When I travel, there are typically 2 certainties that I can always count on.

A delay in at least one of my flights and a mile-long line at Starbucks. 

It’s the second of the two that I want to talk to you about today. 

Because if you’re a Starbucks (or other fancy coffee shop) worshipper, I have an important message for you.

Those coffees that you love so much have a very dark side—and I’m not referring to how dark the roast is.

Here’s what you must know about these brews that may taste good, but that’s where the “goodness” ends.

Let’s start with the numbers

The average large flavored iced coffee drink or skim milk latte packs a whopping 350 calories.

That’s more than a hot fudge sundae!

Whole milk lattes are even worse—they weigh in at about 450 calories!

That’s about two Hershey’s chocolate bars.

The typical recommended intake for the average person is 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day. So even if you’re only having ONE of these drinks each day, you’re looking at about 20 percent of your entire day’s calories in one shot—and you likely haven’t even had a morsel of food yet at that point!

There’s also the cost.

It boggles my mind how people willingly spend between $3 and $7 for a nutrient-poor, sugar-loaded coffee drink, yet will complain about the price of something like a dozen organic eggs for $4.00.

Next up…

The sugar—it ain’t sweet!

There are various forms of sugar that can be swirling around in your fancy coffee--table sugar, brown sugar, molasses and the worst offender--high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

HFCS stresses your liver, it causes more fat storage than other sugars, it’s typically made from GMO corn and it’s even been found to contain heavy metals like mercury.

Plus sugar in ANY form increases your risk of heart disease and cancer, as well as obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

Here are two more health consequences of sugar that many people aren’t aware of:

1- Cognitive decline and dementia

Elevated blood sugar levels are significant markers for cognitive decline and dementia.

That’s because sugar clogs the nutrient channels in your cells.  This can slow down communication between your nerve cells--which can lead to mood swings, memory problems and eventually dementia!

In addition, sugar decreases your body’s supply of B vitamins, and B vitamins are crucial for mental functioning.

2- Weakened immune system functioning

Sugar feeds harmful yeasts and parasites in your intestinal tract and depresses your immune system functioning.

It also throws off your microbiome, creating an environment which favors harmful bacteria.  This continues the cycle of depressed immune functioning, irritates the gut wall and can reduce nutrient absorption. 

Last but not least there’s…

The acid trip

For optimal health, your body must maintain a slightly alkaline blood pH of 7.365.

When your blood pH drops toward the acidic range (under 7), your body uses its own alkaline minerals (calcium and magnesium) from your bones and muscles to buffer the acid.  Eventually this can cause deficiencies and increase your risk of osteoporosis, among other things.

Your diet has a tremendous impact on your body’s pH, and the more acid you take in, the more acidic you will become.

Coffee has a pH of about 5—which is far better than soda (at about 3), but still well into the acid range. 

With pH it’s a matter of balance, and as long as most of your diet is alkaline, your body can maintain a healthy pH…even if you like coffee!

However, our typical diets that are heavy on processed and fast foods, soda and coffee present a daily acid barrage that is very tough for your body to overcome.

Sherry, don’t tell me I can’t have my coffee!

Never fear!  You can still have your coffee!

Here’s how:

First of all, brew your own coffee at home using organic brands.  Stainless steel stove top percolators make THE BEST COFFEE IN THE WORLD, if you can find one and don’t mind waiting about 30 minutes for the coffee to brew.  Trust me—it’s worth the wait. 

And don’t you dare balk about the cost of a bag of organic coffee—especially if you’ve been paying five bucks a pop or more at the coffee shop.  You’ll be saving boatloads of money.

Reduce or eliminate the sugar—you’ll be surprised at how quickly you adjust and how you can enjoy the taste the coffee itself.  If you must have sweetness, limit it to one teaspoon of (preferably organic) sugar or opt for stevia. 

As far as creams go, choose organic cream, half and half or milk.  Stay FAR AWAY from powdered, flavored and non-dairy creamers, which are loaded with harmful fats, artificial sweeteners and other garbage.

For flavor try adding a dash of cinnamon, unsweetened chocolate powder, a sprinkling of nutmeg or a drop of vanilla or maple extract.

Lastly, limit your consumption to one cup in the morning, then balance it off with lots of filtered water throughout the day to counteract the acidity.

Help your body recover

If you’ve been a sweetened coffee lover for a while, chances are excellent that you may already be paying the health price of too much sugar and/or acid.

To help reverse any sugar-induced harmful bacteria overgrowth and maintain a healthy intestinal flora population, supplementation with a top-shelf probiotic formula like Super Shield is essential.   

In addition to sugar, numerous other factors can upset your gut microbes including stress, medications (especially antibiotics, acid reducers and birth control pills), smoking, heavy alcohol consumption (particularly beer) and drinking tap water. 

So probiotic supplementation is the best way to make sure your microbiome population is strong so it can in turn support your health!

It’s also crucial to incorporate more alkaline foods like fresh vegetables into your diet and rely less on processed foods in general.  Great Taste No Pain can help guide you here and give you some valuable information about maintaining a health-enhancing acid-alkaline balance.

Plus, you’ll get a collection of lip-smacking recipes—trust me, you will be shocked at how delicious good-for-you foods can be!

Now go have your coffee and enjoy your day!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia