Coffee On An Empty Stomach?

A friend of mine, who is an avid coffee drinker, recently wrote me asking:

"What are the effects of having a coffee or latte on an empty stomach? How bad is it?" -L.H.

One of the major reasons that people consume coffee beverages for is the jolt of caffeine. However, caffeine is a stimulant and therefore tends to increase the motility of our G.I. tracts (this can be why people may have to make frequent bathroom trips after a cup or two!). Coffee and tea should also be avoided for those individuals suffering from G.I. ulcers as coffee and tea are acidic and can easily aggravate an already painful ulcer. Latte's would have the same effect as coffee, but perhaps less as lattes usually contain less coffee and more foam and cream. Another reason that coffee may upset someone's stomach is if the person is lactose intolerant at any level and has added milk or cream to their coffee. So while coffee isn't harmful for your stomach or intestinal tract without any food in it, for those with sensitive stomachs and bowels, you may find you get less cramped and bloated if you drink your coffee with a meal.

All that being said, enjoy your coffee, but don't forget your body still needs about 8-12 cups of water everyday and coffee has the ability to displace fluids by acting as a diuretic. Make sure if you are going to enjoy a cup or two of coffee, try to balance it out with a cup or two of water to meet your body's H₂O needs!

A Tale of 2 Fibres

How many foods can you name right now that are good sources of fibre? Whole grains, lentils, oats, rye flour, avocados, soybeans, lemons...and wait, did I just say avocados? And soybeans and lemons? I certainly did. You might find it surprising that the last three foods are good sources of fibre! In fact, when most people are asked to think of fibre sources, grain products are usually the first and only to come to mind. What you might also find surprising, is that there are actually TWO kinds of fibre in our foods!

That's right, what we normally call 'fibre' is actually broken down into 'soluble fibre' and insoluble fibre'. Soluble fibre forms a gel in our G.I. tract and is then digested by bacteria in our colon. Soluble fibres are beneficial for their possible roles in lowering blood cholesterol and protecting against heart disease and diabetes. ¹ Foods high in soluble fibres include oats, barley, apples and citrus fruits, and seeds and husks. ²

Insoluble fibres do not form gels in out G.I. tract and therefore the bacteria in our colon cannot digest them like they can soluble fibres. These fibres play vital roles in promoting colon health by bulking up stool and alleviating difficult bowel movements. The best sources for this type of fibre are brown rice, legumes, whole grains, and vegetables such as cabbage, carrots and brussels sprouts. ²


So the next time you thinking about biting into an apple, remember that just one apple alone provides your diet with about 3 grams of fibre!


¹ N.R. Sahyoan and coauthors, Whole-grain intake is inversely associated with metablolic syndrome and mortality in older adults, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 83 (2006): 124-131; B. M Davy and C.L. Melby, The effect of fiber-rich carbohydrates on features of Syndrome X, Journal of the American Dietetic Association 103 (2003): 86-96.
² E. Whitney, S. Rady Rolfes, The Carbohydrates: Sugars, Starches, and Fibers, Understanding Nutrition (2009): 106-123.

The Great Debate: Carbohydrates Vs. Protein

I would definitely call myself a "carb-aholic", I almost always consume a diet high in carbs (about 60% of my energy intake) and I was favourably against the Atkin's diet when it was so popular a few years ago. In fact, I even bought myself a shirt that said "I Eat Carbs" and wore it around my few friends who were on the Atkin's diet.

So when I started working out 5-7 days a week, I never thought to change my dietary habits beyond controlling my fat intake more strictly. However, one thing I've always noticed is that my hunger goes through the roof when I exercise so frequently. This should come as no surprise as I've often heard the saying "If you're going to work out like an athlete, you need to eat like one." But even increasing my food intake (in a healthy manner) still doesn't always battle the hunger pains; I find myself late at night sneaking into the kitchen for a bite and then having to pay for it with cardio the following day. Needless to say I was very interested when I came across an article the other night that discussed this same issue. A 2004 study conducted by Carol Johnston, Sherrie Tjonn, and Pamela Swan followed people consuming either a low-fat, high-carbohydrate (60% energy) diet or a low-fat, high-protein (30% energy) diet. The study showed that while both diets were equally effective for reducing body weight and fat mass and lowering total cholesterol and insulin, the high-protein diet subjects reported more satisfaction and less hunger a month into the trial. In fact, two subjects in the high-carbohydrate group withdrew from the study due to extreme hunger.¹

Although I may not recommend high-protein diets long term or protein-only diets (such as some bodybuilders will try), a snack after exercise consisting of both carbohydrates and protein may be a great way to keep hunger at bay. Chocolate milk is a great example; it's both a good source of protein and carbohydrates (besides being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D!). Next time after a workout, walk, fitness class or whatever you do to get your exercise in, grab a glass of chocolate milk; even better if it's 1 % J




¹ Johnston, Carol S., Tjonn, Sherrie L., Swan, Pamela D. (2004) "High Protein, Low-Fat Diets Are Effective for Weight Loss and Favorably Alter Biomarkers in Healthy Adults".
    The Journal of Nutrition; Mar 2004; 134,, 3; ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source