My number one health goal for 2016? No more sugar!

I’ve been borderline diabetic for the last 18 years. I was borderline diabetic for 18 years, and managing my sugar intake sufficiently well. I am diabetic now. I live on coffee. Most days, I eat one small meal and 1-2 snacks and drink coffee throughout the day. While I can still drink coffee, I will not be able to sweeten it as before. I’ve never taken to the various artificial sweeteners or the natural ones. They leave a bitter soapy taste in my mouth.

I had resolved to drink unsweetened coffee as of the first of the year, and did, until tonight. A lady at the checkout counter at a store I frequent told me there is a coconut coffee that Costco carries that a lot of diabetics use and that it is apparently quite pleasant. The coffee in question is CaCafe Coconut Coffee. I didn’t quite make it to Costco on time, but I did find this most unfortunately named coffee at Mother’s Market. I bought a tin of unsweeted and a ready to go cup of regular, sweetened coconut coffee.

I made the sweetened coffee first. Filled to the line, the coffee is way too sweet, even for me. I added water the rest of the way and the result was enjoyable. The coffee has a very nutty, smooth taste, and is very creamy in texture. Since it contains 14g of carbs, it is not a good replacement in that format, if you intend on drinking several cups a day.

The total carb content for the sweetened variety is 14g. The total fat content in the unsweetened is 6g,  of which 5g is unsaturated fat derived from coconut.

I made myself a cup of unsweetened CAcafe, following the instructions to the letter. At first, the coffee tasted bitter to me. After a few sips, however, my taste buds have adjusted. It still has a bit of a bitter kick, but it isn’t overpowering. I wish it were just a touch more coffee-ey in flavor. Adding instant coffee seems like it would become too bitter.

The total carb content for the unsweetened variety is 5g. The total fat content is in the unsweetened is 11g,  of which 10g is unsaturated fat derived from coconut. This particular fat is of the beneficial kind that, when used regularly in the diet, helps ward off diabetes.

At $10 per canister, this alternative is three times more expensive than a large jar of Folgers, and a serving is three tablespoons. For now, I will drink two mugfuls a day and unsweetened coffee the rest of the time.