We all love candies, cakes, sweets and chocolate. But, your favorite comfort food is actually your worst enemy. Stop celebrating the joys in your life with sugar.
According to the Australian writer David Gillespie, sugar is actually a “sweet poison.” Studies have shown that it is as addictive as cocaine, plus too much sugar can cause weight gain, tooth decay and diabetes.
What you don’t know is the fact that sugar can impair brain gunction, and cause depression, anxiety, cancer and heart disease.
Sugar is deadly
Dr. Robert Lustig, an American pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California strongly suggests that we all eliminate sugar from our diet. It’s all about the fructose content in sugar. Well, fruits contain fructose, too, but refined sugar and artificial sweeteners contain more fructose than fruit.
Can you believe that even natural sweeteners contain added fructose? The doctor explained that fructose only fools your brain, and you think your’re full. Truth is, you are not full, and you will definitely overeat. Excess fructose is converted into liver fat, and eventually causes diabetes and heart disease.
Cut down on your sugar
Sugar is added in every product. It’s often hidden under names like high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose and maltose. Yes, sugar is added in your ketchup, salad dressing, fruit juices, canned fruit, sports drinks and pastry.
Try to stay away from aspartame and other artificial sweeteners. These cause cancer, birth defects, weight gain and other side effects. Don’t fall in despair, because we’re about to give you the greatest sugar substitutes. Remember, moderation matters.
10 natural alternatives to sugar:
- Applesauce
Add it to your baked goods instead of refined sugar. It’s calorie-saving and sweet. You can replace it cup for cup, which means you’ll definitely cut down on calories. You will manage to avoid 670 calories with each cup you replace. Use applesauce instead of oil or margarine if your recipe allows you to.
Fiber in applesauce enhances digestion, and keeps you full for longer. A cup of it contains 86% of the RDI of vitamin C. it contains almost no saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Always buy unsweetened product with very few additives. Look for ‘organic’ applesauce or even better, make your own! Find the recipe that works for you, and get messy.
Keep in mind that you will have to cut down on the other liquids in your recipe if you use applesauce.
- Ripe bananas
Ripe bananas are always sweeter than the green ones. So, next time you make yourself a milkshake, don’t hesitate to add ripe bananas instead of ice cream. It’s dairy-free and healthy sugar alternative.
You can also add ripe bananas to your sugar-free cereal or oatmeal. Frozen bananas are the only product you need to make homemade banana ice cream.
Bananas are packed with fiber, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and vitamin B6. Eat one, and your energy will jump high. Bananas have also shown to soothe stress and depression due to their tryptophan content. It’s an amino acid that relaxes both your body and mind.
Banana skins have numerous uses, so try not to throw them in the trashcan.
- Dates
‘Nature’s candy’ is low in calories and high in fiber, potassium, manganese, magnesium and copper. Dates are also abundant in calcium, iron, vitamin K, vitamin B6 and folate.
They have low glycemic index, which means you can freely use them instead of sugar. But, they are also high in sugar, so try not to eat too many. Degled Nour dates taste like honey and have a lower fructose level (2.6 grams each) than Medjool dates (7.7 grams each).
Add some nut butter to your date, and you have an instant sweet snack. Add one date to your smoothie for extra energy. Soak dates overnight, drain them, and blend them in the morning. You can always add some of the liquid.
Use this paste instead of sugar in your baking. The ratio goes 1:1. Add the water to your baked goods instead of the liquids. It will also make your smoothies taste better.
- Monk fruit
It grows in China and Thailand. It’s round, green and melon-like fruit with no calories. Monk fruit is 200-500 times sweeter than sugar, and people use it as a non-glycemic sweetener. It has been long used as a remedy for coughs, colds, fever, and digestive disorders.
Monk fruit is safe and you can find it in liquid and powder form. Use it when cooking and baking, and you will only need a tiny bit of it. It has no aftertaste and bitterness, but it’s absolutely different from the sugar you use. Try it, and see if it works for your taste buds.
- Blackstrap molasses
It’s a dark syrup with incredible thickness. Blackstrap molasses is produced when sugar cane plant is processed. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals, so it’s definitely a better alternative than sugar. It may not be the sweetest of all substitutes, but your taste buds will get used to it.
Blackstrap molasses has the highest nutritional content of any sugar substitute. It’s rich in magnesium, manganese, copper, vitamin B6, calcium, and potassium. This sweet stuff is fat-free, low in calories and has a moderate glycemic index (55).
It won’t cause any blood sugar spikes, and works great for vegans, thanks to its iron content. Two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses contain 13% of the RDI of iron.
Add blackstrap molasses to barbique sauce, gingerbread, oatmeal, etc. adjust the amount to your liking.
- Maple syrup
It’s harvested from the sap of maple trees. Maple syrup contains 54 powerful compounds, and it has been used since forever. It is low in saturated fats, cholesterol and sodium. But, it’s high in manganese and zinc. Your body needs more manganese to process cholesterol, carbs and protein. Zinc is necessary for your immune system.
Maple syrup can be added to cookies, muffins and jams. Add a teaspoon of it to your coffee if you like it sweet. Don’t use store-bought hot cocoa drink, and make your own. Use organic cocoa powder and maple syrup. Yum!
Always check the list of ingredients. Look for 100% maple syrup and avoid the maple-flavor stuff, because it may be packed with refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
Can you imagine making your own maple syrup? You can absolutely do it.
- Honey
It’s the most popular of all sweeteners. Honey is high in fructose, calories, and antioxidants. If you have mixed emotions at the moment, take into consideration that it also contains zinc, selenium, and vitamins.
Honey doesn’t contain any preservatives and additives. It’s rich in complex sugars, and your body uses more energy to break it down. Stay away from mass-produced honey, as it may contain artificial sweeteners and refined sugar. Buy organic, raw, local honey. Add honey to your tea, oatmeal toast, and pastry.
- Coconut sugar
It’s made from the sap of coconut plants. Coconut sugar is rich in iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, short-chain fatty acids, polyphenols, and antioxidants. It has a low GI of 35, and doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes. Insulin is a fiber that slows down the absorption of glucose, and acts like a probiotic, meaning it supports intestines, metabolism, and immunity.
Coconut sugar has a subtly sweet caramel flavor, and you can find it in several forms – syrup, block, soft paste and granulated. Use it instead of refined sugar, and add it to your homemade granola, caramel sauces, etc. plus it works well for caramelizing or stewing fruits.
- Stevia
It’s absolutely popular, and people add it to dairy, pastry, confectionery, drinks, snacks, etc. Stevia is harvested from the stevia plant, and people have used it for centuries, especially in South America (for healing purposes).
The FDA approved it as a food additive in 2008. Stevia has no calories and doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes. It’s safe for your teeth, but some people don’t like its bitter aftertaste.
You can find it in liquid drops, tablets and powder. Add stevia to your tea, coffee, lemonade, pudding, frosting an dice cream. Liquid stevia is the least processed product, and doesn’t leave any after taste. This doesn’t apply to the powdered format.
- Erythritol
It’s found in lemons and pears. Erythritol is a type of sugar alcohol that is considered an ideal sugar substitute, especially for diabetics and obese. It has only 6% of the calories of sugar, and 75% of its sweetness.
Your body can absorb it, but can’t break it down. It can’t produce a glycemic response, and doesn’t irritate the stomach. Erythritol is tooth-friendly, and unlike refined sugar, it doesn’t cause cavities. It’s often sold as drink sweetener, but producers add it to packaged food products.
Erythritol is heat stable, and can be used when baking. Add more erythritol than sugar to get the desired sweetness.
Find what works best for you, and don’t limit your taste. Eat sugar-rich foods in moderation, and balance our diet. Avoid sweeteners if you have insulin resistance. Learn how to cut down on sweeteners naturally.
Source:www.naturallivingideas.com