by marla
It’s that time of year where pastries, cookies, candies, and pies are everywhere. I find sugar very addictive because it always leaves me wanting more. It also makes me feel sleepy and a bit moody. Other names for sugar are corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, glucose or fructose. So when you start your new year, come down off your sugar rush and get busy on your resolutions remember to give natural sweeteners a go. They’ll keep your blood sugar levels in check and keep you balanced.
Here are my top five natural sweeteners and why.
Agave Nectar:
A natural liquid sweetener made from juice of the agave cactus. It’s really sweet, actually more sweeter than regular sugar. Since it’s natural you won’t get a sugar rush and it’s easier on your body than white sugar. If you want to keep your blood sugar from spiking try agave nectar. I usually add this to my smoothies, and hot teas.
Date Sugar:
If you like dates, then you can give date sugar a try. It comes in a granulated from from dehydrated dates so you get the dates vitamin, mineral, and fiber. I add a few organic medjool dates to my almond milk blend to sweeten it up a bit. And then add a couple more when I make my favorite night time dessert strawberry almond milkshake.
Honey:
Another natural sweetener that’s sweeter than sugar. Honey can be dark, to light and mildly flavored. Raw honey has enzymes, minerals, and vitamins. Some vegans don’t eat honey since it comes from bees. This is yummy in hot teas as well. Just thinking about it during the holidays makes me crave a cup of peppermint tea.
Maple Syrup:
My favorite when it comes to pancakes. 100% pure maple syrup is boiled down from maple tree sap and has many minerals. Forty gallons of sap are needed to make one gallon of maple syrup. It’s a great baking sugar. But as a waffle and pancake lover, this is the way to go when sweetening up your breakfast.
Stevia:
My absolute top sugar alternative is stevia. It’s my top because I use it the most. Stevia is a leafy herb and the extract from it is up to 300 times sweeter than white sugar. Use it to bake, cook, and in drinks. I add it to my green smoothies. It also doesn’t affect blood sugar levels and has zero calories. I use stevia in powder form. You can get it in liquid form. Either way make sure you get the green or brown liquids or powders, because the white and clear versions are highly refined.
Photo credit: SueBee
