Alternatives to Refined Sugar

Although sugar tastes delicious, eating too much added sugar may take a toll on your health. Sugar is as addictive as cocaine. We have seen the bad effects of excessive sugar consumption during last week.

While it’s perfectly healthy to enjoy foods that contain a small amount of added sugar on an occasion, keeping your total sugar intake to a minimum may help reduce your health risks and improve your health in other ways.

If you want to cut your intake of common refined sugar, there are many alternatives to choose from.

1.  Dates

Dates are the dried fruits of the date palm tree. These sweet, chewy fruits are an excellent alternative to refined sugar and offer several health benefits.

Unlike refined sugar and many other sweeteners, dates are a good source of nutrients, including fiber, potassium, magnesium, manganese, vitamin B6, and carotenoid and polyphenol antioxidants.

Some people make dates into a thick paste, which can be used as a 1-to-1 replacement for refined sugar.

Dates are high in calories and natural sugars, but studies note that they don’t significantly affect blood sugar levels like table sugar does, even among people with diabetes.

2. Applesauce and other fruit purées

Replacing sugar with applesauce — or purées of other fruits like bananas — is an excellent way to reduce your refined sugar intake. Consider this swap in recipes for cakes, cookies, muffins, and breads.

All fruits offer health benefits due to their nutrients. For example, mashed bananas are high in folate, manganese, magnesium, and vitamins B6 and C . Make sure you make it at home.

3.  Honey

Honey is a thick, golden liquid produced by honeybees. It contains trace amounts of vitamins and minerals, as well as an abundance of plant compounds that provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.

Yet, the types of plant compounds in honey depend on many factors, including the type of bee that produced the honey and the type of flower the bee was feeding on.

Honey compounds, such as honey polyphenols, may help modulate inflammation in your body.

If you choose to use honey, do so in moderation, as it’s still high in sugar and calories. And make sure you never cook it.

4.  Maple syrup

Maple syrup is a thick, sugary liquid that’s made by cooking the sap of maple trees.

It contains a small amount of minerals, including calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, and manganese. Plus, it’s rich in phenolic compounds like lignans and coumarins that may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Remember though healthy it should be used in moderation.

5.  Stevia

Stevia is a natural sweetener that’s derived from the leaves of the South American shrub Stevia rebaudiana.

This plant-based sweetener can be extracted from one of two compounds called glycosides — stevioside and rebaudioside A. These compounds don’t contain any calories, are up to 450 times sweeter than sugar, but may taste slightly different than sugar.

Few other options are Coconut sugar, Dates sugar, Cinnamon & Molasses.

Now with all these options at your hand; it’s easy to avoid addictive bad added sugar consumption.

We are sure you will make smart choice to keep your life long & healthy.