Let’s not overlook the truth: Added sugars are beyond doubt not good for health. They act as an appetizer, add those unwanted calories to your diet, are habit forming and make your body susceptible for obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and fatty liver.
Let’s not overlook the truth: Added sugars are beyond doubt not good for health. They act as an appetizer, add those unwanted calories to your diet, are habit forming and make your body susceptible for obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and fatty liver.
- In 18th century an average adult consumed 45 grams of sugar every five days, or the amount of sugar in one can of coke.
- In 20th century an average consumption has boosted upto a massive 756 grams of sugar every five days, that’s 130 pounds of sugar a year.
But being humans, we all know that it’s not realistic to completely just stop taking all sugars. So, we need to find some healthy alternatives to satisfy that sweet urge. Continue reading if you care for those extra pounds (weight loss) and a healthy life.
1. Frozen Or Fresh Fruits
The best way of making your breakfast meal sweet is by adding fresh fruits to it. Fresh fruits are devoid of empty calories which make them an ideal replacement for added sugars.
Try adding a banana or some fresh berries to a bowl of cornflakes/oats to get that sweetness. Make your smoothies taste sweet by adding some frozen fruits to them.
2. Natural Sugars Like Honey and Maple Syrup
Honey and maple syrup are great alternatives as they are provide nutrients as compared to table sugar. However the down side to this alternative is that these are still forms of sugar and are high in calories, so use no more than 1 to 2 teaspoons per day.
Honey is a natural detox booster contains some essential minerals and is also a good source of Vitamin E and C. It also contains some antioxidants and some prebiotic which is good for gut flora.
Note: Honey should not be given to infants as it may contain botulism bacteria spores.
3. Stevia
It is most dietitian’s favorite alternative to added sugars. Stevia based sweeteners are not only herbal but also contains zero calorie load. It is extracted from the leaves of a South American plant known as “Stevia rebaudiana”.
It contains zero calories and is roughly around 300 times more sweeter than traditional refined sugar. The leaves of Stevia are packed with nutrients and phytochemicals. Some studies have also shown its beneficial effect in lowering blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
4. Erythritol
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, but it contains even fewer calories. Calorie load is around 0.24 calories per gram which is way lower than regular sugar calorie index. Tongue perceives it as a regular sugar making the switch easier.
Studies have shown that, it does not raise the level of sugar, insulin, cholesterol or triglycerides in blood. As human body lacks the enzyme responsible for its breakdown so,it is excreted unchanged in urine.
5. Xylitol
Xylitol is extracted form corn and is also found naturally in many fruits and vegetables. Its is basically a sugar alcohol which tastes just like table sugar.
Calorie load of xylitol is 2.4 calories per gram, which is still roughly around 40% less than table sugar.
Xylitol lacks fructose completely which makes it a promising alternative to traditional sugars. Most of the ill health effects of table sugar is because of fructose only.
In conclusion, our aim is to achieve healthy life. Bringing added sugar intake to zero is neither realistic nor practical and is also not our goal. The main idea is to achieve healthy weight by reducing added sugar intake so as to minimize the risk of health issues like heart attacks, diabetes, cancer etc.
