My doctor has recently expressed concern on the amount of weight I have gained in my pregnancy, so when I went into my local Starbucks this morning and saw that they had a “skinny” latte, it seemed like a smarter choice then my regular chubby latte. I took one sip of it and was pretty sure that I could use it to strip paint.I knew that taste immediately and asked the friendly barista, “excuse me sir but does this have Splenda in it?” The barista replied, “No…not unless you asked for it.” I am pretty sure I didn’t ask for a toxic chlorocarbon with a chemical composition similar to DDT to cross the placenta of my unborn child so I think…ok I am safe and I must not be used to skim milk. Well, LUCKILY for my built in poison barometer, I spent the rest of the morning crouched over the porcelain goddess that has become my torture chamber and expelled my morning dose of chlorine laced milk. (and no, I had not got sick in weeks.)
I then looked up “Starbucks skinny latte” online and sure enough “sucralose” is listed as one of the ingredients. So pleeeeeeeeease, if you are enticed by the word skinny think about your poor liver before sipping. Read the studies about the dangers of sucralose. Is ingesting pesticides really worth the few calories saved?
Thanks for the heads up on the nasty additives. Of course the only time I drink any Starbucks is when I have no other alternatives -- e.g., I'm stuck in an airport.
ReplyDeleteO wow. I had no clue! I went to the Dangers of Splenda website and learned a lot. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteOooh, horrible! Guess that gives you an excuse to go for the real thing! How's your pregnancy going?
ReplyDeleteYou poor poor thing! Isn't that wild that your body just KNEW that you were ingesting hazardous waste! I'm so glad that that you share bits of your personal life here as well. It's a pleasure to get a glimpse of the woman behind this magnificent resource:)
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that they put that in lattes - mind you, the people that work there really ought to know.
ReplyDeleteHow are you doing? I don't think there were any Starbucks back when I was last pregnant 13 years ago, but I remember being so sensitive to so many foods.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I had no idea - luckily I generally stay away from all of those artificial sweeteners but now I will definitely steer clear!! Take care of yourself :)
ReplyDeleteIt seems like those nasty sweeteners are everywhere..you really do have to stay away and check everything! (But trust me..it really builds good habits:)
ReplyDeleteOh I had no idea Splenda was bad! I'll tell my mom about it!
ReplyDeleteWhen is your baby born?? :)
If you order a "skinny" latte it will have the added fake sugars, but if you order a "nonfat" plain latte, or one or two-pump latte, there will be regular sugar (or you can add your own if it's plain). I have been adding honey to mine, because it's not as quick to raise blood sugar.
ReplyDeleteSo, so save calories, order a non-fat, plain latte and add just a little real sugar. :)
If you knew that already, sorry!
Lidian and TheAnneBoleynFiles -pregnancy is going good! Thanks for asking.
ReplyDeleteAnne Sophie - baby is not due until October. Seems like a lifetime away.
Marie - oh don't encourage me with the personal rants. heehee
Sara- ahhh I get it. I thought a skinny latte was just nonfat milk. Starbucks is too complicated. This is why I like Dunkin Donuts better. Well, now I know.
It's a little horrifying how "skinny" has become the term for "fake". Fake fat, fake sugar. I think you're better off with the real stuff or going without. (Yes, I know that's what you thought you were getting with the skinny latte, but it interferes with the flow of my rant.;)
ReplyDeleteOctober is going to be here before you know it. Sleep now, btw.
I'm glad to know there are others that are against artificial sweeteners too. I was excited at the prospect of a skinny latte but was very disappointed in learning about the Splenda. If you want a flavored latte, in addition to switching to skim milk you can also request that the barista go light on the syrup because they usually put a few pumps in the drink.
ReplyDeleteThe other good thing is that the regular syrups don't use HFCS, just normal corn syrup, so they're not so bad for you in moderation.
Good luck with the remainder of the pregancy!