Commentary by Dawn Parker
In my last two articles, I discussed the downsides of eating refined sugar and artificial sweeteners, and now I’d like to present some healthier alternatives.
These options all beat out sugar on either the glycemic index or nutritional front. They should still be eaten as a small part of your diet. They are listed below in order of their glycemic index:
Honey, molasses and maple syrup – Although these still rank high in glycemic index, they offer some beneficial minerals. Raw, local honey offers numerous health benefits that I will cover in a future article.
Coconut sugar – Lower on the glycemic index (about 35), coconut sugar is made from the evaporated sap of the coconut flower and tastes and looks like light brown sugar.
Xylitol – A sugar alcohol, xylitol has the same sweetness as sugar but with 40 percent fewer calories and a glycemic index of around 12. It has a cooling, almost minty taste, so should not be the sole sweetener in a recipe or it will take on that minty quality. Xylitol has a number of health benefits ranging from reducing cavities to helping with candida.
Erythritol – Another sugar alcohol, erythritol occurs naturally in certain fruits. It has a glycemic index of zero and zero calories. It has no effect on blood sugar or insulin levels and has about 70 percent of the sweetness of sugar.
Stevia – An herb that is 300 times sweeter than sugar, stevia can be used to increase the sweetness of another sweetener or to sweeten coffee. Be sure to read labels when buying stevia. Many companies cut the stevia with something else so be sure you know what you are buying.
Keeping total sweetener consumption down will benefit your health greatly, but when opting to have a little sweetness in your life, these are some of the better options.
Dawn Parker is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She can be reached by visiting dawnjparker.com or facebook.com/dawnjparkerhealthcoach.
