Cutting out white sugar is something that many of us try to do, whether dieting for weight or fat loss, or simply trying to lead a healthier life.
Excess consumption of white sugar can lead to heart disease, cancer and diabetes – among a host of other illnesses and chronic conditions.
Here, Sport360 introduces you to some alternatives to sugar that will ensure your life is still sweet.
COCONUT SAP
It has a sweet taste similar to sugar, and contains important minerals including iron, zinc, calcium and potassium. Coconut sap also slows down the absorption of glucose, especially in some hot drinks like tea and coffee.
HONEY
Honey contains antibacterial agents, and it is a source of antioxidants thanks to the pollen used to create it. It’s better to use raw honey for milk, tea or some dessert sweetening.
Honey.
SUGAR ALCOHOL
It contains xylitol, which is extracted from plant fibres such as birch bark. It is low in calories and doesn’t increase the glucose level. It also tastes like white sugar, which makes it suitable for diabetic patients.
DATE SUGAR
It can replace sugar in some instances; date sugar contains vitamin B6, vitamin A, potassium and calcium.
BROWN RICE SYRUP
Cooked brown rice is exposed to some enzymes that break down the carbohydrates before being refined to strain sugar. The syrup doesn’t contain unhealthy white sugar elements.
STEVIA
A plant grows in warm climates, stevia is used for producing low-calorie sugar. Its taste is 200 times stronger than that of natural sugar but stevia neither contains carbohydrate nor increases one’s sugar level. It’s available in liquid form as well.
MOLASSES
The outcome of sugarcane refinement, molasses contains a number of good important minerals such as iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, calcium and potassium.
CACTUS JUICE
The outcome of cactus leaves boiling, the plant’s juice can be consumed as a sugar alternative. It helps control sugar levels in blood when consumed regularly, but a doctor should be consulted first.