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Be Sweet Enough… Naturally

Sugar has become public enemy number 1. It is found in a multitude of foods and it’s a sad fact of life that many of our favourite tasty treats are loaded with it. One teaspoon of Sugar contains 15 calories, so sugar can add hundreds of calories to your intake each day despite having no nutritional value. This can cause weight gain, negatively impact dental health and can cause other health issues including hypertension, diabetes and even depression.

And sugar isn’t just present in foods – almost half of our sugar intake comes from drinks. Whether it’s from sugar saturated drinks such as colas or ciders, or even the occasional spoonful in a cuppa, it can all add up to push our sugar intake to an unhealthy level.

It is even lurking in those “healthy” & “low-fat” meals that you turn to when you’re looking to lose some weight. You might think that these kind of meals are your best option; after all it says so on the packaging right? Low-fat and diet foods often contain extra sugar in order to improve their taste – hidden sugars – adding bulk and texture to replace fat. So where many people look for the amount of “fat” in their food, it’s important to also look at how much sugar it contains.

Naturally, sugar isn’t actually that bad for you, it has necessary carbohydrates that our bodies need to function – it’s in dairy, but most importantly it is in our fruit & vegetables and we don’t need anyone to tell us the benefits of the 5-a-days. However, when sugar is added to food & drink it is processed to add flavour, texture or colour and that is where the problems start to arise. In this processed state, sugar turns into empty calories which lead to many health effects, the most obvious being weight gain and high blood pressure.

Yes, scientists have found that sugar is addictive, stimulating the same pleasure centres of the brain as some Class A drugs; which answers the question as to why we crave chocolate and sugary foods so much, particularly if we’re feeling a bit down in the dumps. But fear not, there are healthier – still sweet – things to curb those dreaded sugar cravings.

So here are some great natural alternatives to give your sweet tooth its fix! Make one of these your favourite healthy sweeteners today…

Agave Nectar

Great as a sweetener for hot or cold food & drinks, as well as for baking; 100% organic & naturally fat free, use this in place of sugar and artificial sweeteners to ensure your blood sugar levels are kept balanced. It can provide certain health benefits if used in moderation but like most foods, if consumed in large amounts it may contribute to weight gain or tooth decay.

Agave nectar is unrefined & free from additives, noted for being superior to sugar due to the fact when it is consumed it will not cause a sharp rise or fall in blood sugar. Unlike sugar – a processed sweetener that has no nutritional value, other than calories – Agave has a low-glycemic index meaning it is more slowly digested & metabolised, keeping blood glucose & insulin levels balanced.

Manuka Honey

World renowned as a healthy healing honey, Manuka Honey tastes great, with a distinctive natural flavour and is widely thought to have significant antibacterial qualities. Not only that, but honey is sweeter than sugar (so you do not need as much) and with twice the nutritional value; it could be the ultimate alternative sweetener.

It is still high in calories and does cause increase in blood sugar levels if you have too much, but using it in moderation & keeping an eye on portion sizes can result in better overall health. This is because the raw varieties of honey – like Manuka – do contain far more vitamins, enzymes, antioxidants, nutrients & sometimes minerals like zinc & selenium. Much like Agave, Honey does not contain preservatives or other additives since it does not break down in nature.

Maple Syrup

Even in comparison to Honey, Maple Syrup has a much lower calorie count and as mentioned above, it needs to be consumed in appropriate amounts to ensure that it is actually being of any benefit to you, especially if you want to replace sugar with it.

Maple syrup is a great alternative to sugar for improved digestion as well. High levels of refined sugar in your system can lead to symptoms of indigestion, gas, bloating & constipation. As such, use maple syrup in baked goods, yogurt, oatmeal & smoothies, so that you can avoid the high levels of chemicals & other damage caused to the digestive system because of a high-sugar diet.

The post What’s Your Favourite Healthy Sweetener? appeared first on H&B Barrett UAE Blog.