To summarize the last few posts, sugar in general is not good for our bodies. Sugar, and chemically produced substitutes, can cause a lot of damage. So reducing the amount of sugar we consume is a great idea. Consuming too much of any kind of sugar, healthy substitute or not, can upset your body chemistry. But let's face it, we all will consume sugar in some form so we need to think about some healthier substitutes.
Try to eliminate HFCS, artificial sweeteners, and processed white sugar from your diet. Eat lots of fruit which is naturally sweetened. And, when you want sweetener for baking or tea and coffee, here are some alternatives. There are actually a lot more that I could include but to be honest, I don't know as much about them and these are the ones I use the most frequently or at least have tried at some point. I'll put some links to these products so you can see what they look like. I'm not endorsing the actual sites, but it's just to give you a picture or you can do more reading on your own if one of them greatly interests you.
1. Raw Honey-Honey that has not been heated to over 117 degrees has lots of enzymes that help digest carbohydrates and nutrients as well. There are lots of forms of honey so the closest you can get to raw honey is the best but any honey to start with is good. I love this product called Really Raw Honey. It is amazing! Baking with honey is a little tricky. I've found that unless the recipe specifically calls for honey, you have to really adapt it because honey is more liquidy than sugar. So I'm not quite an expert on that yet, but I'm experimenting and learning. I'll post some recipes in the future you can try. Remember not to give raw honey to infants, though.
2. Maple syrup-Not the kind you buy in the store that has HFCS in it and uses formaldehyde in its production, but pure maple syrup. It is rich in trace minerals. It is a little pricey to buy but the taste is great. Not only good on pancakes, but sweet potatoes and baking as well. I think it's great as a natural sweetener added to plain yogurt. Again, like honey, you have to adapt the ingredients due to the liquid content and it is much sweeter than honey so you don't need as much. Maple sugar is the powdered form of the syrup. It is quite expensive but I buy it to use sparingly to sprinkle on oatmeal or sweet potatoes but it is really sweet and a little goes a long way.
3. Rapadura/Sucanat-I've heard the terms used as equals but they do have some differences and Rapadura is the most pure of all but I use both of them. Rapadura is the commercial name for dehydrated cane sugar juice. You'll see in a lot of organic processed foods they use evaporated cane juice. Rapadura is full of minerals and mimics sugar closely so it can be used in baking and retains its nutrients after baking. I substitute it mostly for brown sugar but have for sugar as well. It is really rich tasting and good on oatmeal and sweet potatotes as well.
4. Stevia powder-a little of this goes a long way. It's not good for baking because it doesn't add bulk but is good for sweetening coffee, tea, and recipes that call for just a teaspoon or 2 of sugar. The taste to me is definately different and not my favorite, but that's just a personal opinion. I'm thinking of trying it again. This one will not spike blood sugar levels.
5. Agave nectar-I really love this sweetener in tea but I have read that the effect on the body is very similar to sugar so it may not be one of the better ones but still a better option than white sugar. It comes from the Agave cactus. It says it's 90% fructose but the more natural fructose, not HFCS. You can use it again in recipes that don't call for as much sugar.
6. Xylitol-Another good sweetener that will not spike your blood sugar level. I found a brand called Spry that makes gum and mouthwash with xylitol. It seems to be good for the teeth because it limits growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay. While I have read some mixed things about xylitol because it is a sugar alcohol, it seems to be overall an OK choice. I like the taste of it but don't use it for baking. Some people have intestinal issues with it, just as a heads up!
While they do sell organic white sugar, it really isn't that much better than regular white sugar. Yes it is organic and yes it is a little less processed but it is still white sugar. I do use organic white sugar in baking sometimes but I'm trying other healthier substitutes in baking to see what the end product is like.
Again, read labels to see what kind of sugar is in the products you buy. Any processed food is going to have several forms of bad sugar. While organic processed food is still processed, the sugar they use will be in a much better form.
There are others if you want to do your own research like date sugar, malted grain syrups, molasses, etc...but again, I haven't used them before. Hopefully this will give you a few ideas to get started! I'd love to hear what you try and what you like!
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