little digging. Look at their website and see if they are organic and look at the processes of how they create and grow their coffee beans, how they roast them, and the packaging and really decide for yourself is my coffee as green and as healthy as you want it to be. 

So that's pretty simple. Right? Those are the five simple steps to detox your coffee routine. Please tell me what’s one thing you’re going to change to detox your coffee routine?