Are you someone with a sweet tooth who cannot resist that large chocolate doughnut in front
of you?
In today’s fast paced times, sugar has become an integral part of our diet.
We can consume a lot of sugar without even being aware, even something as simple as drinking
a can of soda or having your morning cereal can put your sugar count through the roof.
You might want to hold off on those sugar cravings as it can be very harmful for your
health.
A 15-year long study found that individuals had more than twice the risk of dying from
heart disease if they got 25% or more of their daily calorie intake from sugar.
Another study spanning over 10 years found a shocking connection between sugar and the
decline in brain function.
It found that individuals with high blood sugar had a much faster cognitive decline
than individuals with normal blood sugar range.
So as you can see, it is very important for your body to stay away from sugar.
But don’t worry,you don’t have to say goodbye to the sweet stuff yet.
You can still fulfil your sweet tooth by replacing sugar with natural sweeteners.
Keep watching today’s video to find out which natural sweeteners are healthy and give
you the same taste as sugar but don’t harm your body in any way.
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Here are some natural sweeteners that you can replace sugar with:
Date Sugar: If you have ever eaten a date, you’ll know that they’re incredibly sweet
and a bit sticky.
This is why they are used as a main ingredient in so many health bars.
Date sugar is made from dried ground dates.
One teaspoon of this sugar contains 15 calories and about 3 grams of sugar.
You can replace white sugar with date sugar in equal amounts, but using two-thirds also
works well in most recipes.
Just remember that date sugar does not dissolve well, so you will have to soften it before
use.
Place some date sugar in a glass or ceramic bowl with a moist paper towel and cover it
with a lid or plate overnight and next morning it’s good to go.
Stevia: The name might sound strange, so let me clear it up for you.
Stevia is a leafy herb and has been used for centuries by native South Americans.
The extract from stevia is approximately 100 to 300 times sweeter than white sugar, yes
you heard that right 300 times!
You can use stevia in cooking, baking and as a sweetener in beverages.
It’s low glycemic which means it may not spike blood sugar as much as other sweeteners.
Stevia is available in a powder or liquid form, whichever way you prefer to take it.
You can mix 2-4 drops in beverages which will be enough for sweetness and not cause any
harm to your body . Just remember one thing, always buy pure stevia extract.
Since pure stevia extract has a bitter aftertaste, many stevia-based sweeteners are blended with
other sugars and artificial sweeteners to improve taste which can be as harmful as sugar.
Maple Syrup: You know maple syrup, the one that’s at you local grocery store or the
one you had with breakfast.
Although the grocery store maple syrup may contain added flavours and sugars which are
not good for you, 100% pure maple syrup in its purest form can be very beneficial.
It is made from boiling the sap extracted from certain species of maple trees primarily
growing in the northeastern U.S. and Canada.
It has fewer calories than sugar and contains minerals like zinc and manganese which are
great antioxidants and help protect the body against inflammation and other diseases.
Monk Fruit: Now that is an interesting name for a fruit, why is it called that you ask?
It’s real name is Luo Han Guo and it is found in Southwestern China where it has been
used for hundreds of years.
In Chinese, Luo Han means monk and Guo means fruit, so it got name Monk Fruit in the west.
It has become one of the most exciting new natural sweeteners to emerge in the last few
years as it is produced in a totally natural way.
The fruit is crushed and water is used to extract the juice, then it’s filtered to
obtain the mogroside which gives the product its sweetness.
It’s health benefits range from having zero glycemic index, zero calories to not contributing
to tooth decay.
It has medicinal properties as well which help in weight control and regulation of blood
sugar.
You can buy it in liquid or powder form based on your preference and use it for cooking
and baking.
Agave: This is another interesting sweetener which is natural and healthy for you.
Agave is a syrup that comes from the spiky plant.
And yes, Spiky is the same plant from which Tequila is made.
This plant is found in Mexico and the core of the plant contains aguamiel, the sweet
substance used to produce agave syrup.
Agave syrup is diabetic friendly and won’t spike your blood sugar or insulin.
A 2014 study on mice suggested that agave syrup might be a healthy alternative to table
sugar.
Mice who consumed agave nectar had lower blood glucose levels and gained less weight compared
to mice that consumed table sugar.
Looks like it isn’t such a bad idea to replace table sugar with agave syrup after all!
Raw Honey: You must have heard about the numerous benefits of honey.
But keep in mind that all of those benefits are only valid for pure raw honey.
Once honey has been pasteurized, it can lose some of its benefits.
Raw honey contains small amounts of antioxidants, potassium, phosphorus and vitamin B6.
These nutrients help to neutralize free-radical damage and provide essential vitamins and
minerals to keep the body healthy.
One tablespoon of raw honey has 64 calories and the same glycemic load as a banana.
You can drizzle it on breakfast cereals, over toast, yogurt and salad dressings.
You can also add honey in your tea or coffee but do not subject it to the boiling water
as that can make honey lose its nutrients.
Next time you go to you favourite coffee shop, ask for a honey packet instead of sugar!
Coconut Sugar: Coconut Sugar, as the name suggests is made from the sap of the coconut
palm.
It is a relatively new product in the ever expanding category of natural sweeteners.
Coconut palm sap, which is about 80 percent water, is boiled to evaporate the liquid content,
and the solids that remain are granulated to form coconut sugar.
It looks and tastes a lot like brown sugar and has a subtle caramel like flavour.
It has half the amount of fructose contained in white sugar and is very low on the glycemic
index.
Coconut sugar also contains vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C and iron, potassium and sodium.
In addition to all that, it also has antioxidants and fiber inulin which is good for the body.
All the natural sweeteners that we have mentioned in the video today can serve as a good replacement
for white sugar.
Living healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up sweets entirely.
It just means you need to replace unhealthy refined sugars and artificial sweeteners with
these natural sweeteners.
Have you tried replacing sugar with any of these natural sweeteners?
Which one is your favourite?
Let us know in the comments section below.