By Leah Dermo

Between work, family, friends, personal fitness, eating properly and finding time for our hobbies, our hectic schedules can often feel like a balancing act. Most days, we need a little caffeine kick to give us that motivation to push through the rest of our to-do list. If you’re familiar with the world of public relations and communications, you fall into the category of most caffeinated profession (before police, teachers and doctors). The average Canadian drinks about 152 liters of coffee each year, placing coffee as the most commonly consumed beverage in the country (even before water).

If you follow any of our social media accounts (@glo_comm), you’ll know one thing about TeamGLO is that we love our coffee. While most of us have fallen into the same daily Starbucks routine, TeamGlo wants to inspire change and add a little creativity to your mug of morning glory.

Here are some different ideas to spruce up your coffee routine this spring:

1. Vanilla Latte Smoothie Bowl 

Smoothie bowls have been taking over Instagram for months, and for obvious reason: they’re good for you, delicious and almost too beautiful to eat (almost). Thanks to Pinterest and ToneItUp.com, we’ve found a smoothie bowl that gives you the right amount of flavour, nutrition and kick to start any day on the right foot. Check out the full recipe here:

½ cup almond milk (made into ice cubes)

¾ cup unsweetend almond milk (optional: chocolate almond milk)

1 shot espresso

1 scoop Vanilla Latte Perfect Fit Protein (or any vanilla protein)

½ cup frozen banana slices

Source: https://www.toneitup.com/recipe/vanilla-latte-smoothie-bowl/

2. Coffee smoothie 

Experiment with different ingredients such as bananas, rolled oats, cocoa powder, flax seeds, honey, cinnamon, frozen fruit, almond or soy milk, avocado and whatever else you can think of. Ingredients and amounts will vary depending on the person and preferences, and keep in mind, trial and error is a critical step before perfecting your coffee smoothie.

For those who are taking your personal fitness to a new level this year, jacking up your coffee might be the next step. In a blender, add a cup of your morning joe, one scoop your favourite protein (Vanilla or Chocolate flavour would be the ideal flavour blend), ice and ¼ cup of almond or soy milk for a DIY jacked up iced cappuccino

3. Bulletproof coffee

Bulletproof coffee has been taking the internet by storm and is increasingly becoming more popular for those who are choosing a healthy lifestyle. Like many health trends, people will often jump on the bandwagon without knowing the actual health benefits or how it’s any better from the old way of doing things.

By adding a creamy fat to your coffee such as butter, coconut oil or coconut cream, the caffeine is metabolized which increases energy and cognitive function while regulating cholesterol. Sweeteners used in bulletproof coffees like cocoa, vanilla, honey and maple syrup are all significantly better for your overall health than the bleached granular sugar packets that are available at most coffee shops. Cinnamon and coffee is like PB and J, however what some people may not know is that cinnamon allows for glucose regulation for people with insulin issues. These are just a few of the health benefits of bulletproof coffee, although, we would not recommend using this to replace breakfast or any meal as it does not provide your body with all the necessary nutrients that you get from a nutritious meal.

4. DIY Iced coffee

Not only will you save money by making your own iced coffee, but making it with coffee ice cubes make your drink less watered down and will give you that extra kick you need. Make one to two extra cups of coffee one morning and let it cool down while you’re getting ready for work or class. Before you head out, pour the excess coffee into ice trays and leave in the freezer for the rest of the day. They’ll be good to go by the time you need your next coffee fix!

5. Spiked

Coffee and alcohol is like Sonny and Cher– they just work together. There are so many specialty coffees you can make from the comfort of your own home as the perfect end to a dinner party or a long day. Add Bailey’s, whiskey, bourbon, sambuca or vanilla vodka to your cup of coffee to warm you and your guests from the inside out.  

How do you take your coffee? We’d love to hear your coffee hacks & tips. If you liked this post, share to your social networks and tag GLO Communications 🙂

-TeamGLO