A Consumers Guide to Alternative Sweeteners
Refined carbohydrates are often called empty calories. Actually, they’re worse than “empty” – they’re comparable to credit cards that create nutritional debt in the body. For example, a teaspoon of white sugar seems harmless – it tastes good and contains only 15 little calories. However, a closer look at the chemistry of its metabolism reveals that a tremendous effort is needed for the body to use those 15 calories as fuel.
Luckily, there are many healthier options to choose from. However, there are pros and cons to every concentrated sweetener, no matter how natural the source is. Make sure that you’re not simply replacing a diet high in refined cane sugar with a diet high in another natural sweetener.
Whole food sweeteners have a deeper, richer taste so you often need less than a refined sweetener. The best part is, all of them can help minimize inflammation when eaten in moderation. Recent studies have shown that unrefined sweeteners retain their natural anti-inflammatory antioxidants. By replacing refined sugars with whole food sweeteners, you’ll help protect your body from the inflammatory effects of unbalanced sugar levels, and reap the health benefits of free radical scavengers. Raw honey, molasses, whole stevia leaf, and fruits contain the highest amounts of antioxidants.
The following list of sweeteners is an excerpt from the Meals That Heal Inflammation Course, which is under development. It will be available at www.juliedaniluk.com later this year.
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