No Outside Drinks Challenge! My Takeaway After Lowering Sugar Intake

If you live in or around the Greater Seattle area, chances are you’ve encountered a delectable Asian specialty drink called “bubble tea,” also known as “boba.” It is a sweet milk tea with chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom that has been popularized in the past couple decades. Well, it is delicious and highly addictive. The issue? It is delicious and highly addictive – due to its exorbitant sugar content. I was drinking it all summer long and decided that it’s a bit much and that I wanted to “give my body a reset.” Enter my No Outside Drinks Challenge!

The Challenge

This impromptu challenge is simply: do not drink any specialty drinks (ie. espresso drinks, bubble tea, housemade lemonades, cocktails, etc.) made outside of my home for 3 weeks. If I wanted a morning pick-me-up, I could make my own coffee or tea at home where I can control the ingredients and amounts of any sugar involved. Easy peezy, lemon squeezy! The purpose of it all? To give myself a break from excess sugar intake and become more aware of the high amounts of HIDDEN sugar in my drinks so I can make more conscious choices.

We all know about the sugar content of “sugary drinks” such as soft drinks, fruit juices, and drink mixes, but have you ever examined the Nutritional Info of your favorite drinks? Starbuck’s cult-favorite, the Pumpkin Spice Latte, has 50 grams of sugar, which is already half of the recommended daily MAX for women. The popular Mocha Frappucino boasts 61grams of sugar, which is more than HALF of the recommended daily max. When you consider that many of us drink specialty drinks several times a week, maybe even every day or twice a day, it all adds up to quite…a lot!

The Question

This begs the question: what is the significance, if any, of how much sugar we consume? Now, the following is not a holier-than-thou rant (I mean, who went on this No Outside Drinks Challenge, right?), but rather a PSA (Public Service Announcement) because I myself knew that sugar is “bad,” but didn’t know the science behind why. So, is sugar really that “bad”?

The Answer

Long story short – yes, sugar is counterproductive and harmful for our health. Here’s why.

1.) Refined sugar has an inflammatory effect on the body. Inflammation is one of the most common, elementary causes of pain and symptoms. It is also correlated with many health conditions including, but not limited to: Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.

2.) Sugar consumption leads to insulin resistance where the body becomes “immune” to insulin (a vital hormone that regulates blood glucose) and glucose builds up in the blood as a result, leading to type 2 diabetes and other health issues. To learn more, check out this informative podcast episode!

3.) Excessive sugar intake also causes unnecessary weight gain where the excess fat not only sits on top of the organs, it actually collects around the organs (called “visceral fat”) and leads to more inflammation in the body.

The Takeaway(s)

I completed the challenge today and feel proud of myself for taking initiative with my health. During the challenge, I did sense the addictive qualities of sugar. I found myself imagining the end of the challenge when I could finally have a jasmine milk tea again, but the real kicker is that I’d associated certain locations or activities with certain drinks. If I visit a park that I frequent, I’d think of a nearby cafe with their specialty drink and long to “elevate” the experience with that delicious treat. More than anything, resisting the urge to buy drinks when I normally would revealed just how much hidden sugar I’d been consuming – without even realizing it!

Here are a few easy tips to take control of your sugary drink intake:

1.) Make your favorite drinks at home with organic, quality ingredients (ie. homemade chai latte).

2.) Replace your favorite drinks with healthier alternatives if you drink them often (ie. soda replaced by kombucha).

3.) Drink more water! Sometimes cravings are just a signal that we’re thirsty.

Sugarless Homemade Latte Recipe

Ingredients:

-1 shot espresso of choice

-1 cup coconut milk, unsweetened/unflavored

-A handful of ice

Instructions:

1.) In a glass or tumbler, pour in a handful of ice.

2.) Pull a shot of espresso and pour it into the cup.

3.) Pour in a cup of unsweetened coconut milk and stir.

4.) Literally that’s it. The natural sweetness of coconut does the trick!

The Conclusion

My main takeaway is that it’s easy to overlook the sugar content of many delicious drinks because they don’t necessarily make us feel full like food does. However, it’s still important to take into account considering many can contain more than half of our daily maximum sugar intake. So, do we avoid all sugar, all the time? That is completely up to each of us to decide, one choice at a time! I definitely say, though, that moderation is key and discretion is advised!

How about you? What is your outlook on sugar and would you try the No Outside Drinks Challenge? Let us know in the comments below! If you have any questions, please contact us at Alight Chiropractic, your neighborhood chiropractor in Kirkland!