Studying Sundays at Starbucks

As I sit here in Starbucks, it boggles my mind to hear some of the drinks people order.  I totally believe in treating yourself every now and then, but I think Americans take it the wrong way.
My choices at starbucks:
-Blonde coffee with a shake of cinnamon, vanilla, and a splash of non-fat milk
-Skinny pumpkin spice latte (non-fat milk with no whip cream)
-Skinny cinnamon dolce latte (non-fat milk with no whip cream)
Yes that whip cream is yummy but is adds 50-100 calories and 5-11 grams of fat to your drink! Think before you order that whip cream!
So my grande skinny cinnamon dolce latte is 210 calories, 38 grams of sugar (o dear!), and 0grams of fat! Now lets compare that to a normal grande cinnamon dolce latte that is made with 2% milk and whipped cream on top. It has 330 calories, 40 grams of sugar, 13 grams of fat! Just simple changes of milk and no whipped can cut 120 calories and 13 grams of fat! It still taste delicious!



It is eye opening the amount of sugar in it, but I treat myself with a latte about twice a month. Other days I would choose the blonde coffee which has about 5 calories, no fat, and no sugar (unless you add sugar, milk, syrups, etc.)

Studying part:
Today I am finishing up my case study project.  I am researching diabetes, congested heart failure, atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), coronary artery disease, and obesity.  This is a patient I assessed in the hospital during my clinical rotation.  This is just one person with all these complications! It breaks my heart to see people struggling with diseases that could have been prevented with proper diet and physical activity!
For diabetic patients we encourage them to count their carbohydrates since carbs influence blood glucose after meals.  The more carbs ingested, the higher the glycemic response.  We aim for foods with a low glycemic index to keep blood glucose levels at normal range, without a big crash.
Example of low Glycemic index foods ( <55) include:
-Oats
-Whole wheat bread and Sourdough rye bread
-Brown rice, buckwheat, wheat tortilla or pasta, spaghetti, white long grain rice
-Nuts
-Hummus, Kidney beans, chick peas, pinto beans, lentils
-Broccoli, Cabbage, Mushrooms, Onions, Lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, yams
-Cherries, grapefruit, peaches, apples, strawberries, grapes, oranges
-Milk, yogurt
Foods with a low GI also help keep you satisfied longer!

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