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You would never drink a tall glass of soda in the morning for breakfast, would you? Probably not. Everyone knows sugary soda is bad for you and breakfast foods like donuts aren’t stellar either. But what about common breakfast drinks that aren’t as obviously unhealthy?
Many morning foods aren’t very good for you, but very few people realize it. These foods have a false reputation for being great breakfast options when in reality they set you up for sugar spikes, mid-afternoon crashes, and a stunted metabolism.
Unless you’re okay with eating a cup full of pure sugar every morning to start your day, you should avoid drinking fruit juice. And yes, that includes the kind that swears it’s 100% natural. The high sugar content in this drink will send your metabolism into shock and slow it down from operating to the best of its ability for the rest of the day.
“Fruit juice – including most apple, orange and grape juice – is basically chemically laden sugar water,” said Dr. Josh Axe. “I know something like apple juice sounds healthy, but some manufacturers turn apples into juice by adding in sugar, food coloring and flavorings. That is the apple juice you buy today.”
You would assume fruit juice is a safe, healthy option--it’s made from fruit, after all--but you’re wrong. Fruit juice is made from concentrated ingredients with added sugars and syrups. Just one glass of juice can contain as much sugar as soda. Yikes! For example, a cup of grape juice contains 36 grams of sugar. That’s not far off from a can of lemon-lime soda, which contains 44 grams.
If you crave something sweet that's similar to fruit juice, opt for fruit infused water, instead. If you make it yourself, you can guarantee the drink will contain no added sugars. Drop a few raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or cut up lemons into a cold glass of water for a naturally fruity drink.
[Photos: Shutterstock]
