Caffeinated soda

[Calm]

2 hours ago, california boy said:

There are numerous studies showing coffee can actually be beneficial to body health.  I know of no study. that shows heavy amounts of soda are a healthy choice.

This comment made me wonder how many people actually drink coffee black without added sugar or cream/creamer.

https://today.yougov.com/society/articles/43907-how-do-people-us-take-their-coffee

 

[Calm]

Not exactly an academic source, but .i am burning out and this will be it for now…

Quote

Sugar is, of course, the leading additive to coffee and tea. About two-thirds of coffee drinkers and one-third of tea drinkers add sugar in their coffee. How much sugar? Coffee drinkers add an average of nearly three teaspoons of sugar each day (41.3 Calories), compared to just over two teaspoons for tea drinkers (36.7 Calories).…

 People often add milk, cream, and flavored syrups to their coffee or tea. Americans consume an average of 23 fat Calories in their coffee each day, compared to 3.7 Calories of fat in their tea.

I may dive again tomorrow…I am finding this interesting.

https://www.newsmile4u.com/cafe-con-cavities-study-reveals-how-much-sugar-we-add-to-coffee-tea/

A 12 oz can of soda according to Alexa has 35 grams of sugar at 190 calories, so coffee wins the sugar race.

I did see younger coffee drinkers go more for the more flavoured drinks.  I may try to find what the trend is for sugar in coffee.

https://medium.com/@josefinamongenunezde/iced-coffee-a-look-into-gen-zs-addiction-c8a3eeb57a3b

Quote

These so-called “little adults” are obsessed with coffee, but why iced? If you walk into a starbucks you’ll see more sugar than coffee. Tik Tok has created a coffee culture that stems from sharing “Starbucks orders”. These orders quickly circulate the app and gain insane popularity with Gen Z. What do all of these orders have in common? They all have a million different pumps of uniquely flavored syrups and they overflow with cold foam, a sort of blended sweet milk foam popularized by Starbucks. These sometimes colorful and almost always aesthetically pleasing drinks, are ordered by every other middle schooler at Starbucks. I asked my co-worker what her least favorite drink to make was and without a second thought five people exclaimed in defeat “the Tik Tok drink”. But while the infinite choices that iced coffee brings could be a huge reason for Gen Z’s obsession, a more subconscious effect of social media lies within.

This is not scientific at all, but it conveys my concerns about portraying coffee as a healthy alternative to soda:

Quote

The clear switch from soda to coffee in this new generation is actually quite influenced by socioeconomic status. In low income urban areas sodas still reign as a kids drink of choice. While initially cost seems to be the reason, a bottle of Pepsi is actually quite comparable to a Dunkin iced coffee, price wise. So why such a shift? In high income suburban areas the fixation with college starts at a very early age. Talking from personal experience, the workload that is put on kids, whether it be self inflicted or not, is overwhelming. Late nights filled with textbooks and last minute essays are the norm, and an extra large iced coffee on the bedside table is the expected accessory. In this bubble-like suburban world, college is everything, which means essays are typed out till the caffeine crash finally hits. But after two hours of sleep are rudely interrupted by an alarm clock, a coffee to get through first period is the only answer. This endless loop of sleep deprivation and stress has created a generation of kids that almost need coffee to get through the day.

 

Edited September 20, 2024 by Calm

[Malc]

45 minutes ago, Calm said:

Had to have been local, I am certain I knew men with beards going to the temple when a teen, but admit it may be a false memory.  My husband had a beard oof and on by mid 80s, solid by late 80s iirc and had no issues ever with a temple recommend, though had to shave it when serving in a bishopric and as a high councilor, urgh….

I feel for your wife, but my reaction was anger that the Stake President condescendingly made it into a test of obedience to his personal leadership as if accepting the calling wasn’t enough.  If he had just said “I would like that, yes” or “it’s a rule”, I would have had little problem with it as I accept there are benefits to a uniform look plus he was the SP and if his leadership style included policing beards, so be it and while I am not into conforming for the sake of conforming, I get that my husband doesn’t care, but to make it about my and my husband’s righteousness to submit to him personally in obedience, equating faithfulness to giving in to his preferences….yeah, that pissed me off. 

added:  I see for you it was in Scotland.  

I love my husband, but he looks like a teddy bear unshaven.  I much prefer the distinguished professor look of a nicely trimmed beard.  Especially given he is a distinguished professor.  Feels better to touch as well than when he needed a shave, which he would by evening.

I have been angry at leaders just a few times in my life.  That was one, the other I remember was when the bishop flippantly dismissed my concerns about letting the Scouts (13 of them) go off on an overnight camp somewhere in the mountains in an old beat up van with one leader, contrary to the Church and Scouts Canada’s regulations….like in set in stone regulation.  If I had reported it, I would not have been surprised if Scouts Canada had made moves to pull the ward’s permission to host a troop.  Back then it didn’t occur to me to threatened to report it outside the Church, I was so flabbergasted that the bishop of the ward, the protector of the church’s wishes at the local level would so casually ignore church rules.

I was taught to be quick to obey, and not to be the slothful servant that needed to be commanded in all things.

He didn't say: "Malc, you need to shave." He said: "Malc, if you come back tomorrow without the beard, I'll sign your recommend."

The scout story is a bit wild, to be sure.

[Peacefully]

I miss coffee with cream and sugar, sweet tea, and frozen margaritas sometimes. I also gave up caffeine but only because of the rebound headaches. I finally gave up all types of sodas (called coke in Texas, lol) because I have Osteoporosis and phosphoric acid isn’t good for the bones. Orange juice also gives me headaches and apple juice has too much sugar.

 

I’m down to herbal tea, diet lemonade and sparkling water. 
 

 

Edited September 20, 2024 by Peacefully

[Malc]

27 minutes ago, bluebell said:

I'm not seeing 'advised not to' and 'prohibited' to be at all the same thing.  I think Featherstone was playing a little fast and loose with that interpretation.  

I agree. I see it as another example of the scripture I paraphrased above in an answer to Calm (got the spelling right this time 🤣😞 you shouldn't need to be commanded when a leader has pointed you in the right direction.

[Buckeye]

The first time I drank cola was on my mission in the mid 90s in California. I worked with Hispanic immigrants and coke was a part of their culture. One of my first dinners was with a very poor family who had spent probably a weeks food budget on a meal for us two missionaries. It included coke because that was their best. 
I vividly recall declining the drink as against the WoW, only to have a strong impression enter my mind - among the strongest I’ve ever had - reprimanding me that I was applying my own standard, not the lords, and was causing offense to the “least of these.”  So I drank on command of the spirit - somewhat like Peter’s account of eating with the gentiles. 
I still think cola - and soda in general - is unhealthy. For years the only time I’d drink caffeinated drinks was while driving to the temple on an early morning youth trip (the temple was 2.5 hours away) because I considered staying awake more important than a bit of soda. 

[Calm]

10 minutes ago, Peacefully said:

I miss coffee with cream and sugar, sweet tea, and frozen margaritas sometimes. I also gave up caffeine but only because of the rebound headaches. Orange juice also gives me headaches and apple juice has too much sugar. I’m down to herbal tea, diet lemonade and sparkling water. 

Fresh ginger tea with fresh lemon….

[Peacefully]

4 minutes ago, Calm said:

Fresh ginger tea with fresh lemon….

That sounds really good! Do you have a recipe or do you buy it? 

Edited September 20, 2024 by Peacefully

[Buckeye]

Another reprimand came about 10 years ago. My office had installed a self serve coffee machine that also dispensed hot chocolate. One spring day I was waiting on my cocoa to brew and thought “everything comes out of the same spout so I’ve probably drank a spoonful of coffee residue over the last winter.”  The spirit prompted me “hey idiot, dont worry about a spoonful of coffee. Worry about the gallon of cocoa you drink each month.”

[Calm]

43 minutes ago, Peacefully said:

That sounds really good! Do you have a recipe or do you buy it? 

Just cut up a huge amount of fresh ginger…not, really as I only do an excessive amount for multiple brews with the same cup….I use about a tablespoon I am guessing for a cup, but it could be two as I don’t measure it, just eyeball and sip after a few minutes and add more if needed as it is never too strong, lol.  I probably go off smell more than anything.

It really it is how patient I am to scrape off the skin and find the right knife and shave off slivers.  I then steep it in hot water like any tea for as long as I can stand to wait, which usually is not long, so it gets stronger as I drink it.  

Give it a squeeze of a half of a lemon and enjoy. 

 My daughter likes it with honey, I prefer agave if a sugar craving (I don’t like the taste of straight sugar anymore, too weak, bland) and Allulose if I am trying to watch the calories or eliminate sugar (feel tons better with minimal sugar with the fibromyalgia), but still want sweetness…though it’s definitely not as sweet as the same amount of sugar (Allulose works best for sweetness as half sugar, half Allulose; I am thinking of trying it with a little touch of maple syrup as that smell and taste says “sweet” to me and that may be enough to satisfy the sweet tooth with minimal added sugars.  Dislike stevia, but if you like it, it would probably work well from my memory of the taste.

I am thinking of getting a mug warmer because it’s just not as good cool and I need to up my water intake.  I can drain it once and then steep it again.  Haven’t tried three times yet.

We also mush the fresh ginger up into a paste and then freeze it in small ice cube trays and make the tea with that, but I love the smell of cutting up the fresh ginger and lemon.  
 

My daughter made a syrup once that was delicious and so easy to use, but so much sugar, so that’s out for me.

Edited September 20, 2024 by Calm

[Malc]

If you go to DI (Deseret Industries, if you didn't know  ) in St George, UT, you can find lots of used coffee makers on the shelf - brands like Mr Coffee.

Pretty much guaranteed you'll see several with sticky labels over the word "coffee", with the lettering "hot chocolate" - donated by those who need to feel that they are avoiding the appearance of evil.

[bluebell]

2 hours ago, Peacefully said:

I miss coffee with cream and sugar, sweet tea, and frozen margaritas sometimes. I also gave up caffeine but only because of the rebound headaches. I finally gave up all types of sodas (called coke in Texas, lol) because I have Osteoporosis and phosphoric acid isn’t good for the bones. Orange juice also gives me headaches and apple juice has too much sugar.

 

I’m down to herbal tea, diet lemonade and sparkling water. 
 

 

My mom makes the best frozen margaritas. Just without the alcohol of course.  😁

Edited September 20, 2024 by bluebell

[SeekingUnderstanding]

13 hours ago, bluebell said:

My mom makes the best frozen margaritas. Just without the alcohol of course.  😁

I guarantee you they taste better that way [without the alcohol]. 

Edited September 20, 2024 by SeekingUnderstanding

[MustardSeed]

4 minutes ago, SeekingUnderstanding said:

I guarantee you they taste better that way. 

I’ll take your word for it, though I have a hard time believing you.  😝

[SeekingUnderstanding]

18 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

I’ll take your word for it, though I have a hard time believing you.  😝

I’m a huge fan of the Middle and this scene is so accurate. Could only find on TikTok. Sorry. Skip to one minute in:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFjo68su/

[Summary: Sue Heck excited to taste her first cocktail tried it and exclaims “oh I think there’s something bad in this!”  Her mom knowingly leans over and says “That’s the alcohol”.]

[Peacefully]

2 hours ago, Calm said:

Just cut up a huge amount of fresh ginger…not, really as I only do an excessive amount for multiple brews with the same cup….I use about a tablespoon I am guessing for a cup, but it could be two as I don’t measure it, just eyeball and sip after a few minutes and add more if needed as it is never too strong, lol.  I probably go off smell more than anything.

It really it is how patient I am to scrape off the skin and find the right knife and shave off slivers.  I then steep it in hot water like any tea for as long as I can stand to wait, which usually is not long, so it gets stronger as I drink it.  

Give it a squeeze of a half of a lemon and enjoy. 

 My daughter likes it with honey, I prefer agave if a sugar craving (I don’t like the taste of straight sugar anymore, too weak, bland) and Allulose if I am trying to watch the calories or eliminate sugar (feel tons better with minimal sugar with the fibromyalgia), but still want sweetness…though it’s definitely not as sweet as the same amount of sugar (Allulose works best for sweetness as half sugar, half Allulose; I am thinking of trying it with a little touch of maple syrup as that smell and taste says “sweet” to me and that may be enough to satisfy the sweet tooth with minimal added sugars.  Dislike stevia, but if you like it, it would probably work well from my memory of the taste.

I am thinking of getting a mug warmer because it’s just not as good cool and I need to up my water intake.  I can drain it once and then steep it again.  Haven’t tried three times yet.

We also mush the fresh ginger up into a paste and then freeze it in small ice cube trays and make the tea with that, but I love the smell of cutting up the fresh ginger and lemon.  
 

My daughter made a syrup once that was delicious and so easy to use, but so much sugar, so that’s out for me.

I’ll try it. I have some fresh ginger and I’ll probably use swerve to sweeten it. I watch my sugar intake. I got too close to the edge with pre-diabetes last year so I lost 30 lbs and I am trying to be diligent about keeping it off. 

[Peacefully]

50 minutes ago, SeekingUnderstanding said:

I’m a huge fan of the Middle and this scene is so accurate. Could only find on TikTok. Sorry. Skip to one minute in:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFjo68su/

[Summary: Sue Heck excited to taste her first cocktail tried it and exclaims “oh I think there’s something bad in this!”  Her mom knowingly leans over and says “That’s the alcohol”.]

Loved that show! 

[Peacefully]

1 hour ago, bluebell said:

My mom makes the best frozen margaritas. Just without the alcohol of course.  😁

Yum! Does she have a special recipe? My husband and I like to go on cruises, although it has been five years since the last one because of Covid, and one of our favorite things is to order virgin pina coladas and enjoy the shows. I gave up worrying about the appearance of evil a long time ago.  Judgers gonna judge and I ain’t got time for that, lol. 

[Calm]

4 hours ago, Malc said:

If you go to DI (Deseret Industries, if you didn't know  ) in St George, UT, you can find lots of used coffee makers on the shelf - brands like Mr Coffee.

Pretty much guaranteed you'll see several with sticky labels over the word "coffee", with the lettering "hot chocolate" - donated by those who need to feel that they are avoiding the appearance of evil.

Too funny.

[Calm]

2 hours ago, Peacefully said:

I gave up worrying about the appearance of evil a long time ago.

It’s a misquote or misinterpretation anyway iirc.  

[MustardSeed]

6 hours ago, Peacefully said:

Yum! Does she have a special recipe? My husband and I like to go on cruises, although it has been five years since the last one because of Covid, and one of our favorite things is to order virgin pina coladas and enjoy the shows. I gave up worrying about the appearance of evil a long time ago.  Judgers gonna judge and I ain’t got time for that, lol. 

Nothing tastes as good as one of those imo.  Judge away, if that’s even happening!  

[Rain]

6 hours ago, Peacefully said:

Yum! Does she have a special recipe? My husband and I like to go on cruises, although it has been five years since the last one because of Covid, and one of our favorite things is to order virgin pina coladas and enjoy the shows. I gave up worrying about the appearance of evil a long time ago.  Judgers gonna judge and I ain’t got time for that, lol. 

I'm just jealous.  Those would knock my blood sugar sky high.

[bluebell]

8 hours ago, SeekingUnderstanding said:

I guarantee you they taste better that way. 

Better with or without the alcohol? 😂

[Dario_M]

23 minutes ago, Rain said:

I'm just jealous.  Those would knock my blood sugar sky high.

Oh dear. Do you have diabetes? 

[Peacefully]

26 minutes ago, Rain said:

I'm just jealous.  Those would knock my blood sugar sky high.

Yep, I have to be careful with sugar but I allow myself some flexibility on special occasions and vacations.