Are alternative sweeteners evil?
Okay, so you are eating healthy, keto, paleo, or just getting rid of the junk in your diet. But you want to treat yourself to a sweet. Where to turn? Consider the following:
1. I don't believe any real food to be evil! If you decide to eat something you think is unhealthy bless it and eat in peace! Then get back to your senses and health-life goals.
2. There are many alternatives to sugar. Stay away from aspartame and other artificial replacements!!!!
3. Any sweetener will reward your brain sensors so if you are retraining your brain ie. you use sugar as a coping mechanism for depression, you're trying to reverse diabetes and sugar cravings, dealing with candida overgrowth, dieting for weight-loss etc. then replacing the sweetener with another sweetener will not help you move forward with your healthy life goals.
3. Consider the sugar alcohols as an infrequent alternative to sugar:
Erythritol is derived from corn that is fermented with yeast, has 0 calories, may cause acid reflux and dehydration, does not cause dental decay, does not influence blood sugar levels.
Xilotol is derived from xylose from birch bark and hydrogenated with the use of the heavy metal nickle. It is 70% as sweet as sucrose, has about half the calories, does not cause tooth decay, may cause digestive upset like bloating.
Stevia is 100 times sweeter than sugar, has a balancing effect on insulin levels, should be used in its natural form not the processed crystals, you should use in moderation and check how your body responds to it as is recommended when you try any herb for the first time.
Anise and Fennel seeds have a sweet taste.
5. Choose natural, unrefined, unprocessed foods to satisfy the desire for sweets like watermelon or sweet/tart berries. I also use with moderation the following:
Raw local honey (As a beekeeper I prefer this one!)
Maple syrup, grade B or C
