Prevention Magazine Features Dr. Kantor…
You hate the taste of coffee—and do whatever you can to disguise it.
If you always take your brew with a heaping spoonful of sugar, you’re setting yourself up for a morning slump and raging hunger—especially if you drink multiple cups. “Even the sugar-free options can cause a blood-sugar imbalance,” warns Keith Kantor, RD, a dietitian outside Atlanta. That’s because substitutes like Splenda trigger the body to produce more insulin, just like real sugar does. And if you stop for a flavored latte at a coffee shop, you’re sipping candy bar levels of the sweet stuff: A typical medium fat-free latte contains 18 grams of sugar, Kantor cautions. (Whatever you do, avoid these 5 absolute worst things you can add to your coffee.)
The Fix: “Keep your coffee simple,” Kantor advises. “Get used to drinking coffee black or with cream only, and you can save at least 10 grams of sugar.” If you only like your cup o’ joe sweet, Kantor recommends using stevia in moderation. Unlike Splenda, this plant-derived sweetener is all natural and won’t provoke your body to pump out insulin, he explains. Janeiro also suggests mixing in spices and flavors that taste sweeter without added sugar, like fresh mint, cocoa powder, cinnamon, or pure vanilla extract.
