Are natural Sugars Better? Why is Cane Sugar Bad? What are my Alternatives?
I will start by saying that sugar is sugar. Its chemical breakdown is still glucose, or fructose (or another -ose word!) Too much sugar is not good for our bodies (no matter WHAT kind of sugar it is!) We all would do well to reduce the amount of added sugars in our diets.
That said, we all like the tastes we've come to enjoy and living life completely sweet free is... well.. not so sweet! I am sure its possible but so far in my house we're not ready to go that far. We are doing our best to rid our lives of as much cane sugar as possible and reduce our other sugars.
Why is sugar bad? In small doses - or in its natural form (ie how it grew - like fruit!) sugar is not an issue for most people. Larger amounts of sugar on a regular basis cause insulin resitance -``a state in which the body does not respond to the hormone responsible for controlling blood sugar correctly`` (H. VonStackleberg) This causes chronic high glycemic levels, and more fat storage (leading to obesity and diabetes) http://www.alive.com/articles/view/16577/good_sugars_bad_sugars
You can watch this Fifth Estate investigation: http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/ID/2410472474/
Here is a GREAT primer on the different sugars and how your body absorbs it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zyqyXTQhiw
Why target cane sugar? I`m no scientist or dietician. I can't explain what cane sugar does that other sugars don't seem to do in my body and my children's bodies. But I can say that when we eat cane sugar we are moody, depressed, anxious, angry, have increased cravings, we are more hungry and less satisfied. We are more tired and lethargic. The effects are not instant nor do they go away immediately. Sometimes they last 2-3 days! I will admit that a google search about this will bring up all kinds of perhaps not reputable sites with all sorts of claims. I'm slow to hop on those extreme band wagons but for us - cane sugar is not good! Perhaps you've found the same? IF you suffer from depression or fatigue I would encourage you to try a 30 or 60 day sugarcane fast and see if you improve - then keep a food journal of when you have difficult days and when you've "cheated".
For a list of different kinds of sugars and sweeteners and how they are made you can check this link:
http://trainer-kim.com/?tag=cane-sugar
What about chemical sweeteners? Personally - we avoid them. I am sceptical about chemical sweeteners and there is plenty of good research that shows that they may carcinogens. Calorie free - no glycemic effect... sound too good to be true? I think so too - so it probably is! And generally speaking we are whole foods people - we like to eat as close to the natural form as possible - and chemical sweeteners are as far as it gets from the way God made food! That said - I do buy may candy loving girl sugar free candy once in a while as a treat (Splenda yes- Aspartame no) - we do not use splenda to bake with, and these candies are big treats!
"sugar free" products do not mean healthy products! And more about artificial sweeteners. http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/11/04/sugar-free-does-not-equal-healthy-startling-facts-artificial-sweeteners/
What alternative sweeteners are there? When something needs a bit of sweetener I use a few different alternatives.
1. Fruit - fruit juice, mashed banana, ground dates
2. Instead of brown sugar on oatmeal: Date sugar (I make my own! Just dry dates and grind them with a bit of oats to keep them free flowing)
3. Honey or Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar - these are my go to sweeteners - remember though - they're still sugar!
4. Stevia - yes this is calorie free but it comes from a plant and that makes me feel better! It IS highly processed and so many people do not consider it an unrefined sugar. The liquid form is less refined than the powder. It also comes in fun flavours in the liquid - I haven't tried them but think they'd be interesting to experiment with.
5. coconut Sugar - I haven't used this but its low on the glycemic index
6. Rice Syrup - I've never used this either
About Stevia: http://wholenewmom.com/kitchen-tips/stevia-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it/
How to substitute sweeteners: check this link http://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget/baking-with-honey-sugar-for-baking/
That said, we all like the tastes we've come to enjoy and living life completely sweet free is... well.. not so sweet! I am sure its possible but so far in my house we're not ready to go that far. We are doing our best to rid our lives of as much cane sugar as possible and reduce our other sugars.
Why is sugar bad? In small doses - or in its natural form (ie how it grew - like fruit!) sugar is not an issue for most people. Larger amounts of sugar on a regular basis cause insulin resitance -``a state in which the body does not respond to the hormone responsible for controlling blood sugar correctly`` (H. VonStackleberg) This causes chronic high glycemic levels, and more fat storage (leading to obesity and diabetes) http://www.alive.com/articles/view/16577/good_sugars_bad_sugars
You can watch this Fifth Estate investigation: http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/ID/2410472474/
Here is a GREAT primer on the different sugars and how your body absorbs it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zyqyXTQhiw
Why target cane sugar? I`m no scientist or dietician. I can't explain what cane sugar does that other sugars don't seem to do in my body and my children's bodies. But I can say that when we eat cane sugar we are moody, depressed, anxious, angry, have increased cravings, we are more hungry and less satisfied. We are more tired and lethargic. The effects are not instant nor do they go away immediately. Sometimes they last 2-3 days! I will admit that a google search about this will bring up all kinds of perhaps not reputable sites with all sorts of claims. I'm slow to hop on those extreme band wagons but for us - cane sugar is not good! Perhaps you've found the same? IF you suffer from depression or fatigue I would encourage you to try a 30 or 60 day sugarcane fast and see if you improve - then keep a food journal of when you have difficult days and when you've "cheated".
For a list of different kinds of sugars and sweeteners and how they are made you can check this link:
http://trainer-kim.com/?tag=cane-sugar
What about chemical sweeteners? Personally - we avoid them. I am sceptical about chemical sweeteners and there is plenty of good research that shows that they may carcinogens. Calorie free - no glycemic effect... sound too good to be true? I think so too - so it probably is! And generally speaking we are whole foods people - we like to eat as close to the natural form as possible - and chemical sweeteners are as far as it gets from the way God made food! That said - I do buy may candy loving girl sugar free candy once in a while as a treat (Splenda yes- Aspartame no) - we do not use splenda to bake with, and these candies are big treats!
"sugar free" products do not mean healthy products! And more about artificial sweeteners. http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/11/04/sugar-free-does-not-equal-healthy-startling-facts-artificial-sweeteners/
What alternative sweeteners are there? When something needs a bit of sweetener I use a few different alternatives.
1. Fruit - fruit juice, mashed banana, ground dates
2. Instead of brown sugar on oatmeal: Date sugar (I make my own! Just dry dates and grind them with a bit of oats to keep them free flowing)
3. Honey or Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar - these are my go to sweeteners - remember though - they're still sugar!
4. Stevia - yes this is calorie free but it comes from a plant and that makes me feel better! It IS highly processed and so many people do not consider it an unrefined sugar. The liquid form is less refined than the powder. It also comes in fun flavours in the liquid - I haven't tried them but think they'd be interesting to experiment with.
5. coconut Sugar - I haven't used this but its low on the glycemic index
6. Rice Syrup - I've never used this either
About Stevia: http://wholenewmom.com/kitchen-tips/stevia-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it/
How to substitute sweeteners: check this link http://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget/baking-with-honey-sugar-for-baking/
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN DATE SUGAR
Like brown sugar sprinkled on top? Date sugar is a great alternative.
1. Dry your dates: To dry your dates, first chop them up so they dry faster, then put them in the oven or toaster oven on 150-200' for a LONG time. Check them regularly - stir them up. Cool them when they are hard like a rock all the way through. This is crucial - do not be in a rush!
2. Throw them in your food processor or high powered blender and grind them up. The finer the better. Add a bit of oats the the mixture - this will keep them from sticking together later and keep them free flowing. (Date sugar is hard to keep from sticking in a clump and you might have to crumble it on your cereal or oatmeal.)
3. Store in a sealed container. If you have a package of silica (like that comes in vitamins) you can throw that on top to keep it dry.
1. Dry your dates: To dry your dates, first chop them up so they dry faster, then put them in the oven or toaster oven on 150-200' for a LONG time. Check them regularly - stir them up. Cool them when they are hard like a rock all the way through. This is crucial - do not be in a rush!
2. Throw them in your food processor or high powered blender and grind them up. The finer the better. Add a bit of oats the the mixture - this will keep them from sticking together later and keep them free flowing. (Date sugar is hard to keep from sticking in a clump and you might have to crumble it on your cereal or oatmeal.)
3. Store in a sealed container. If you have a package of silica (like that comes in vitamins) you can throw that on top to keep it dry.