We begin our day with a cup of coffee and it is in there, in our tasty biscuits and cookies, yes it is in there. We consume it every now and then without our knowledge or sometimes we don’t even know whether it is there or not.Can guess what we are talking about?
You got it, it’s sugar that is there every where and in every dish which we eat. We find sugar very tasty and we consume it in our various moods; when we are happy, sad or when we need a quick boost of energy. And we consume sugar unconsciously when we are stressed to help our mind secrete the right hormones to relax.
What we forget is sugar comes with a package and when consumed in excess affects our health in multiple different ways.
Sugar can get very addictive when we eat excessive foods, more importantly processed foods that contain hidden sugars. Here are talking about commercially manufactured sugar, which is made through a chemical process and not necessarily got from pure sugarcane. Hence the need for more vagility in consumption.
How Does Excessive Consumption Affect Our Body?
- Commercially processed sugars when consume builds and increases the toxicity content in our body. Over time, they get deposited in the various parts including the blood leading to ailments and lot that need medical attention.
- Sugar also interferes with our immune system by suppressing the body’s immunity.
- Excessive consumption of sugar is also believed to lead to tooth decay. As we consume foods with sugar, over a period of time, the sugar begins to deposit in the gaps and crevices in the teeth which leads to infection causing decay.
How Can We Limit This Consumption?
- Read nutrition labels when you buy products to know the amount of sugar that has been added. Try avoiding such foods if you can, or limit them to couple of times a month to satiate your taste buds.
- Avoid drinking beverages with a lot of sweeteners. Some of them contain chemically processed compounds like aspartame, an overdose of it can cause health related diseases.
- Try drinking calorie free drinks a couple of times a week like green tea, black coffee, black tea or just plain lemon water with just a pinch of salt. Over a period of time your body and mind will start accepting things that are low in sugar or no sugars.
Are There Alternative Natural Sweeteners To Chemically Processed Sugars?
There are plenty of other natural sweeteners, which are healthy and have many benefits in them. A few of them taste delicious and give our foods the much needed sweetness and richness.Here are few sugar alternatives which are believed to be healthier and have good benefits in them.
Jaggery – Jaggery which has been in existence for very long time is a healthy substitute of sugar. It supplies you with enough amount of iron that improves your immune system and also helps to purify your blood. It tastes good and also helps in weight loss. It solves all kind of bone issues and helps women who are suffering from cramps during there periods.
Honey – Honey is a natural liquid sweetener that is got from honey bees. Honey contain better nutrients when compared with sugar. It has antibacterial properties and can be used for natural remedy. It regulates blood sugar and is widely used for weight loss. We have been advised to have honey and luke warm water early in the morning in empty stomach so that your fat is removed from your body and many follow it as it is effective method.
Agave Nectar – Agave nectar is got from plant and is used as a sweetener. They are like honey and come from leaves of Blue Agave plant. This has low glycemic value and helps in diabetics. It helps in weight loss and also your wound gets cleared by using it. Weight loss is definite when agave nectar is consumed as it decreases your appetite. Agave consist inulin that helps to reduce cholesterol levels and also cure few types of cancer
Stevia – Stevia is another sugar alternative that can be used as sweetener to your drink or food. An exciting benefit of stevia is that it has zero calories in it. It contains so much sweet that it beats sugar. As stevia is zero calorie it does not provide any carbohydrates to the body and helps to overcome diabetics. They contain antioxidants and sterols that help to overcome pancreatic cancer. They dilate the blood vessels and the blood pressure is also controlled by having stevia in your food.
Brown Rice Syrup - Brown rice syrup is made from whole grain rice that goes through enzymatic reaction. Brown rice syrup is less sweet than sugar. Brown rice syrup contains high amount of calories as they have so much of glucose in them which is got from rice. Glucose helps to metabolise your body cells and in that way brown rice syrup is helpful.
Coconut Palm Sugar – Coconut Palm sugar is taken from coconut palm which is dried and made into coconut palm sugar. It has low glycemic value and helps in diabetics. A good substitute for sugar and has good amount of zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamin C. It contains inulin which can reduce the absorption of glucose in the body.
Click here to buy Coconut Palm Sugar
Xylitol – Xylitol is got from fibers of fruits and vegetables. Xylitol is also another sugar substitute that is low in Glycemic Value and reduces the risk of diabetics. It is good for our teeth which helps to maintain and protect from decaying. It raise the ph value in the mouth which helps to fight the bacteria. Xylitol is present in chewing gums so that your teeth are protected from those unwanted bacteria.
Molasses – Molasses is a sugar cane product that is high in antioxidant than any other natural sweetener. They are diabetic friendly sweetening agent and help in bone strengthening. It is the only sugar cane product that has least sugar content. It helps to overcome anemic problem for people who are anemic. Molasses also have rich potassium content and they boost your body.
Dates Sugar - Dates sugar are good substitute over sugar which are low in calories. It boosts your energy and supplies good amount of iron and potassium to the body. They also help to prevent constipation and your bowel movement is corrected. Pregnant women are advised to consume good amount of dates so it nourishes the child I her. It also prevents from respiratory disease and helps in good digestion.
Maple Syrup - Maple syrup is got from those maple trees and is natural sweetener and a good sugar substitute. Maple syrup contains a small amount of minerals like manganese and zinc. It is low in glycemic index when compared with sugar but not better than other natural sweeteners.
Here are few recipes that are prepared with Natural Sugar.
