Sugar Series: Sweet Tooth ”Satisfied”
It’s everywhere. SUGAR is terrible for your health and has been for a long time. Nutritionists, doctors, and health care experts alike are shouting this at every point, and they should. But, unfortunately, it seems as though we are trying to out-pace a runaway train.
The sugar consumption of the average person in the US is at an extreme high. Sugar affects our tastebuds and has a gripping effect on our minds. This grip has many of us legally addicted. More on that another time.
Instead of writing about how bad sugar is, I want to introduce you to the many available alternatives that will help reduce your dependency on refined white sugar and its counterpart, high fructose corn syrup. These alternatives are readily available in most stores.
While I’m not going to preach the horrors of eating sugar in excess, there are a couple of basic things that will help you incorporate steps to live a lifestyle not dependent on refined sugar and its counterparts.
· Make sure to have any sweetener with proteins, fats, and foods loaded with fiber. In other words, whole grains, veggies, and fruits. These foods help you feel full and satisfied. Watch your snack and beverage choices. Be especially cautious with liquids; they are especially loaded with sugar.
· The whole idea is to reduce our sugar intake. Try to remove one, just one, sweet thing from your diet each week to cut back on your refined sugar intake. For example, pass on the dessert after dinner or reduce the sugar in coffee, etc.
Adopting one or both of these into your lifestyle will make a big difference in the long run with your sugar consumption.
Now on to safe alternatives to refined sugars.
1. Monk Fruit (Hint: my favorite) - Monk Fruit extract comes from the Siraitia Grosvenoril plant.
It’s approximately 200 times sweeter than table sugar but without the calories, carbohydrates, sodium, and fat. As a result, it won’t affect blood sugar levels. Subsequently, it might help to promote weight loss.
2. Stevia (Refined Stevia) - Stevia comes from the shrub Stevia Rebaudiana. It’s approximately 300 times sweeter than table sugar but has no carbohydrates, calories, fat, or artificial ingredients.
3. Sugar Alcohols – aka Polyols, a type of carbohydrate found in fruits and veggies. They are typically listed as, Erythritol, Xylitol, Maltitol. All of these come with fewer calories per gram (0.2-2.4). On the other hand, table sugar comes in at four calories per gram (per teaspoon).
4. Allulose – aka D-allulose. It is derived from certain fruits. It has 70% of the sweetness of table sugar, provides just 0.2 calories, and closely mimics the taste of regular sugar.
As you can see, Stevia, monk fruit, certain sugar alcohols, and allulose are much lower in calories than table sugar and do not significantly affect blood sugar levels, making them a smart alternative to refined sugar.
Other options include dates, fruit purées, honey, and maple syrup as alternatives to refined sugar. Although these sweeteners may offer some limited health benefits compared with refined sugar, any sweetener should be used sparingly.
Remember, it’s best to minimize added sugar in your diet lifestyle—there are many ways to do this and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time.
