It’s that time of year.
A Shamrock Shake infographic is making the rounds on social media with the intention of scaring the sugar out of those considering indulging in McDonald’s evil seasonal shake.
Perhaps you have seen the infographic that includes a picture of the shake surrounded by 23 teaspoons of sugar, along with:
“The Shamrock Shake is back! Only 93 grams of sugar. Target market: Your kids.”
If we are so concerned about marketing sugary treats to our children, let’s note:
A 12-ounce Gatorade contains 21 grams. (Children, especially young ones, often gulp these down unnecessarily after sporting events.)
A 12-ounce serving of grape juice contains 58 grams. Apple juice, 39 grams. (And yet we still offer this to our children.)
A 20-ounce Coke contains 65 grams. (These 20-ounce bottles are the new “regular” size usually found in school vending machines.)
A 16-ounce Grande, Starbucks Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino contains 69 grams. (Starbuck’s has no shortage of teenagers hanging out in the Beaver location after school.)
Considering that a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics found that “almost two-thirds of children in the United States consumed at least one sugary beverage on any given day — and roughly 30 percent consumed two or more a day — between 2011 and 2014,” the seasonal Shamrock Shake is the least of our worries.
As Gretchen Rubin, author of “Better Than Before” and “The Four Tendencies” states, “What we do every day matters more than what we do every once in a while.”
While it’s not my taste, the Shamrock Shake could be considered a "once-in-a-while" indulgence.
As could the handmade chocolate truffles I purchased and consumed with my husband on Valentine’s Day. Or Gulab jamun, a sugary dessert I look forward to every Easter when we head out for Indian food — our family tradition.
Am I defending sugar?
Slightly.
It is true that on average Americans consume close to double the amount of the recommended daily serving of added sugar. But the demonization of sugar has become so extreme that special treats making their appearance during specific times of the year are now enduring the same finger wagging as our out-of-control daily consumption.
For example, many label sugar as toxic and poisonous, two misleading descriptors. Drinking one Coke during a movie, or the occasional Mocha Latte with a friend, or yes, that Shamrock Shake for St. Patty’s Day, will not kill the consumer, unless laced with, say, arsenic — an actual poison.
Likewise, sugar has been labeled addictive — another troubling description when one considers the personal, social, relational, vocational and financial consequences that often accompany severe addictions.
Throwing these words around has one purpose: to scare consumers into denouncing sugar completely.
And it doesn’t work. Extreme elimination almost always backfires.
If worried about sugar intake, decrease its normalization in daily consumption, thus leaving room for special indulgences:
Sports drinks: Unless your child is moving continually and vigorously for over an hour, these are completely unnecessary. Speak up against sugary post-game drinks. And forget the juice!
Soda: While it’s hard to stop my children from hitting the vending machines at school, we don’t keep soda in the house. Be the gatekeeper.
Coffee drinkers: Slowly wean sugar intake by adding less each week. Control the controllable.
Bakers: Cut the sugar in recipes by 1/3 or ½ or substitute with unsweetened applesauce. (My kids never know when I do this.)
Rather than completely villainizing sugar, decrease daily use, leaving room for special occasions and unique treats.
Joline Pinto Atkins is a certified fitness professional (ACE, NAFC) wellness coach, lifestyle weight management specialist (NESTA) and also represents Team Beachbody, the makers of proven in-home fitness programs like P90X, 21 Day Fix and Beachbody on Demand – our all access fitness streaming package. She teaches P90X and PiYo locally at B-Well Nation Fitness Center and offers complimentary consultations for developing a personal fitness/nutrition strategy. Along with coaching and teaching, she writes on a variety of topics on her personal blog, www.thecuppajo.com. Questions may be emailed to shapeupwithjo@gmail.com or at thecuppajo.com/contact.