Coffee or Cookies?

A news website published today a list of the worst holiday drinks - it included the usual suspects of Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Mocha’s.  This got me thinking about the fundamental misunderstanding of appropriate macro-nutrient allocation...put simply how much fat, carbs and protein should one eat in a day?

This is not an easy question as the answer depends on so many individual variables; such as activity level, health factors, allergies, and personal goals.  However, the one unequivocal, blanket statement that applies to virtually every one (with limited exception) is avoid sugar.  Sugary drinks and foods are contributing to our collective waistline at a far greater rate than any other nutrient. 

Avoiding sugar is difficult most of the time for a number of reasons.  Traditionally, “reduced fat” & “fat free” foods have added sugar to make up for the lack of flavor from the reduction in fat.  Further, sugar lurks where you may not expect it.  Breads, peanut butter, canned fruit, dried fruit, cereals, instant oatmeal...nearly all have added sugar!

With the holidays we are all inundated with cookies, cakes, pies and other delicious treats.  These treats include seasonal beverages from Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, and Starbucks.  What may shock you is that these seasonal drinks almost always have more fat, calories, and sugar than the cookies, cakes, pies, and other delicious treats. 

Consider the Venti Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whole milk and whipped cream: 700 calories, 27 grams of fat, 95 grams of sugar – roughly equal to the calories and fat in SEVEN Oreo cookies and the sugar in about 11!  Oreos are also officially the unhealthiest cookie (for more reasons than I have time to write). 

It’s nearly impossible to avoid sugar this time of year, I’ll concede that point.  For the most disciplined it can be hard to walk past the plate of cookies, the bowl of chocolates, the gift baskets bandied about the workplace.  But even the least disciplined of us can avoid walking into Starbucks, waiting in line, ordering a sugary drink, paying for it, waiting for it to be prepared, and guzzling it. 

It’s the small steps that lead to giant leaps.

Fit2You employs nutritional and dietary professionals, expertly qualified to work with you to develop a nutritional plan that works for your life and your body.  Contact us today at info@fit2youfitness.com.

Now get up, get out and get fit. 


--BA