Choosing a Natural Sweetener: Our Top 4 Picks

This week's What's That?! Wednesday post is the third in our series on the topic of sugar. With so much contradicting information out there, it can be difficult to weed through the fiction and understand what sweet foods are safe or at least acceptable in small quantities in our diets. 

I can tell you from my own experience and from working with my clients on sugar addiction,  the answer to this question will vary significantly from person to person. Keep in mind each person has their own unique biochemistry and therefore, our bodies will each respond in slightly different ways to different types and sources of sugar - even "natural" sugars. 

One sensible way that everyone can add a touch of sweet to your diet is through eating some low-glycemic fruits and vegetables that are naturally sweet. Try organic berries, apples, bananas, goji berries, raw coconut, cacoa, carrots, sweet potatoes, squashes like pumpkin or butternut, or some fresh, organic corn.

A good serving size is 1/2 cup of low-glycemic fruits each day paired with some protein, fiber, and/or fat to help slow down your body's sugar response and keep additional cravings for more fruit at bay. Examples: apple slices with raw almond butter, berries in a smoothie with an avocado and/or some plant based protein powder, 1/2 of a sweet potato with some grass-fed ghee or coconut oil, then sprinkled with cinnamon, or try our Banana Protein Pancakes. 

When you do decide to eat some sugar outside of these sources, we recommend that you go with a natural sugar choice and stick to only one serving. Avoid products like cane sugar, brown sugar, and high fructose corn syrup that have been highly processed and refined and contain toxic, GMO ingredients that can drive up inflammation.

Choose something that is organic, similar to its natural form, and minimally processed. Here are our top 4 recommendations that meet those criteria best in our opinion...

4 Natural Sweeteners We Recommend:

1. Honey - While its fructose:glucose ratio is similar to high fructose corn syrup, this natural sweetener from honey bees is also hailed as being a powerful medicinal food. Several studies are showing that raw honey has potent anti-inflammatory properties that can help to increase antioxidant levels like Vitamin C and glutothione reductase which both help support our bodies natural detoxification pathways. There is also some interesting data that honey has anti-bacterial capabilities as well, one study showed that raw honey helped to reduce the duration of acute gut bacterial infections in children. (1, 2)
   
   Raw honey is also packed with some protein, trace minerals, flavanoids, and a bit of fiber to slow down delivery of sugars.  We recommend choosing a raw, organic honey; this form will have the most enzymes and nutrients available since it has not been heated. A good serving size would be 1 teaspoon of honey which is about 5.6 grams of sugar. If you are someone with a fructose intolerance or insulin sensitivity, this natural sweetener may not be the right choice for you. Try using honey in our: ​Honey Hot Cocoa, Lemon-Berry Tart Cookies, or our Dark Chocolate Drizzled Coconut Macaroons.
   
   
2. Coconut Sugar - This natural sweetener is made from the nectar of coconut palm blossoms, the nectar is collected, then heated slowly until it dries out and caramelizes. Then it is pulverized into the a brown powder that has a similar consistency and color as brown sugar. We like coconut sugar because it sits lower on the glycemic index at a score of 35 compared to sugar, honey, or agave that score between 65-75. This makes coconut sugar a good choice for some diabetics or for those that have a sensitive blood sugar/insulin response. Another great benefit is that coconut sugar can be used in recipes as a 1:1 replacement for regular sugar. Try our No Bake Berry Crumble or our Mexican Chocolate Cream Pie that both use this sweetener.
   
   
3. Maple Syrup - Is made from the sap of sugar maple trees that has been boiled down into a syrup. This option is lower on the glycemic index than regular cane sugar and has a favorable fructose:glucose ratio. This is very important for those with gut issues like candida or those with fructose intolerance.  We recommend always choosing 100% pure organic, maple syrup since those that are not organic are often processed using formaldehyde pellets - SCARY! Grade A or B is fine, as long as its 100% pure organic. Check out these awesome recipes that use maple syrup: Banana-Coconut Oatmeal Chip Cookies, Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups, or our Ginger-Almond Granola.
   
   
4. Stevia - This sweet plant, know as Stevia Rebaundiana, is mostly found growing in South America. Its leaves are the sweet part and has been traditionally used by native cultures in its raw leaf form to sweeten meals and beverages.  Most of us see stevia at our grocery stores today in powdered and liquid forms - we prefer the liquids. This sweetener is calorie-free since it cannot be metabolized by our digestive track so its a great option for those who cannot tolerate any sugar at all. Several studies have shown that stevia has antioxidant and anti-diabetic effects that may help to improve blood sugar control. (3) There are also several studies underway that are showing that stevia may also be a powerful anti-bacterial food. In fact, this hits close to home for me as these properties are currently being studied in relation to eradicating the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. (4) Check out our: Turmeric Spice Latte or our Cinnamon-Spiced Chia Pudding for a couple recipes that use stevia. 

Also, if you missed the first two weeks of this series on sugar, check out our posts: 10 Tips to Get Rid of Sugar Cravings and 6 Reasons to Avoid Artificial Sweeteners to get caught up!

If you liked this blog, you may also like our new eBook, 10 Day Sugar Detox Diet, over 30 recipes that are low in carbs and sugar free plus 2 (5-day) meal plans with make-ahead tips and grocery shopping lists to save you time!

Stay tuned for next week when we cover: 5 Sources of Hidden Sugar in Your Diet. Until then, take care friends!
~Billie

References:
1. Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, March 2003
2. BR Med J: Clinical Res. Ed, June 1985
3. Department of Applied Nutrition, Defense Food Research Laboratory, March 2013. 
4. European Journal of Microbiology and Immunology, December 2015.