Things That Make Me Happy

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There are so many things that can make us happy in the world and, today, I wanted to focus on a few of those. With the Miracle Ball coming up and my super stress about this Saturday being the first ever event I have chaired, there are many a thing that I like to think about other than that looming to-do list. Here are a few of them. 

• A sense of humor. Yesterday our bathroom flooded and turned half of our bedroom, closet, and hallway into a nice little in-home pond. It took a bit to see the humor in it, but find it we did. I am so happy that us humans have the ability to take the bad and make it good. I am also thankful for a husband who helps me laugh. 
• The SNL 40th anniversary show. It was the funniest thing ever and the literal definition of happiness. So good, so funny, so many memories. I am really not sure which sketch was my favorite but Wayne's World is pretty high on the list for sure!
• Federated Media and the accidental e-mail chain I got on. If you are a blogger and have any known (or unknown) connection to Federated Media, chances are you know what this is. Pretty much, I blogger thought she wrote an email to one person but sent it to the entire Federated Media email list. There were some pretty big names on that list- I'm looking at you, Damsel in Dior. It was my evening entertainment and the reason for this post. And now, I have about 900 new blogs that simply must be read!
• The most amazing Harry Potter video ever that puts all of the important Snape moments in chronological order. If you are not crying by the end, your heart is made of stone. 
• My new Magic Kingdom Starbucks mug. It is only available at the Starbucks in Magic Kingdom and it is my new love. Oh, and I am compiling a post all about the must-do things at Wilderness Lodge, it should be up later this week or early next- Here is a little teaser below :)

• This yoga video. It is simple, short, and left my buns sore the next day. 
• This dress. It is what I am wearing to the Miracle Ball and I cannot wait until Wednesday when it comes back to me from getting altered. When it got to the store I rushed in without brushing my hair or putting on any make-up. The face and hair will look a bit different Saturday night ;) Also coming Wednesday, the hub's new tux *squeal*

• You! There are so many of you who have read and responded to this little blog over the past few years and I am so happy to have you in my life. Thank you!!! 

What are a few of the things that have made you happy this week? 

Starbucks for Less- Calories

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Ok, so laying it all on the table, I have had Starbucks A LOT in the past few weeks. Like once a day A LOT. Why?! You ask with mild concern and fear in your voice (unless you are one of my Starbucks loving friends who does not understand why this is a big deal)- Well, there are many bits to this Starbucks coffee storm.

In part, it is because I have has a ton of meetings there and you do not go to a place without getting something. That's just manners. Second, I keep having this pesky issue with forgetting my wallet at home and wanting food while out. Until recently I did not know that Apple Pay was up and the only way I could get food without stealing it was to go to Starbucks and pay through the app (also, let's just gloss over the whole driving without a license thing. Ok? Ok!)

And finally, it has gotten about as cold as Florida gets and I will take advantage of that with hot yoga, wearing scarfs, wearing scarfs at hot yoga (yes, I did), and drinking copious amounts of hot yummy coffee beverages. Oh, and as far as drive thru coffee is concerned, Starbucks averages the lowest calories between McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts.  All of this together and you have a Starbucks fiend on your hands.

Thankfully, there is a way to lower the super high amount of sugar and calories in your super yummy drink. Keep reading for the big, three part reveal! Drums roll.

The Easiest Way

Warning, the easiest way may not always be the healthiest or yummiest option. But, it can work in a pinch. For this, all you need to do is read up on the 200 calories or less menu at Starbucks. All of the drinks are Tall options (gross) and most are teas. If you are wanting a coffee,  the Skinny Vanilla Latte will run you 100 calories, the nonfat Cappuccino will only set you back 60 calories, and the nonfat Caramel Macchiato is only 140. Not too shabby, especially considering that a tall coffee is about the average person's cup.

But, what if you are not the average person and a cup of coffee is not a cup of coffee unless you need both hands to hold it and your cup could be confused with a bowl? Well, your in luck!

Soy and NonFat

Getting ready, a whole milk grande latte has between 150 (cafe latte) and 460 calories (Eggnog Latte)!!?! If you want to avoid some unneeded calories this coffee season, avoid whole milk. When it comes to dairy in your drink, Nonfat is the best with Soy coming in at a close second. This will shave between 10 and 100+ calories off your drink. Even better, many of these calories would be from fat.

To get a good idea, here is the run down on the Hazelnut Macchiato (my favorite), the Gingerbread Latte, and the Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Whole Milk Hazelnut Macchiato

• 270 calories
• 10 grams fat
• 35 carbs
• 10 grams protein

Nonfat/Soy Hazelnut Macchiato

• 190 calories (NF)/ 230 calories (Soy)
• 0 grams fat/ 4.5 grams fat
• 35 carbs/ 39 carbs
•  11 grams protein/ 9 grams protein

Whole Milk Gingerbread Latte

• 290 calories
• 10 grams fat
• 37 carbs
• 11 grams protein

Nonfat/Soy Gingerbread Latte

• 200 calories (NF)/ 250 calories (Soy)
• 0 grams fat/ 5 grams fat
• 38 carbs/ 42 carbs
• 11 grams protein/ 9 grams protein

Whole Milk Pumpkin Spice Latte

• 340 calories
• 10 grams fat
• 50 carbs
• 14 grams protein

Nonfat/Soy Pumpkin Spice Latte

• 260 calories (NF)/ 310 calories (Soy)
• 0 grams fat/ 5 grams fat
• 50 carbs/ 54 carbs
• 14 grams protein/ 12 grams protein

Less Sugar

Less sugar equals less calories. The goal, even beyond fewer calories is to have it be healthier. There are always ways to make things fat free or sugar free, but sometimes, what we are replacing it with is even worse than the fat or the sugar. That is, unless we are simply something away. To get less sugar in your Starbucks drinks, the best way is to ask them to put less in from the start. This has been my go-to for YEARS and I have probably already mentioned it on the blog once or twice before.

A flavored grande drink from Starbucks will have 4 pumps of syrup in it. That is a lot. Usually, it is very hard to tell the difference in taste between three pumps and four pumps, but the health benefits are vast. Each pump of Pumpkin Spice Syrup has 33 calories and 5 carbs. If you were to cut out 1-2 pumps, you would be saving about 66 calories and 10 carbs, bringing the total down to less than 200 calories and 40 carbs. That is still a TON of carbs, but it is a whole lot less. Although these numbers are quite high, the average flavored Starbucks syrup has 20 calories and 5 carbs but the Gingerbread has 80 calories per pump and 19 carbs.

Syrups to Avoid

Unfortunately, not all Starbucks flavors are created equal. To avoid unwanted calories, avoid the Starbucks flavors that have far too many. These include the Eggnog which is one of the least healthy and calorie loaded drinks Starbucks has. Next up is Gingerbread which is incredibly high in the calorie count.

Say No to Fluff

The Starbucks whipped cream and drizzle may be tasty and pretty, but is adds on plenty of useless calories to any drink. That whipped cream will set you back 80 calories, 2 carbs, and 8 grams of fat. Drizzle varies but will be 20+ calories. Just. Say. No.

Avoid the Skinny

You may think that ordering the Skinny option of anything is your best bet at Starbucks. Yes, that is true if you are only looking at carbs, fat, and calories, but reading the label tells a completely different story. The Starbucks Skinny syrups are the sugar free options. These use Sucralose, a sugar replacement that has been linked to plenty of nasty things. Sucralose has compounds that the human body cannot break down, much like trans fat. These compounds are mainly sotred in our kidneys and liver and will accumulate over time.

Although the absorption rate of Sucralose is only 10%-40% depending on research facility, you are still absorbing 10%-40% of something in your body that will never break down. Even worse, Sucralose has been linked to causing birth defects, shrinking of the thymus gland (needed for T-cell growth and proper immune function), enlarged liver and kidneys, and a reduced growth rate.

Sure, you may not be getting extra calories, but the side effects are just not worth the Skinny name.

Do Starbucks, Healthier

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New research was recently released which showed that Oreos are as addictive as crack. I think they need to add Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte to this list. Seriously. And now, we have all those yummy, seasonal holiday goodies to be excited about all over again. Yesterday was my first time having the Caramel Brulee latte since last Christmas. I forgot how much I love that sweet, sweet dessert!

For the most part, Starbucks falls on my naughty list of foods, but there are some little tips and tricks that I have used which make that delicious coffee nectar a bit better for us.  

100 Calorie Drinks

Starbucks has quite a few drinks that are 100 calories all on their own. Granted, these are all talls, but do we really need the vente? If you are looking for 100 calories or less, go for amlost anything in the "Light Coffee" category. These include the Caramel Frap and Coffe Frap. The Non-fat Caramel Machiatto and the Skinny Vanilla Latte are also less than 100-calories.

Still wanting something seasonsal? Try the new Skinny Peppermint Mocha for just over 100 calories!

Less Syrup

One of the greatest ways to enjoy your Starbucks specialty drinks without all the calores and sugar that usually tag along is to get less syrup. All of the specialy coffees come with 4 pumps of syrup, get 3 pumps instead. With 3 pumps there will be absoletely no difference in taste (trust me) and you will loose 32.5 calories and over 7 grams from carbs! Take away the whipped cream and get it with non-fat milk and you have a latte for about 230 calories! That is almost 200 calories less than the original!

Healthier Foods

Starbucks has a new line of foods they have named "Bistro Boxes". These boxes have good-for-you things like organic peanut butter, hummus, fruit, eggs, ad chicken. COnsidering that these are one of the only things on the menu that have proteins, they are a pretty great option. Calories range from 270-480 per bristo box. The healthiest option is the chicken and hummus box with 270 calories, 7 grams fat and 20 grams protein! The least healthy would be the cheese box, hands down. This box has 480 calories, 28 grams fat, and 18 grams protein. The power box fall right in the middle.

Both oatmeal option have 150 calores, 2.5 grams fat, and 5 grams protein. For sandwiches and wraps, the Spinach an Feta Breakfast Wrap is the healthiest, hands down. This wrap will set you back 290 calories, 10 grams fat, and 18 grams protein.