Sugar Subs

OK, just one more about sugar, then I'll get off this kick (for a while), I promise. I have been learning so much about the types of sugar we use and trying to live what I've learned. I am a sugar addict. I have now been off sugar (fructose) for two months and can really feel the difference. I feel more in control of my eating. I'm not saying I will never eat fructose again.....I do like to have my cake and eat it too.....but not as a daily habit like before. I must state here that I am not talking about any of the sugar (including fructose) in fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables in the whole form should not be limited. Let's face it, it would be hard to eat any harmful amount if you eat the whole fruit.

When you quit sugar there are a host of sugar substitutes that are used in recipes and food products to replace the sweetness. Many of these I have recommended in the past thinking they were the answer. Unfortunately most of them are still packed full of fructose (the bit we’re trying to avoid), and in some instances contain more fructose than regular table sugar. Beware!

Sucrose is also known as white table sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar and rapadura sugar. It contains 50 per cent fructose and 50 per cent glucose.

Agave is a sugar substitute made from the same Mexican succulent that tequila is made from. It contains roughly 90 per cent fructose – higher than sucrose! Look out for it in “health” bars and chocolate.

Coconut sugar/nectar/syrup, you’ll often find one of these variations of coconut sugar in many health food products. Unfortunately it contains anywhere between 38 per cent to 48.5 per cent fructose, which is almost the same amount found in sucrose. (There are some positives: It is the most nutritious of the possible sugars. It’s the single most sustainable sweetener in the world. Coconut sugar has an extremely low glycemic index of 35. However, it still has significant amounts of fructose)

Honey, whether it’s raw or organic doesn’t matter when it comes to fructose content. Honey contains 40 per cent fructose, which is only 10 per cent less than sucrose. There are many health benefits of honey, so you will have to listen to your body on this one.

Maple syrup is often used as a healthier sugar alternative. Unlike other sugar substitutes it does have some health benefits but still contains up to 40 per cent fructose.

Dates are often used to sweeten “sugar-free” recipes, but they contain roughly 30% fructose. Plus they often need to be used in large quantities to get the same sweetness.

Rice malt syrup is made from fermented cooked rice. It’s a blend of complex carbohydrates, maltose and glucose. It’s 100 per cent fructose free. It is my fructose-free sweetener of choice.

Stevia is a plant-based sweetener. It’s completely fructose free and 300 times sweeter than sugar. It’s great in recipes where you want to add a little sweetness, but avoid using it in large quantities as it can have a bitter aftertaste. A drop or two of liquid stevia in a hot cup of tea is perfect!


If you'd like to know more about this subject you can find my sugar-free inspiration at www.iquitsugar.com. My daughter recently gave me the book, Simplicious, and I have gleaned so much from it, including some great recipes. As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me at gale4health@yahoo.com.

More about Sugar

Sucrose (ordinary table sugar) is made up of 50 per cent glucose and 50 per cent fructose.
It’s the fructose bit that is the harmful type of sugar. Other sugars (glucose, maltose and lactose) are safe to eat in moderation. But fructose is not. Some sweeteners contain an even higher fructose ratio than sucrose, like agave. It can contain up to 90 per cent fructose!

Why is fructose bad for us? It passes directly to our livers and promotes fat storage. Fructose can only be processed by the liver, which increases the workload and potentially contributes to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Fructose is addictive. Some studies say it’s more addictive than cocaine and heroine. Our bodies are designed to gorge on fructose because it’s such a nifty source of fat; great back in days when we had to hunt and grow our own food, not so much today.

Fructose makes us eat more. Unlike all other food molecules, fructose has no corresponding “we’re full now, stop eating” switch (or enzyme) in our brain. This means we can keep eating and eating the stuff without getting satiated.

It also increases another hormone, ghrelin, which makes us feel hungrier. Fructose makes us sick. Countless studies link fructose consumption to a host of metabolic disorders, including immune disorders, cancers, diabetes… and the list goes on.

Studies show that when we’re not consuming fructose, the right appetite hormones switch on and you can stop after that one slice, and not need to have dessert every night.

What should we use when we need a little “sweetener” in our recipes? There are two safe options.
1. Rice malt syrup: a complex carbohydrate blend of glucose and maltose, which is completely fructose-free and slow releasing, so it doesn’t dump on the liver like fructose does. Rice malt syrup is made from fermented cooked rice. It’s a blend of complex carbohydrates, maltose and glucose.
2. Stevia: a plant-derived sweetener containing no sugar of any kind. Research has shown that stevia is one of the safest and easiest options to cook with.

Play around with using these alternatives to conventional sugar. I think you will enjoy your food AND reduce your cravings for the harmful stuff. Both are available at most grocery stores and for sure at Health Food Stores.

Sugar

The World Health Organization recommends no more than 25g of sugar per day for optimum health. That’s six teaspoons! That’s easy! you say. "There’s no way I reach that amount every day, I only eat healthy sugars, apart from the odd treat!" Well, lets take a look at what six teaspoons of sugar looks like:

A small box of raisins (1 oz) - Dried fruit, while better than candy, is condensed little pellets of sugar without the added water to keep you full.

2/3 of a can of Coke - You already know that Coke is full of sugar, but did you know that one regular sized can has over nine teaspoons of sugar?

1/2 bottle of apple juice - With Apple Juice we have the opposite problem to dried fruit – the water stays, but the fiber is stripped out. A cup of apple juice can contain three to four apples… now could you eat that many in one go? Just eat the whole fruit.

One single serve tub of low-fat strawberry yogurt - When manufacturers take the fat out of yogurt, they have to replace it with something to make it palatable. That’s why low-fat fruit yogurts have up to six teaspoons of sugar per tub. Better to eat the whole fat version, plain, with your own fresh fruit.

Two bars of 85% dark chocolate - You’d find it difficult to eat 2 whole bars of dark chocolate, which is why the low-sugar treat is encouraged when we’re reintroducing sweetness to our diets. I admit, I use small bites of dark chocolate to treat myself, a little at a time.

Even the "good" sweets should be eaten with caution. Read the labels in order to keep your sugar content down.......or better yet, stay away from packaged foods and eat the whole food instead.

Bonus - recipe for a healthy dark chocolate:

Basic Raw Chocolate
Makes about 1 1/3 cups
1 cup coconut oil, softened
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
1 Tablespoon rice malt syrup
2 pinches of salt

Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth (or mix by hand). Pour into small silicone molds or ice-cube trays and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Rice malt syrup is relatively slow-releasing so it does not dump on the liver as much as pure glucose. I think you fellow chocoholics will find this chocolate very satisfying. Enjoy!

Ten Health Discoveries Scientifically Proven in 2015

Don't you love it when Science validates Common Sense? There were several great health studies published in 2015, which is very gratifying for us health nuts. They definitely affect our decisions for nourishment and lifestyle in small and large ways.

The latest scientific health research is helpful in making good decisions. Here are 10 Health Discoveries scientifically proven in 2015:

1. Highly Processed Foods Linked To Addictive Eating (University of Michigan)

2. Sleep Is Important For Weight Loss and Optimal Health.

(American Academy of Sleep Medicine & Sleep Research Society)

3. Mental Health Prescription: Nature (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America)

4. Carbonated Drinks Associated With A High Risk of Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (European Society of Cardiology)

5.  Our Biological Age Is More Important Than Our Chronological Age (The Dunedin Study)

6. Bacon, Hot Dogs And Other Processed Meats Cause Cancer (World Health Organization) - Notice they didn't say MAY cause cancer, but they do cause cancer. They concluded that one 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent. 

7. E-Cigarette Flavors May Cause ‘Popcorn Lung’. (Environmental Health Perspectives)

8. Artificially Sweetened Soft Drinks and Secondhand Smoke Linked to Risk Of Early Menstruation (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

9. Practicing Yoga, Meditation Can Result In Fewer Doctor Visits (Benson-Henry Insititute for Mind Body Medicine) 

10. Obesity More Dangerous Than Lack of Fitness (Science Daily) What the study found is that high fitness in obese people reduces early death.

What did YOU discover in 2015 that made a difference to you?