I've said this before...too much sugar has HUGE negative impact on the body. However! This doesn't mean you should do what I did a few years ago - replace as much sugar as possible with artificial sweeteners. I was all about using Splenda or other sweeteners, and I didn't even glance at the ingredients list of a product as long as it said "sugar free".
With so many companies producing "sugar free" foods & drinks people are convinced that is the simple answer to reducing sugar in their diet. But as I learned and I hope you will too, sugar free doesn't = problem free. Artificial sweeteners and diet drinks are just not the right choice either. I do believe that natural sweeteners such as Truvia and others that use stevia extract are good choices, however. I even used the Truvia baking blend the other day in my specialty - Texas Sheet Cake - and I had more compliments on that batch than I have had when using all white sugar!
So what is the best answer?? Here's a thought: treat sugary drinks as a SPECIAL TREAT, not as a regular part of your daily diet...like a coke at the movies, or when you go out for pizza. Everything in moderation is a great rule of thumb. Even I treat myself to some Skittles on my free day :).
So, what are your thoughts on natural sweeteners like local honey (either from someone else or your own) and maple syrup?
ReplyDeleteI think honey, agave syrup, etc. are all good. It's still a moderation thing because honey does have a lot of sugar in it. However, that being said, local honey can be a great allergy booster. With Trace having allergies, we have even given him a teaspoon of straight honey every day!
DeleteIt's still really all about moderation...sometimes we overestimate how much of a substance we need so I just encourage people to watch their portion sizes of whatever they are using.