Cream and Sugar? Skim and Splenda?

It seems that not everyone has it all figured out when it comes to how to ordering a coffee or espresso beverage. I usually try to avoid long
lines at Starbucks at all costs, especially when just a block away
may be a new location. However, lines are sometimes unavoidable....
-- Especially at a hotel located Starbucks
--in Times Square
--at 9am
--on a Friday...
Luckily' my wait in line was mildly entertaining as I was able to hear all the patrons shout out there orders. And notably, this was a mix of locals and tourists ordering a flurry of frothed coffee delights...


Locals ordered a tall black in a grande cup, a venti coffee TO GO, a grande latte
straight and simple. The tourists ordered venti skim this, tall skim latte,
a frappachino make it a venti! I called out my order ' grande soy chai'
and a confused pondering woman commented to me..."oooh that sounds
good. Hmm chai and soy.hmmm" she tapped her fingers against her lips and
squinted her eyes and shifted in her beige kaki pants and sneakers.
Another woman at the front paused before the anxious cashier and said, " I
never know what to get." I grabbed my chai and went on my way hearing a
loud low voiced man shout out "grande skinny coffee for me!" I chuckled
to myself and couldn't help to notice the tapping her finger woman
perplexed at the sugar station fumbling through raw, white, pink, yellow
and even blue sugars.
To be fair....I must agree the options at Starbucks are plentiful. So I
am here to lend a little guidance. First off if you are seeking
healthy enlightenment I would by far choose soy milk. If you are a dairy milk
lover...and order a tall, don't worry about getting a skinny...as the
fat and calorie difference is quite small. If you are not a coffee
addict I would suggest trying the chai. It is quite delicious and gives a
spicy lower caffeine kick to your morning. Plus tea contains beneficial
antioxidants and will not spike your cortisol and blood sugar levels the
way espresso and coffee can.
As for the great milk percentage debate. I personally am not a fan of
the low fat craze. I have studied and found that most fat free beverages
only leave you feeling empty and unsatisfied. While a higher fat
version will calm your appetite and give you sustaining energy. Soy milk is
not fat free and thus I always feel nourished after a soy drink. The
protein fat and carb combo leaves my tummy happy. The biggest concern in
choosing low or whole fat milk is in regard to the saturated fat. So
choose soy if possible as it is free of saturated fat.
When it comes to choosing a sweetener I am a big fan of the
pre-sweetened chai. The glycemic index friendly agave and brown rice syrup are
great options...but not at the Starbucks counter yet. So what to do? Do not
choose pink or blue or yellow if you are weary of chemicals like
saccharin and aspartame. I have been known to choose yellow if I am forced
into an artificial option. If choosing raw or white sugar...don't feel
too guilty, just don't overdo it! Remember the combo of lots of sugar
and caffeine first thing in the morning can spike those stress induced
cortisol levels. Cortisol has been known to assist in abdomen fat storage
and is associated with increased blood pressure. If you are heart and
weight sensitive I recommend a soy chai. Heck...in today's economy and
busy cities I would recommend a soy chamomile tea...try it and you just
may be surprised how pumped p on adrenalin nerves you actually are on a
busy morning....the calming tea may give you a sense of focus and calm
that leads to greater productivity that any triple venti double mocha
skim latte....