To many of us, our morning routines are precious. You may be very particular about how you start your day, from the way you like your toast to your favorite beverage to pair it with. Unfortunately, your body doesn’t always love the same things your taste buds do. In fact, certain meals can be very damaging to your overall health, leading to inflammation and weight gain over time. This can be especially true when it comes to the drink you choose to sip on in the morning.
To learn more about some of the most common yet unhealthy morning beverages, we spoke to dietitian Nataly Komova, medical practitioner Rachel Scott, Co-Founder of National TASC, and nutritionists Dr. Daryl Gioffre and Heather Hanks. They noted two you should be wary of, especially if you want to lose weight: frozen coffee drinks and sugary fruit juices.
Frozen Coffee Drinks
For those of us with a need for caffeine but a serious sweet tooth, black coffee typically doesn't cut it in the morning. Some people prefer loading their cup of joe with sugar, cream, and syrups—and some even take it a step further by opting for a blended frozen drink (a.k.a. a Frappuccino) from Starbucks. Unfortunately, this can wreak havoc on your health and worsen chronic inflammation.
"Taking a cup of frozen coffee with creams and lattes, especially from coffee shops, can significantly slow down metabolism and trigger weight gain," Komova says, noting that these drinks can contain as much as 1,200 calories. Scott agrees. "The sugar used is usually in the form of fructose, which the body cannot easily recognize, further slowing down metabolism," she says. "This sugar then is directly converted into fats." Yikes! Maybe it's best to endure the bitter taste of black coffee, after all.
Sugary Fruit Juice
If you like to start your day with a glass of sweet, cold O.J., we have some news. Although fruits like oranges are certainly good to eat every day, their juice form is another story. "When you drink just fruit juice, the fiber is stripped away and you can consume in one small glass of orange juice the amount of sugar and fructose found in five oranges, minus all of the innate goodness in that orange," Dr. Gioffre says, going as far to call this beverage "glorified sugar water."
All that sugar can have serious consequences on your health. As Hanks tells us, "Sugar induces inflammation in the body and spikes insulin levels, which is essentially a fat-storing hormone. When we reduce sugar intake, we reduce insulin levels and essentially stop the body from storing fat." And to make matters worse, the fact that you're getting the sugar from a liquid means it enters your bloodstream quicker, leading to blood sugar complications. Say it ain't so!
We know it can be hard to part with your beloved morning routine, but it's important to remember that moderation is the key to any healthy diet. If you want to indulge in your favorite flavor of Frappuccino every now and then or have a glass of orange juice with a special brunch, it won't kill you—just keep the possible health risks in mind. Even too much of a good thing is a bad thing!
