Few of us have the willpower to resist a freshly-baked, meltingly delicious, chocolate chip cookie. The smell wafting from the kitchen and the sight of their gooey goodness is just too enticing to pass up.
Unfortunately, most of us go through life indulging, only to suffer from post-dessert guilt and sugar-induced sluggishness. Or we deprive ourselves for the sake of our health and waistline.
But thanks to all-natural, low glycemic sweeteners, desserts are back on the menu for those of us who are health and body conscious. And unlike the chemical-laden, artificial sweeteners (like sucralose, aspartame and others), these new natural sweeteners provide a powerful punch of sweetness, without the toxic side effects.
And because they are low glycemic, they won’t spike your blood sugar the way sugar does.
Here’s the rundown on nature’s sweetest sugar substitutes that won’t sour your health:
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Erythritol: Considered the “almost sugar” by health experts and pastry chefs alike, erythritol is a “sugar alcohol.” It occurs naturally in fruits such as grapes, melons and peaches. It’s also found in fermented products like wine, beer and soy sauce. Erythritol has a glycemic index of zero and zero calories. It has no effect on blood sugar or insulin levels and is safe for diabetics. In addition to its qualities as a sweetener, erythritol has actually been shown to provide antioxidant protection to blood vessels. It can be used cup for cup in recipes just like sugar, and provides about 70% of the sweetness. You can help erythritol dissolve in recipes by grinding it in a blender or Magic Bullet. The powdered version also doubles as “powdered sugar”.
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Stevia: A super-sweet herb native to Paraguay, stevia is up to 300X sweeter than sugar. It is best used to increase the sweetness of another sweetener, like erythritol, rather than as the sole sweetener in a recipe. Pure stevia extract can be used sparingly. One quarter to three quarters of a teaspoon is the common range for most dessert recipes.
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Xylitol: Like erythritol, xylitol is also a sugar alcohol. It has the same sweetness as sugar but with 40% fewer calories and a glycemic index of 11. Xylitol tends to have a “cooling” or “minty” effect, which can be reduced by combining it with erythritol. Most xylitol is derived from corn, but some varieties are derived from birch, which are suitable for those with corn allergies. Xylitol has a number of health benefits ranging from reducing cavities and Candida, to boosting bone health.
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Luo Han Guo: Consider this the Asian cousin of stevia. A member of the pumpkin family, the extract of this gourd is also about 300 times sweeter than sugar and rich in antioxidants. Luo Han Guo (or just lo han) has been used medicinally in China for centuries for treating cough and sore throat. Like stevia, it should be used sparingly in baked goods.
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Coconut Palm Sugar: Made from the evaporated sap of the coconut flower, this sweetener tastes very similar to brown sugar. However, unlike sugar’s score of 65 on the glycemic index, coconut sugar ranks 35. A word of caution – while lower on the glycemic index, palm sugar still has 60 calories and 16 grams of sugar per tablespoon. In most cases, it should be used sparingly to add a rounded, rich, brown-sugar taste to baked goods primarily sweetened with the zero calorie options listed above.
By learning to combine these low-glycemic and all-natural sweeteners, you can achieve a taste and texture that is almost identical to sugar, but without the health-harming consequences.
(Related: Your Guide To Paleo Substitutes)
PS:
Find out how you can have your cake… and be healthy too!
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