Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Eye Opener!

Finally off of diet soda, I recently switched my caffeine fix with what I THOUGHT was a milder form of caffeine: those little powdered packets of Crystal Light Energy.  They kept me drinking more water and gave me a little umph to aid my mid-morning drowsy slump.

But when I looked closer at the packaging, I was surprised to realize Crystal Light Energy not only had more caffeine than a 12-ounce soda, it was actually DOUBLE my usual amounts.  That's because those powdered packets are actually TWO servings per packet.  I was ingesting 120 milligrams of caffeine with each morning bottle.  No wonder I was jittery!

Here's a breakdown of caffeine as reported in the December 2013 issue of Bicycling Magazine.

330 Starbucks Coffee
150 Double Espresso
150 Latte
120 Crystal Light Energy
80 Red Bull
50 Clif Block Cherry Shot Bloks (3 pieces)
40 Gu Espresso Love Gel
30 Coca-Cola 12 oz.

Checking out the serving size on the nutrition information packaging is a HUGE eye opener!  For example, did you know one serving of ice cream is actually half a cup?  Who stops at half a cup when it comes to Haagen Dazs?  And cereal - just one cup!  Some of us are eating two or three servings at one sitting, then wondering why we're not dropping pounds as we train for a marathon.


It's crunch time folks.  We are on the cusp of the holiday season - where overeating becomes part of who we are.  As hard as we try to avoid those indulgent treats, sometimes they get dropped of at our doorsteps by little neighbor elves.  Can YOU resist that homemade fudge or caramel sauce?

If you're interested in joining me on a quest for healthy eating, leave a comment on this blog.  I'm putting together a plan to stay healthy this season.  It's a challenge and a fun way to improve yourself, your nutrition and your health.  More details soon!

5 comments:

  1. Enjoy your blog!! I'm always looking for suggestions on healthy eating.

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  2. Not to mention all the artificial stuff in these powder drinks. Better to just drink water with a squeeze of lemon. When I found out I was allergic to EVERYTHING, I had to start reading labels. I have found that if you don't know what an ingredient is, it's probably not very good for you. So, my motto has become, the less ingredients on a food label, the better. Hard to find a lot of the time, so then, fresh is best. Makes my body happy! Thanks so much for sharing your insight and knowledge, Lorie!

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  3. I'm interested. I'm 10 days off my beloved coke zero and only have 10 more pounds to pre-preggo weight. Let's do it!

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  4. I'm interested! I need help. I can eat clean and healthy all day long and then settle down with a bag of Starbursts, or a bunch of cookies at night!

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  5. Join your quest? Count me in! (A little caramel sauce-induced guilt here, too.) :-) Looking forward to your plan...

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Que lindo es sonar despierto.
How lovely it is to dream while you are awake.

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