Type 2 Diabetes: Five Healthy Sugar Exchanges That Help Fight Diabetes!
Eating wisely is one of the most powerful ways to fight the effects of type 2 diabetes. Both what you eat and how much you eat. Did you know that saturated fat and refined sugar make up about a quarter of the average person’s caloric diet?
Sugar is in everything and unfortunately if we are not careful about the food we eat we can end up adding excessive amounts of refined sugar to our diet. Foods like yogurt and even salad dressings, generally considered “health foods,” are often known to contain added sugar. However, there are ways you can avoid adding these foods to your diet by making your recipes at home and using healthy sugar swaps to sweeten your recipes.
Let’s take a look at five healthy sugar swaps you can use for healthy baking and to sweeten things like your morning cup of coffee or your morning bowl of oatmeal.
Five Healthy Sugar Swaps …
1. Raw honey. Raw honey is an excellent natural sweetener, and unlike processed sugar, it contains additional health benefits. Raw honey has impressive antibacterial and antiviral properties, making it a great food for supporting immune health. You can use raw honey in place of refined sweeteners in your baking recipes, drizzled with oatmeal, or mixed with your morning tea.
2. Pure maple syrup. Pure maple syrup is another great sugar alternative, as it contains vitamins and minerals and tastes great when used in healthy baking recipes. Try using pure maple syrup instead of refined table sugar when making treats like muffins, or use it to sweeten a bowl of unsweetened yogurt.
3. Stevia. Stevia is another natural sweetener option that comes with the benefit of having zero carbohydrates. A little goes a long way when it comes to using Stevia in your recipes, and it’s an ideal option for anyone who wants to steer clear of sweeteners that contain added sugar.
4. Bananas. Bananas are another healthy sweetener option, as they are naturally sweet, complement many baking recipes, and provide fiber to help slow carbohydrate absorption.
5. Blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses is incredibly sweet and also contains some additional health benefits. Molasses is rich in iron and can also help maintain digestive regularity. When it comes to using molasses, you only need a small amount, so start with a teaspoon or so.
You would be surprised to see how all of these natural sweeteners complement your recipes and how easy it is to avoid processed sugar when you add them to your diet. However, keep in mind that although these are natural sweeteners; they are still sources of carbohydrates, minus stevia. Just keep in mind that you use them in moderation, and you’ll do your health a big favor by choosing natural sweeteners over the toxic and inflammatory refined sugar options.
