The sugar nobody counts
When sisters write down what they eat for me, they list breakfast, lunch and dinner. Almost nobody lists the teh tarik at 10am, the kopi after lunch, the Milo for energy at four, the bandung at the kenduri.
A drink does not feel like food. It does not fill the plate, so the mind does not count it. But your body counts every gram. For many sisters, the drinks carry more sugar across a day than everything on their plate put together.
You skipped the rice. Then you drank it.
Why sugar in a cup hits harder
When you eat sugar inside food, it arrives with protein, fat and fibre that slow it down. Your stomach has to work, and the sugar reaches your blood gradually.
Sugar in a drink has none of that. It goes almost straight through. Your blood sugar rises quickly, insulin rushes in to bring it down, and very often you dip below where you started an hour later. That dip is the heaviness, the yawning, and the sudden urge for something sweet again.
Liquid sugar is absorbed fast and does not fill you up. So it raises your blood sugar quickly and leaves you just as hungry as before. Two or three sweet drinks a day means two or three spikes your body has to manage, on top of your meals. That is a lot of extra work for insulin, every single day.
Teh tarik, kopi, Milo, juice: what is in them
Teh tarik and kopi. Made the usual way, they are sweetened with condensed milk, and often extra sugar on top. Each cup carries several teaspoons of sugar. Kopi C uses evaporated milk, which is much less sweet, but sugar is usually added unless you ask for kosong.
Milo. Sold to us as the drink of energy and sport since we were children. A cup made with powder and sweetened milk is closer to a dessert than a health drink.
Fruit juice. It sounds healthy, and the fruit was. But juicing keeps the sugar and throws away most of the fibre that slowed it down. For your blood sugar, a glass of juice behaves much more like a soft drink than like an orange.
Bandung, syrup drinks and soft drinks. These are sugar dissolved in water and colour. Lovely at a kenduri, heavy on a body that is trying to heal.
How to order at the kopitiam
You do not have to give up the kopitiam. You only have to learn three words.
- Kopi O kosong / Teh O kosong: black coffee or tea, no sugar. The cleanest choice.
- Kopi C kosong / Teh C kosong: with evaporated milk, no sugar. A gentle step if black is too much for now.
- Kosong on anything: no sugar. Say it every time.
- Plain water: still the best drink there is.
The first week, it will taste bitter. By the third week, sweet drinks will taste too sweet. Your tongue resets faster than you think.
This is food and mechanism, not a diagnosis, and I am a keto coach, not your doctor. If you take medication for diabetes, cutting sweet drinks can lower your blood sugar faster than you expect, so speak to your doctor. And never stop or change your medication on your own.
Three things you can do tonight, for free
You do not need to buy anything from me to start. These are yours, tonight.
1. Count tomorrow's cups before you drink them.
Tonight, write down every drink you had today, sweet or not. Just the list.
Why: most sisters are surprised by their own number. You cannot change what you have not noticed.
2. Make tomorrow's first drink kosong.
Only the first one. Kopi O kosong, teh O kosong, or warm water.
Why: the first sweet drink of the day sets off the first spike and the craving that follows. Start the day without it and the rest of the day is easier.
3. Fill a water bottle tonight and put it where you will see it.
By the kettle, on your desk, in your bag.
Why: thirst is often mistaken for a craving. When water is already in front of you, you reach for it before you reach for the sweet one.
If you do only those three things this week, watch your afternoons. May Allah make it easy for you, Amin.
If you want someone to cook it for you
When the food is right, the cravings for sweet drinks quiet down on their own. A plate built on protein and natural fat keeps you full, so you are not looking for a quick sugar fix at 3pm.
That is why I cook. Kyla With Keto is Singapore's first and only halal keto nasi campur. Heritage Malay and Indonesian dishes, protein at the centre, cooked fresh daily with zero artificial preservatives, served on konjac rice instead of a rice mound. I do the heavy lifting. You eat.
The kitchen is here when you are ready, sister.
The 4 Week Metabolic Reset is where the real change happens. I cook every meal, you eat, and I walk beside you the whole way with private WhatsApp coaching, biiznillah.
Open The Kitchen PayNow only . 88844708 . No credit card, our deen forbids riba.Or comment HEAL on @kylawithketo and I will open the right door.
Questions sisters ask me
Is teh tarik bad for blood sugar?
Teh tarik made the usual way is sweetened with condensed milk and often extra sugar, so each cup carries several teaspoons of sugar with nothing to slow it down. Many sisters drink two or three a day without counting them as food.
What is the best drink to order at a kopitiam on keto?
Kopi O kosong or teh O kosong, which is black coffee or tea with no sugar, or plain water. Kopi C kosong, with unsweetened evaporated milk, is a gentler step if you are not ready for black coffee yet.
Is Milo healthy for adults?
Milo is marketed as an energy drink, but a typical cup made with powder and sweetened milk carries a good amount of sugar. For a sister managing her blood sugar, it is closer to a dessert than a health drink.
Is fruit juice better than soft drinks?
Fruit juice keeps the sugar of the fruit but loses most of the fibre that slowed it down. For blood sugar, a glass of juice behaves much more like a soft drink than like a piece of fruit.
Is sugar free soft drink okay on keto?
It has no sugar, but many sisters find it keeps the craving for sweetness alive. Water, plain tea and black coffee are the cleaner choices while you heal.
The plate is the effort. Allah is the Shafi. Biiznillah.
Coach Kyla is a certified keto coach, not a medical doctor. This article is educational and is not medical advice. If you have type 2 diabetes, PCOS, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or any other condition, or if you are pregnant or nursing, speak with your doctor before changing how you eat, and never stop or adjust prescribed medication on your own.