Get the fall "skinny"

Cut the Excessive Sugar with these 5 Starbucks drinks

Having a cup of coffee is how most people start their day, and then might enjoy some additional cups throughout the day. Over 60% of Americans claim to start their day with a cup of coffee. And whilst coffee does contain some antioxidants and can even reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, dieticians believe that many drinkers have no idea as to the negative impacts drinking a lot of coffee can have on them. This is particularly true when that plain cup of Joe gets converted into the sugary lattés or the blended drinks. Many of the fancy Starbucks drinks are soaked in extra sugar and calories which can cause major hormone imbalances in the body, let alone contributing to the obesity epidemic.
 
We all know that the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino which was made for Instagram fame and fanfare, followed by others such as The Mermaid Frappuccino was all the rage. But let’s take a closer look at that ‘Unicorn’ drink. Did you know that it contains around 410 calories with 59 grams of sugar in a Grande of 16 ounces? If you need to make a comparison, a 16-ounce Coca-Cola contains 190 calories with 52 grams of sugar thrown in.  The Unicorn way exceeds what health professionals would consider acceptable levels of calories and sugars in a beverage. And the Unicorn isn’t the ‘worst’ one either. Look at the S’mores Frappuccino – it consists of 490 calories and 67 grams of sugar in the 16-ounce Grande serving!
 
A study completed in 2016 and published in the JAMA Internal Medicine publication states that if a person’s calorie intake daily consists of 25% more sugar, then their risk of perishing from heart disease actually doubles compared to diets that consist of less than 10% sugar. Other diseases that sugar detrimentally affects are insulin resistance, pancreatic cancer, liver failure, and of course obesity. Registered nutritionists/dieticians say that by drinking the high-calorie Starbucks beverages, you cause the blood glucose to spike up which can increase problems like insulin resistance, associated with diseases like type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, a Starbucks spokesperson has said that Starbucks is now committed to reducing their added sugar in some of the indulgent beverages by 25% by end 2020, but that ultimately consumers have the responsibility of making their own nutritional choices. Look at these 5 drinks you can enjoy though, with less sugar. to check out later if you want to stay slim.
 
 
1. Teavana Shaken Ice Passion Tango Tea: You should ask for the non-sweetened version of this delightful fruity drink. As it already contains plenty of zest, you will not need sugar or syrup.
 
2. Iced coffee:  This Starbuck’s summer staple drink comes in an unsweetened version with no sugar and no calories. The sweetened version is 60 calories with 15 g of sugar. Just adding some whole milk to your unsweetened ice coffee is just a mere 30 calories with 2 g sugar.
 
3. Americano:  If you love the steamed milk you get in a latte but love the pick-me-up of the expresso and want to cut back on calories, the Americano with steamed milk can be a real favorite at Starbucks.
 
4. Mint Majesty Hot Tea:  Any of the herbal teas contain 0 calories and have plenty of antioxidants. The Starbucks mint tea has a really refreshing taste, not only delicious but proving health benefits for the GI system and gut. Not only do you cut back on sugar, but if you are trying to cut down on caffeine as well, this is the ideal drink.
 
5. Brewed Chai Tea with a Splash of Steamed Milk:  A tall Chai Tea Latté would have 42 g sugar and contain 240 calories and 45 g carbs; more sugar than what is needed in a day plus the carbs. But if you rather opt for your brewed hot chai tea, asking for steamed skim milk instead, you cut right down to only 30 calories!
 
It is possible if you want to slim down and cut your sugar intake, that you can still find what you are looking for at your favorite Starbucks – that’s good news!

​Can we drink to that?
 
 

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