Dr Stacy Sims's Protein Coffee recipe

Why should women ideally eat within half an hour of waking up?

First things first; this is something I’ve been enthusiastically trialling. Your mileage may vary. 

After listening to a ridiculous number of interviews with Dr Stacy Sims, I’ve learned that we all experience a cortisol spike that peaks around 30-45 minutes after waking. It’s natural and not a bad thing. But for women, cortisol can remain elevated if we don’t fuel ourselves. A small amount of protein and carbs may help to blunt the spike.

Eating soon after waking is like a safety signal for the brain: here’s some nutrients; no need to keep cortisol high or break down precious muscle for energy.

Dr Sims explains it on her YouTube channel:

• Do women stay in peak cortisol longer after waking up? (1 min video)
• Should Women Eat in the Morning? (Here’s What the Science Says) (6 min video)

I’ve always eaten breakfast a few hours after waking. Now protein coffee bridges the gap. I can’t tell you how much I look forward to it. To me, it’s creamy and delicious, but I feel obliged to report Col’s feedback:

“Tastes like a health drink. It’s nice though.”

And my mum’s:

“Bearable.” *pause* “It’s nice.”

Don’t be put off - it doesn’t need to taste healthy. Experiment with protein powders and milks. When Dr Sims made a protein coffee for Mel Robbins, she said it tasted like "a freaking milkshake".

Protein powder

Vanilla-flavoured whey is super popular. I eat dairy, but in small amounts and mostly goat, so I opt for soy or pea protein instead. Anything flavoured tends to have a longer ingredients list, whereas pea and soy are single-ingredient powders. 

Pea is great if you’re eating it with other foods that help to mask its earthy flavour. It’s okay in protein coffee but I find it needs extras like cocoa and sugar to make it palatable.

Soy was a cautious experiment. I bought a 250g packet from Pulsin, instead of my usual kilo, and it blew me away: It’s:

• Neutral in taste
• 90% protein
• Finely milled so it blends fairly well (sometimes there are lumps - use a sieve if this bothers you)

I then bought organic soy from Buy Wholefoods Online (BWFO). I’m a fan of theirs but I’m glad I bought another small packet. The Pulsin and BWFO powders both come from China but BWFO has a stronger taste.

Use whichever protein you fancy. I want to try vanilla whey soon and I bet it’ll taste lovely.

Milks

I’ve gone through: almond, roasted almond, cashew, hazelnut, pea, brown rice, soya and oat. I love them all. 

Ocado had a 4 for £8 offer on Rude Health and that’s where I made a discovery. Some of their almond milks contain rice or oats. That explained why one milk had 0.5g of carbs per 100g, and another, almost identical looking, had 10g per 100g. The carbier milks taste sweeter and have a smoother texture.

For lower carb milks, I sweeten my coffee slightly. Honey, maple syrup and sugar work but I love date purée and add a ¼ teaspoon.

Coffee

For years I read about espresso powder in Nigella’s cookbooks. I couldn’t find it anywhere until I shopped with Ocado (Morrisons stock it too). Percol’s Espresso Noir Instant Coffee is a fine powder, rather than freeze-dried granules, and it dissolves easily in cold water. I adore it but recent Ocado reviews have been scathing. I bought a new jar last week and it still tastes fine to me.

If you’ve got freeze-dried instant, you may need to dissolve it in hot water first*. Add it at the end, once the protein powder and milk have been mixed. Same for freshly brewed espresso; that goes in last too.

What if you don’t like coffee?

Dr Sims recommended matcha as an alternative and it works really well. I find matcha hard to mix so I sieve it to get rid of any lumps. 

* Douwe Egberts dissolved nicely in cold water.