Coffee and croissant – the enemies of weight loss

Britain’s most popular pick-me-up, a coffee and a croissant, may be fuelling an epidemic of weight gain and diabetes, according to research at Canada’s University of Guelph. Participants were given a carbohydrate snack, such as a croissant, muffin or toast, together with either a decaf or coffee. Those having the coffee/carb combo had triple the increase in blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels, was almost halved.

This combination of high blood glucose levels and poor insulin function are a recipe for weight gain and increased diabetes risk because the excess blood glucose is dumped into storage as fat. This study shows that coffee with a carbohydrate snack is a dangerous combination. It confirms our own research. We surveyed 34,000 people and found that the two foods that most predict fatigue and stress are caffeinated drinks and sugary foods. Every day Britons drink 70 million cups of coffee – roughly two each per adult. Many get caught in the sugar, nicotine, caffeine trap, thinking this combination is good for energy. But our research suggests that this combination feeds increasing fatigue, anxiety and weight gain.

If you quit sugar, caffeine or cigarettes and feel lousy that means you’ve become chemically dependent. Kathy is a case in point. She was drinking up to 30 cups of coffee a day to keep herself going. She also smoked 10 to 15 cigarettes a day. She was gaining weight and losing sleep. She wasn’t fully awake when she was awake, nor peacefully asleep when she was asleep. Within six weeks of starting my diet and supplements she had given up all caffeine, had stopped smoking, and was feeling loads better. She went to bed at 11pm, instead of 2am,and was waking up feeling refreshed.

Three months on she had lost a staggering 3 stone (18kg) without going hungry. Her energy was greater, her skin looked much clearer and she hadn’t suffered from any colds. ‘I feel so much better. My energy levels are improved, I sleep like a baby, I don’t miss coffee at all and I’m not smoking.’ As well as eating a Low GL diet which aims to keep your blood sugar level even I recommends supplementing B vitamins and chromium, an essential mineral that makes insulin work better, reducing carb cravings and promoting weight loss. To find out more about my low-GL diet come and meet me on my low-GL tour at locations throughout the UK from April 20th. Click here for more information.