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Is it unhealthy to drink one latte a day?
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EnergyBender667
Posts: 6 Member
in Debate Club
I recently got myself into starbucks because I've always loved the taste and smell of coffee, but I like to avoid caffeine due to it's effects on anxiety and heart palpitations, so I started ordering tall decaf lattes and have one almost every day. I use almond or coconut milk and don't usually add any sweeteners to it. Would this be considered unhealthy? Should I cut down my consumption?
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Replies
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Drinking one latte every day would not generally be unhealthy I don't think, even with regular milk and a little sugar. But if it causes anxiety or heart palpitations for you personally, it could be.
Individual foods are rarely "unhealthy", it is your total diet that is either healthy or unhealthy. If your latte increases your anxiety symptoms, you should lay off. Otherwise, if it fits in your calories and you enjoy it, it's fine.
I drink 1-2 cups of coffee, a diet soda, and often 1-2 cups of tea per day.4 -
What are your goals? Are you trying to lose weight? Does the latte fit within your calorie target for the day?2
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Track your macros, if you are keeping in the green across most of the board most of the time then nothing is 'unhealthy'. I find MFP sugar difficult as I have a lot of fresh fruit and milk in lattes and porridge. It is not hindering my progress at all as I still get withing my net calories, net fat, carbs, etc and always get my calcium quota.0
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quiksylver296 wrote: »What are your goals? Are you trying to lose weight? Does the latte fit within your calorie target for the day?
My goal is currently maintenance, but I wouldn't mind losing another pound. On days that I have a latte, I make sure I have the calories left to do so beforehand. Aside from having a granola or protein bar as a snack, the latte is my only other treat for the day. I eat healthy the rest of the time.0 -
I hate the whole "healthy" or "unhealthy" labels put on certain types of food and drinks. Too much of anything can have a detrimental affect. Even if it doesn't at the moment, our bodies change as we age and what we can tolerate now we may develop an intolerance for later. How about this for an entry into the debate:
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EnergyBender667 wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »What are your goals? Are you trying to lose weight? Does the latte fit within your calorie target for the day?
My goal is currently maintenance, but I wouldn't mind losing another pound. On days that I have a latte, I make sure I have the calories left to do so beforehand. Aside from having a granola or protein bar as a snack, the latte is my only other treat for the day. I eat healthy the rest of the time.
Then what is your concern exactly? I don't see a problem.4 -
EnergyBender667 wrote: »I recently got myself into starbucks because I've always loved the taste and smell of coffee, but I like to avoid caffeine due to it's effects on anxiety and heart palpitations, so I started ordering tall decaf lattes and have one almost every day. I use almond or coconut milk and don't usually add any sweeteners to it. Would this be considered unhealthy? Should I cut down my consumption?
Assuming it fits in your cals, why would this be unhealthy?
Why would even a non decaf latte with milk and a bit of sweetener be "unhealthy" within cals?
I prefer my coffee black, but not because I think milk or the various milk alternatives or a little sweetener/sugar within one's goals are unhealthy? I just am not sure what you are concerned about.0 -
I'd get really sick of lattes (decaf or otherwise) drinking them that frequently. I don't think it's bad for you, in the fuller picture of a balanced diet, and probably not super high calorie since it is basically decaf coffee with a small amount of milk (or milk alternatives) in it.
Unsolicited comment, I know, but I'd be more concerned about spending roughly $1,000 per year on Starbucks (assuming they're about three dollars per day). For me that's an extra mortgage payment.7 -
it doesn't do much nutritionally but if it fits in your calorie allotment, it's fine
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Doh! I missed where you were getting a "decaf" latte. OP, what exactly about the latte are you thinking would be unhealthy?2
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At the root of this is the assumption that foods have some inherent good or bad quality they impart onto you once ingested.
Rid yourself of this baseless assumption.11 -
I hate the whole "healthy" or "unhealthy" labels put on certain types of food and drinks. Too much of anything can have a detrimental affect. Even if it doesn't at the moment, our bodies change as we age and what we can tolerate now we may develop an intolerance for later. How about this for an entry into the debate:
greens are healthy Big Macs and Coke are not -- neither is vaping
Having a Big Mac and Coke now and then isn't unhealthy.
If all you ate were greens all day every day, you'd be missing important macro- and micronutrients. That's unhealthy.
An overall diet can be healthy or unhealthy, but a single food in seclusion is not.
As for vaping, it appears with all the news articles coming out that it is unhealthy, but I have no idea why you threw that into this conversation.9 -
I hate the whole "healthy" or "unhealthy" labels put on certain types of food and drinks. Too much of anything can have a detrimental affect. Even if it doesn't at the moment, our bodies change as we age and what we can tolerate now we may develop an intolerance for later. How about this for an entry into the debate:
greens are healthy Big Macs and Coke are not -- neither is vaping
And this relates to the decaf latte how?
Also, of course, one can eat greens in an unhealthy diet and an occasional Big Mac and Coke in a healthy one. Usually people who get obsessed with whether individual foods are healthy or not seem to be missing the forest for the trees, nutritionally.
If you think OP's latte is "unhealthy" or -- more to the point -- precludes her from having a healthful diet, I'd really like to know how.8 -
EnergyBender667 wrote: »I recently got myself into starbucks because I've always loved the taste and smell of coffee, but I like to avoid caffeine due to it's effects on anxiety and heart palpitations, so I started ordering tall decaf lattes and have one almost every day. I use almond or coconut milk and don't usually add any sweeteners to it. Would this be considered unhealthy? Should I cut down my consumption?
Are you personally noticing any negative effects?2 -
seltzermint555 wrote: »I'd get really sick of lattes (decaf or otherwise) drinking them that frequently. I don't think it's bad for you, in the fuller picture of a balanced diet, and probably not super high calorie since it is basically decaf coffee with a small amount of milk (or milk alternatives) in it.
Unsolicited comment, I know, but I'd be more concerned about spending roughly $1,000 per year on Starbucks (assuming they're about three dollars per day). For me that's an extra mortgage payment.
well, that might be true enough, but to each his own, I'd think. We all of us have things that we spend money on that seem to be frivolous to others, but if it brings us a bit of comfort or enjoyment, why should it be denigrated? Isn't the point of money to aid us in bringing peace, health, and enjoyment to our lives?7 -
I believe the point is, worrying about the nutrition or healthiness of every single bite of food you might eat can lead to someone being concerned that drinking a decaf unsweetened latte is "unhealthy".
It's possible to get plenty of nutrition and still have some things you just consume because you enjoy them. Micro-managing isn't necessary or, ironically, healthy.10 -
bmeadows380 wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »I'd get really sick of lattes (decaf or otherwise) drinking them that frequently. I don't think it's bad for you, in the fuller picture of a balanced diet, and probably not super high calorie since it is basically decaf coffee with a small amount of milk (or milk alternatives) in it.
Unsolicited comment, I know, but I'd be more concerned about spending roughly $1,000 per year on Starbucks (assuming they're about three dollars per day). For me that's an extra mortgage payment.
well, that might be true enough, but to each his own, I'd think. We all of us have things that we spend money on that seem to be frivolous to others, but if it brings us a bit of comfort or enjoyment, why should it be denigrated? Isn't the point of money to aid us in bringing peace, health, and enjoyment to our lives?
If I had written "YOU should NOT spend three dollars a day on coffee! You idiot" then I would see where you are coming from.4
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