Mynyel Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 So I have been trying to find a not-too-bad-for-you sugar. I have heard many things about sugar. Refined, unrefined, raw... what is the difference? So what, in your opinion, is a good..ish sugar? However it need to be cost effective as well. :) I have heard of different types, like coconut sugar, maple sugar and so on. Any experience with those? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 (edited) I am NOT afraid of plain 'ol white sugar. Just use a whole lot less of it and you're good. Honey is nice too and lasts forever. It's fairly cheap too if you buy the giant jug :-). I think the trick to 'healthy' sugar is to keep cutting back until most processed foods taste sickly sweet to you and you can only stand a little bit. Edited January 29, 2012 by KungFuPanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 From what I've read, the less refined sugars are more good for you, because they retain some of the nutrients, but they aren't less bad for you, either. In other words, they're still sugar, and they still have a negative effect on your health. Of course, that doesn't mean I avoid sugar. Oh, no. :D I like baking too much. And strong coffee with lots of cream and sugar. Mmmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3peasinWa Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I use xylitol or agave syrup. I don't use any artificial sweeteners (like Splenda). That's it. I don't eat sweets anymore - it's just easier to get it all out of my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Sugar is sugar. Sorry. :( Even if you get something unrefined with extra nutrients in it, it'll still act like sugar in your body. However, I'd do sugar any day before artificial sweeteners. Everything in moderation, right? I say don't be afraid of it, just have it once a week or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I think it depends on what your concerns are in the first place. I use erythritol and stevia. Erythritol is more refined than I'd like, but I purchase a non-GMO version. I'm insulin resistant, which means no matter how unrefined the regular sugar (I've done sucanat, turbinado, honey, etc. in the pst), it still creates an insulin spike that I don't believe is healthy, especially in my case. Those also all affect triglyceride levels, for example. Erythritol and stevia for many people have no effect on blood sugar. I feel best using those for my circumstances. I have used agave in the past but am concerned about super concentrated fructose and the possibility of it contributing to elevated triglycerides and fatty liver. I think the best option is to limit the quantity as much as possible overall, no matter what sweetener you use. I bake with erythritol and stevia but try not to make either a daily thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I think it all depends on why you want to change sugars. If you have hypoglycemia, diabetes, or yeast issues, stevia is going to be a better choice for sweetening your coffee and other beverages. You can use xylitol, too, especially if you want to bake with it. If you want to have more nutrition in your sweetener, raw honey will be better, preferably from a local source. Cheap honey generally has been processed to death, and there is some concern that the imported stuff may not be 100% honey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiredmommyof8 Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 There is the argument that sweeteners are sweeteners no matter what source it comes from but I personally think local honey, real maple syrup, coconut sugar, and maple sugar are better than the white sugar alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share Posted January 29, 2012 Hmmm a lot to digest :P I will look into some of these sugars. I really just want something that isn't going to mess with my blood sugar levels. I am *not* diabetic, but my mom is. I *know* HFCS makes me crash. I just want something that won't make me crash if I decide I have a sweet tooth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I saw this post the other day: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=5498 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Hmmm a lot to digest :P I will look into some of these sugars. I really just want something that isn't going to mess with my blood sugar levels. I am *not* diabetic, but my mom is. I *know* HFCS makes me crash. I just want something that won't make me crash if I decide I have a sweet tooth! Since you have a family history of diabetes, I'd be very careful with even unprocessed sugars because they can still fuel insulin resistance. If you have that type of genetic makeup, every time you bombard your cells with more insulin, you continue to fuel insulin resistance. FWIW I'm not diabetic and technically not IR, but I have PCOS and the symptoms of IR. I would look at stevia, erythritol, and xylitol. I have used xylitol in the past but in larger amounts it can give tummy rumbles until you adjust to it. IME erythritol is less likely to do that for most people. Erythritol and xylitol have minimal to no effect on blood sugar, but they are definitely more "processed." For me, that's the best alternative because honey, sucanat, turbinado, etc. all still impact blood sugar and result in an insulin spike afterward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I am NOT afraid of plain 'ol white sugar. Just use a whole lot less of it and you're good. ... I think the trick to 'healthy' sugar is to keep cutting back until most processed foods taste sickly sweet to you and you can only stand a little bit. ...I really just want something that isn't going to mess with my blood sugar levels. I have found that eliminating almost all sweeteners of any kind 1) dramatically reduces crashing, and 2) has adjusted my taste buds to be just fine with dramatically smaller amounts of sweeteners. That means I have to read labels very carefully, and be aware of all of the different things that really translate to "sugar", such as white grape juice concentrate, etc. It is VERY hard to find processed foods that do not contain sweeteners. When I do sweeten, I avoid anything artificial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpidarkomama Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Sugar is sugar. Sorry. :( Even if you get something unrefined with extra nutrients in it, it'll still act like sugar in your body. However, I'd do sugar any day before artificial sweeteners. Everything in moderation, right? I say don't be afraid of it, just have it once a week or so. :iagree: I use plain old sugar in moderation. The cost of "healthy" substitutes is astronomical by comparison, and I think the advantages (when you're eating sugar in moderation anyway) are negligible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Sugar is sugar. Sorry. :( Even if you get something unrefined with extra nutrients in it, it'll still act like sugar in your body. However, I'd do sugar any day before artificial sweeteners. Everything in moderation, right? I say don't be afraid of it, just have it once a week or so. This is my approach as well, though I am still working to get to a point of much more moderation. I am glad to finally be past the point of everyday though. Not down to once a week yet though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moira in MA Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I really just want something that isn't going to mess with my blood sugar levels. I am *not* diabetic, but my mom is. Coconut sugar is, I'm told, considered safe for diabetics. We use that in baking since it substitutes directly for cane sugar. Other than that we use raw honey, agave and maple syrups. Best way to avoid sugar though is to not buy any processed food. jmho ~Moira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.