I Asked for Coffee, not a Milkshake

Ah, tis the season and Fall is here. You can feel the crisp air, see the leaves changing colors, and oh no... another person walking by with a cliché pumpkin spice coffee concoction in their hand. I'll never understand the odd comfort in sipping something that tastes like an autumnal Yankee Candle.

I've peeked behind the curtain, and the figures are horrendous. Don't believe me? I've put the most popular seasonal drinks in the table below with some donuts and soda for reference, (I'm finally putting those Excel skills from business school to good use). Whether its a Frozen Pumpkin Swirl from Dunkin' or the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, you're still consuming more sugar and calories than just eating a donut and a regular coffee with cream.

Then we all act surprised when stats show that 41% of Americans are tipping the scales into obesity and around 35% are on the cusp of diabetes.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love coffee, real coffee. Just like most of the best things in life -whether it's music, classic cars, or nature - coffee is best when it's pure and unadulterated. Nothing tops the robust taste of a good black coffee. My morning ritual is as set in stone as an old-timey commandment: a cup of that dark nectar of the gods prepares me for jiu-jitsu before dawn at 6 am, then my 9 am refill kickstarts my brain for the office.

But these seasonal drinks are not coffee. So don't kid yourself. If you're going to splurge, do it right. Drop the pretense, head over to Carvel, and get an honest-to-goodness milkshake. At least then, you know what you're signing up for.