Wednesday, May 16, 2012

The Perfect Storm

Oh, today. I'm glad it is over. All things came together for failure. And I succeeded. At failing.

The children and I ventured to the big city with a friend and her son. We enjoyed the children's museum and lunch in the park--fountain, mounted police, squirrels. Beautiful weather. I brought iced green tea and sugar snap peas and cucumber slices. It was shaping up to be another easy day of sugar-free.

And then, about four o'clock, we stopped at a Starbucks before heading the 75 miles home. It was a fairly warm day. I wanted a cool drink. I went for the safe choice, the choice I've been making for years now. The iced passion tea UnSweet. I said UnSweet. Did you hear me? UnSweet.


Tazo® Shaken Iced Passion Tea
I enjoyed my drink on the way home, sucking down most of it within ten minutes. When I got home I was hungry. I had eaten a light lunch--about five grilled shrimp on a green salad with no dressing. (I ordered my salad sans dressing because I wouldn't want to get tripped up by hidden sugar would I?) So I thought that was why I was hungry. 

I came in and ate a smackaroon. Then another. Then I wanted another. After three I thought, "maybe the banana in the smackaroon is affecting me like sugar" even though the previous two days is had not. Then, after I'd eaten four smackaroons and a small plate of tortilla chips with microwaved cheese and salsa, I had a Goody powder. In a desperate move, I put six ice cubes of red wine in a glass to thaw. My headache was not disappearing. I took another Goody powder. I started getting mad and thinking of how my day had gone. 

This was the former me. The me that used to come in from a day of teaching middle school, unhinge my jaw and shovel in whatever I could find--chocolate and olives and leftovers and cheese. This was out of control eating. 

I looked back at the day and knew I'd probably not eaten enough. But it felt like more was going on. I suspected it may have been the tea. I had a flash of one time hearing that there may have been sugar in the passion tea. I don't think I ever looked into it, because I didn't believe it. It was unsweetened, afterall. Unsweetened. And I usually order half passion tea and half green tea. (According to the website the green tea has no sugars.)

Tazo® Shaken Iced Passion Tea

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (24 fl oz)
Calories 120 Calories from Fat 0

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 0mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 31g
Protein 0g

Not good at all. I was beside myself. But then I started thinking. This was a great day. An affirmation of why sugar is not good for me. It does not affect my body in a healthy way. It isn't something I can deny or ignore. I am glad today happened the way it did.


Calories : 2176 [almost 900 calories of snacks, including the tea, all consumed within an hour of a major sugar crash]

Sugar : hidden Starbucks sugar, 31 grams

Fruit : 2/3 cup strawberries

Alcohol: one glass of red wine

Coffee : None

Exercise : Fifteen minutes of yoga

1 comment:

  1. lesson learned and look how well you know your body after this short time. you figured it out. and starbucks is lame anyway. love you :)

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