Is Coffee Good or Bad?

Whoa! The mailbag is overflowing with requests for fat loss help and questions about everyone's favorite morning drug delivery systems, coffee & tea... 

Q: Before I started Turbulence Training, my HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) was as low as 27. 5 weeks later I see that it's up to 40 now which is at the bottom of the "normal" range.  Does that mean it'll continue to go up as I continue to work out or does it plateau at some point?

Answer:
Yes, it will go up some more with a continued emphasis on intense training and proper eating (get healthy fats & avoid trans-fats like the plague)...you'll want to keep your HDL in the 40's for sure.

My HDL is 54, thanks to the good ol' TT lifestyle. 

Click HERE to see the rest of my blood work tests & find out what you should be measuring

To anyone that hasn't had their blood work done in 5 years, get to your doctor ASAP and find out your blood measurements.

Q: With regard to the stationary bike intervals you mention, what resistance do you use i.e. low for recovery and higher resistance and speed for the interval? Or low intensity and just increase the speed? 

Answer:
I've written many times that I believe the fast "spinning" methods used in spinning classes are ineffective and are, anecdotally at least, associated with more injuries from spin class.

Look at the hips of someone that is cycling at maniac speed...the hips are up and down and rotating in all directions...and I believe that this will lead to hip and low back pain with enough repetition.

Furthermore, the amount of mechanical work performed in moderate-RPM (80-100) with an increased resistance is probably much greater than the mechanical work performed with low resistance, high RPM pedaling.

You are putting a greater and more beneficial stress on the muscles and metabolism when you pedal against resistance...in the opposite case, there is a lot of momentum - and since we know that using momentum is not appropriate for body-sculpting strength training (while it might be for sport training, but that is a different story), than why would using a lot of momentum be good for interval cycling?

This goes for those dreaded elliptical machines as well...  

Q: I know you really like to encourage drinking Green Tea.   At the grocery store, there's literally a dozen or more types, many with added flavours and whatnot.  Do you have any preference of type and where to buy here in Ontario stores?

Answer:
Ideally, some loose leaf Green Tea - the real stuff - otherwise, any of the Green Tea's on the shelves should be fine. I know Celestial Seasonings came out as one of the top brands in an independent test (the test measured "polyphenol" content - that's what some of the healthy compounds are called in Green Tea).

The only exception is any brand of decaffeinated Green Tea that uses Ethyl Acetylation as the decaffeination method. Naturally decaffeinated Green Tea is acceptable.

I've never had a coffee in my life,

CB

PS - But what is the deal with coffee?

Well, I asked Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., Author of the Turbulence Training Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines...

CB: What is the latest research on coffee? Is it safe, is it healthy?

Dr. Mohr:
Black coffee does appear to actually have some powerful antioxidants.

In fact, a recent study from the University of Scranton showed that coffee is the #1 source of antioxidants in the American diet--likely because we drink so much, but still, there are antioxidants in there.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Beverage Guidelines suggest up to 400 mg (about 4 cups of coffee) or 8 cups of tea per day.

The problem is when black coffee becomes a Venti latte or something similar, which is made with about 2 cups of whole milk, loads of whip cream, and a lot of syrup and sweeteners. So the once fairly healthy coffee becomes nearly a 1000 calorie beverage.

I personally am a bigger fan of tea--black, green, or white, all have a million benefits.

CB: Thanks Chris! Please note: When he says 4 cups per day, he means actual cup sizes, NOT 4 supersized Starbucks coffees (or 4 Thermos'!).

I also asked Chris a bunch of other nutrition questions in the same interview on my Fat Loss Member's Site...

CB: Chris, what nutrition changes work best for sedentary, overweight individuals?

CB: What are your personal experiences with client compliance? Are most people "lying to themselves" about how well they eat?

CB: What is your opinion on when a client should focus on building muscle versus losing fat? Let's say a guy is 5'8", 160pounds, and 15% bodyfat. What should he focus on first, if his goal is 10% fat and ripped abs?

CB: Are there any negatives to consuming dairy products?

CB: What is the latest research on coffee? Is it safe, is it healthy?

CB: Is it unhealthy to eat nuts roasted in oil?

CB: And is it possible to eat too much fiber?

Read Dr. Mohr's answers here: TT Members.com