Can you really drink bubble tea without feeling guilty?

You've braved the queue and the mixed up orders, so surely you deserve to sink into that cup of refreshing freshly made bubble milk tea (also known as pearl milk tea, bubble milk tea, or boba tea). But as you sip away and start getting full, you begin to think about the calories and the consequences of those calories, and guilty pangs hit.

Surely you don't deserve that?

Calorie count

Let's count what you don't deserve – unwanted calories.

Plain bubble tea has about 160 calories. Now add some milk in, and that figure stirs up to about 230 calories. Next, pop in some tapioca pearls, and now it's blown up to about 300 calories and counting!

Not to burst your bubble, but that is the calorie count – estimated. That cup doesn't look so refreshing now, does it? With those figures in mind, it's easy to understand why having a boba drinking habit, some even consume them daily, is not a good thing.

Burn the calories

Just burn the calories, you say? Ok, sure, but what about the added sugar - the ones you were merrily slurping up on top of what your body is already capable of producing?

Isn't sugar rush good as it does elevate your mood?

NO. When there's too much sugar (glucose) in the body, you'll actually feel lethargic. This happens because the body's natural response is to release insulin to deal with the sugar. Still, this constant action can have a sluggish effect. The only 'rush' you'll be experiencing is the speed at which your bathroom scale needles shoots up.

Let's not forget what too much sugar can do in terms of wreaking havoc to your health!

Surely it's ok

We are creatures of comfort, and if that comfort comes in the form of bubble milk tea, then it's justifiably arguable, but ONLY if you have it sparingly! And when you do, consider these:

• Ask for lesser sugar content

• Reduce or avoid toppings

With that said, we are also creatures of vanity and drinking bubble milk tea isn't really what we should be doing if we want to look good, right?

The verdict

If drinking bubble milk tea elevates your mood, other healthier options can do the same. For example, Greek yoghurt can boost the mood, and so can a kefir smoothie. If you think that making your own smoothie is a chore, would you instead choose to have to leave the house and join a queue for a bubble milk tea? If you're already out, there are plenty of smoothie places you can head to. It's all about making the right choice, especially when presented with the not-so-right ones.

If bubble milk tea is more of a rare indulgence, then go ahead but keep it that way. Now, if you're only drinking it because it's a trend, resetting your priorities and going for the types that are good for your health is a better option.

So "can you really drink bubble milk tea without feeling guilty?" Well, that's a question that only you can answer.

But do remember that you only have one body and taking good care of it is a necessity that can help you experience all the good things that life has to offer. And that's what you truly deserve – bubble milk tea not included.