I'm willing to bet that you ate something with sugar today. Even if it was an apple, it contained natural sugars (fructose). The fact is, our bodies need sugar to function. It breaks down the foods we eat into glucose for energy.
The problem arises when we consume unhealthy, refined sugars (sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, refined fructose). This leads to a whole list of problems such as a weakened immune system, obesity, diabetes, and allergies among other health issues. Sugar feeds bacteria, yeast, fungus, and parasites. It depletes the body of needed minerals and affects our brain function (brain fog, anyone?). In this excerpt from the book Sugar Blues by William Dufty, Dr. William Coda Martin classified sugar as a poison since when ingested, it causes or may cause disease.
While the healthiest foods are whole foods, you can still opt for alternatives to refined sugar in your diet. Note that even some of them on this list may not be a good fit for you if you already have certain food allergies or sensitivities, or yeast overgrowth. Do your research, check with your health advisor, and then use in moderation if applicable. I didn't include the very popular agave nectar in this list because of the light shed on the amount of fructose it contains-higher than high fructose corn syrup! It's lower on the glycemic index, and extracted from the blue agave plant causing its widely promoted healthy status. Check out this article by Dr. Andrew Weil. Again, do your own investigating and make informed decisions!
Stevia Extract
Stevia comes from the leaf of the stevia plant native to South America, and is not actually a sugar. It is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar. It has an aftertaste similar to licorice, and some find it bitter. It has a glycemic index of less than 1, so it doesn't adversely affect your blood sugar level. It also doesn't feed yeast. Be sure to buy pure stevia extract, and not some of the artificial stuff like Truvia or Stevia in the Raw. Instead, try SweetLeaf or Now brands, which contain pure stevia extract.
Blackstrap Molasses
Ironically, molasses is the by product from processing sugar cane or beet into table sugar, so you have all the nutrition left behind. Blackstrap molasses is obtained from the 3rd boiling. Be sure to use an organic, unsulphured brand. Molasses provides iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, and is alkalizing to the body. It is dark and thick, and has a very distinctive flavor you may have to get used to, but before processed white sugar came along, it was commonly used as a sweetener. If used in baking instead of white or brown sugar, you'll need to make the correct adjustment to account for the liquid.
Coconut Sugar
Coconut (or coconut palm sugar) was originally made from the sugary sap of the Palmyra palm. It’s also made from the sap of coconut palms. The sap is placed under heat until the liquid has evaporated. Reportedly, it retains iron, zinc, calcium and potassium during this process, but it also is high in calories. Use it sparingly. It has a relatively low glycemic index, because of the level of the fiber inulin. Note that some coconut palm sugar is mixed with cane sugar...please avoid those!
Raw Honey
Raw honey is honey that has not been heated, pasteurized or processed. Pasteurized, liquid honey is easily found on grocery store shelves. You would have to obtain raw honey from a local source. Raw honey is alkaline-forming and contains natural vitamins (vitamin C and most of the B vitamins), enzymes, powerful antioxidants and other nutrients. These nutrients would be destroyed during the heating and pasteurization process. Raw honey has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. Be aware of its high sugar content if this would pose a problem for you.
The bottom line is to avoid as much added sugar in your diet as you can for your optimal health. I continually preach to be aware and informed of what you put into your body. I know there's a lot of information out there and new research coming out seemingly everyday, but make it your priority to stay on top of your nutrition and health. I'll do my best to help you with that!
Until next time,
Love & Happiness,
Nikki
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