This post is inspired by the "I promise I'll start next week-ers"... think, if you have heard these words come out of your mouth or your friends mouths "OMG, I need chocolate", "I can't function without my sugary coffee in the mornings", "If I don't eat some form of sugar right now I am going to go crazy". We all know this country, no this world is addicted to the stuff. Sweets play an integral role in our diets and lifestyles and to satisfy these cravings, Australians ingest approximately 45kg of sugar per person per year. Sugar is addictive, and manufacturers know if they put it in their products you will keep coming back for more!
Now the sugar I am referring to Refined Sugar - this is nasty. All the enzymes, fibre, vitamins & minerals have been stripped back aka refined to create this substance that now has no nutritional value at all..zilch, nadda, zero! It is addictive as its usually combined with foods that contain lots of fat, cholestorol and calories! They raise blood sugar quickly and once it falls off, we need more more more! Hence the addiction. Excess amounts are stored in the liver as glycogen, which is then released into the bloodstream as fatty acids, and ends up usually saying hello as a love handle. Now you know why I say its nasty.
Now I am not trying to preach and say you have to give up your fave cupcakes - more importantly there needs to be clarification that you can still enjoy a bit of 'sweetness' in your life by substituting these nasties with natural, healthier alternatives to refined sugar. Now I am going to introduce you to my friend AGAVE Nectar or Syrup. This is featured in the yummy raw chocolate post below. He's back! Agave is a high-nutrient sweetener that can actually be beneficial to health. It doesn't contain any processed chemicals & the raw version contains vitamins & minerals. It is also absorbed slowly into the bloodstream it doesn't have significant impacts on blood-sugar levels.
Other good substitutes for refined sugar include; brown rice syrup, raw sugar, barley malt syrup, maple syrup or molasses. All of these can be used in place of refined sugar in any product or recipe. So you can all still have your cake and eat it and feel good about it!
Now the sugar I am referring to Refined Sugar - this is nasty. All the enzymes, fibre, vitamins & minerals have been stripped back aka refined to create this substance that now has no nutritional value at all..zilch, nadda, zero! It is addictive as its usually combined with foods that contain lots of fat, cholestorol and calories! They raise blood sugar quickly and once it falls off, we need more more more! Hence the addiction. Excess amounts are stored in the liver as glycogen, which is then released into the bloodstream as fatty acids, and ends up usually saying hello as a love handle. Now you know why I say its nasty.
Other good substitutes for refined sugar include; brown rice syrup, raw sugar, barley malt syrup, maple syrup or molasses. All of these can be used in place of refined sugar in any product or recipe. So you can all still have your cake and eat it and feel good about it!
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