What You Didn’t Know About Starbucks

[link to www.healthwellness.info]

Everyone loves Starbucks. We can’t lie about this one, as the proof is obvious. We have such a demand for coffee that there’s a Starbucks on what seems like every block. Starbucks isn’t just in the United States, but it’s also thriving on the streets of other countries as well. A common line I hear from people I know is, “I love coffee from my home, and I even have my own espresso machine. However, there’s nothing like getting one from Starbucks.” Is Starbucks just so good that we keep coming back, and regardless of how high they price it, we still buy it?

MSG & Caffeine: A Strong Addiction

MSG, also known as Monosodium Glutamate, is a deadly neurotoxin in almost every food product on the market that can make dirt taste appealing. It’s a drug used as ‘flavoring’ to get consumers to buy more food. The toxin tells your brain that you’re starving, it causes chronic brain damage, it flips on fat-building traits in your body, and you become addicted to the deadly taste of the foods with MSG in them and thus you buy more of those foods. Wait, you may be asking yourself, what does this have to do with Starbucks? You can’t possibly put MSG in coffee! Don’t underestimate the deceptive marketing techniques of the FDA just yet. Loopholes state that you can disguise MSG as a variety of ingredients. For example, the ingredient in Starbucks’ white mocha syrup doesn’t list Monosodium Glutamate as an active ingredient, but on the list, you’ll find ‘Natural Flavors’. Natural Flavors can be anything. Basically, you can only guess what ‘Natural Flavoring’ is, and it’s commonly used to disguise MSG in food labels. That’s right, your favorite mocha at Starbucks has MSG in it. This is why lots people’s personal attempts at copying Starbuck’s drinks fails because they lack MSG.

In today’s market, MSG is a money-making ingredient. The more you love the food, the more you’ll want to buy, and the richer the company becomes. It’s a common technique used to deceive your taste buds and body’s natural urges. Now only that, but caffeine is also a known drug that creates addiction. The combination of these two ‘drugs’ is what causes so many people to love their drinks so much. To be honest, it’s just amazing how Starbucks can trick so many intelligent people, doctors, and others into paying 10x the amount for coffee at some store when they can make it at home for a lot cheaper. You’re being deceived.

What Is White Mocha? Simply Put: MSG, Trans Fats, & Sugar

I’m not going to pick through all of Starbuck’s drinks, but let’s focus on their most popular product, their white mocha! What exactly is this ‘white mocha’. Well, from the ingredient list, it’s labeled.

White Mocha Syrup

White mocha syrup ingrediants: Sugar, condensed skim milk, sweetened condensed skim milk (may contain MSG), partially hydrogenated coconut oil (trans fats), cocoa butter, natural flavor (MSG), salt (bleached salt), potassium sorbate, monoglycerides.

Also, take note that there’s a good chance that none of these ingredients are produced organically. That means, aside from the ingredients I’ve listed as containing MSG and trans fats, other ingredients like sugar and condensed skim milk are probably genetically modified in some way. GMOs are not healthy in any way and for those unaware, take a look at the dangers of genetically modified foods. Not saying that GMOs are the only risk here, as MSG and trans fats should be enough to scare any consumer away. MSG is used for flavor of course. The trans fats from the hydrogenated oil and potassium sorbate are used to preserve the mocha, giving it a longer shelf life. The safe limit on trans fats are zero. All trans fats cause heart disease. The sugar is used to sweeten the drink. There’s a whopping 11 grams in each pump of syrup. Starbucks’ average drink contains about 4 pumps of white mocha with a massive 6 pumps in their iced white mochas. Not to mention, the milk that Starbucks uses has an unusually high amount of sugar in it compared to normal milk. Just a teaspoon of sugar can suppress the immune system for several hours. This mixture of ingredients spells disaster for your health, and it’s a common supplement for the average person’s ‘crap diet’. Why does Starbucks add these ingredients? Well, the answer is simple, ‘money’.

Starbucks’ Prices Continue To Climb

Milk, white mocha derived from factory-made processed ingredients, coffee beans, and cups don’t cost as much as $3-5 a drink. Over the last few years, Starbucks has been consistently increasing the prices of their drinks. While the economy is pressuring corporations to raise their prices, companies like Starbucks aren’t really affected as much. Summer of 2007, Starbucks switched all their milk over the 2% fat milk because reduced fat milk is cheaper to manufacture. Yet, Starbucks’ prices have consistently rose over the last few years. America is also in a recession, so who can afford these prices? Well, it’s not stopping everyone. If Starbucks can get away with raising the price, providing cheaper ingredients, and you’re willing to continue allowing yourself to get lured in by a toxic beverage, then why not raise the price. Not only is Starbucks bad for you, but it’s also not doing much for the economy.

Healthy Alternatives To Starbucks’ Coffee

Well, now that you understand the amount of deception gone into Starbucks, let’s find ways to protect ourselves from this. What can you do? The easiest way is to stop drinking coffee. This is probably too much to ask for the majority of people, and hell, I love my coffee as much as the next person. So, the obvious thing would be to start buying your own organic coffee beans and brewing your own coffee at home every morning. Even if you’re pressed for time, most coffee makers today come with timers. If you just can’t give up your mocha, then make your own espresso at home. All you need to do is create 3-4 shots of espresso, mix in some unsweetened cocoa powder, and add a few drops of stevia or a couple scoops of Xylitol for sweetener. Experiment to get the best results and you’ll find yourself making a healthier and cheaper beverage than anything you can buy at Starbucks.

If you still choose to go to Starbucks, then what you can do is find healthier alternatives. Find drinks that have as less chances as possible to contaminate. Avoiding all syrups would be your first safe bet. Order a coffee and prepare it yourself, or try something that doesn’t require syrup. Also, be warned that Starbucks sweetens your coffee with their ’syrup sweetener’, so don’t ask Starbucks to sweeten the coffee for you. Order your coffee, take it over to the bar, and sweeten the drink yourself with sugar. Although sugar is bad, it’s not as bad as MSG and high fructose corn syrup. Remember, you’re a human being who deserves to make choices about your health. Don’t let corporations deceive you by telling you that you’re getting a high quality white mocha or real sugar with your drink. You have to take charge and discover the truth yourself. Next time you go to a coffee shop, ask them, “May I please see the ingredient list on your syrup?” Protect your health.