Sucker for Sweets?

Can’t stop craving Sugar? Not only does the notorious “sweet tooth” cause cavities (as a Dentist I’ve seen many!), it also often carries with it psychological repercussions: feelings of guilt and self shame over lack of “self control.” But what those suffering from sugar addiction don’t realize is that it’s not them lacking self control. Sugar is a drug that hijacks your brain’s chemistry (and your taste buds) in the same way drugs do. It’s chemically engineered by scientists in labs to specifically get you addicted, so you crave and crave and BUY some more! 

So what’s the solution? Becoming aware is the first step. Sugar isn’t exclusively the table sugar you’re pouring into your coffee or inside your candy bar or cookie. Those are obvious culprits. It’s added into almost everything: your cereals and oatmeals at breakfast, your pizza sauces at lunch, frozen dinners, and basically everything that you are buying prepackaged. If it’s processed, there’s a high likelihood sugar has been added. Reading the “ingredients”  list on anything you buy is a great first step but it’s not that simple. Manufacturers caught on and had chemists redesign sugar into so many different variations that often labels are misleading. Sugar is now disguised under lots of different names: High fructose corn syrup, barley malt, cane juice, anything-syrup, coconut palm sugar, cane juice, and dozens more. The list is LONG, and I’ve posted 100 names for you at the bottom. 

The easiest solution is to eat Whole Foods: the food in its original natural form: Fish and chicken (not frozen fish sticks or chicken nuggets- many of those have added sugars too), whole grains and legumes like rice and beans (not processed breads), and of course vegetables (not veggie chips) and fruits (not fruit juice or fruit snacks). But isn’t there sugar in fruit?. The sugar inside of fruit contains fiber, along with so many other vitamins and minerals, and has a low glycemic load (sugar density). Processed sugars mentioned above carry 100x the sugar load as a piece of fruit, hence causing the addictive effect on your brain, weight gain, and diabetes. So now that we have built some awareness, what’s the alternative? Awareness won’t solve the fact that humans have evolution to crave a treat. We like sweets! After awareness comes a replacement plan. Start trying different real fruit in its original form (not dried fruit or fruits in juices). After a few days of replacing refined sugar goodies, fruit will actually start to taste sweet again. Next, come in sugar substitutes. Some have a valuable role to play in our quest to battle sugar addiction and some are worse than the actual sugar they’re replacing.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly on sugar alternatives: 

Stevia: My gold standard for sugar substitutes is Whole Foods Stevia Plant. It’s both a 100% natural whole food and contains essentially no calories, which is ideal for those watching both their health and their waistline. Be careful not to buy the extract like Truvia or Pura Vida: these are not whole stevia but spin offs that are also lab fabricated. Look at the “ingredients” label in the back for 100% organic stevia. This plant based sweetener is derived from a whole plant and contains some of the plant phytochemicals and nutrients that have been linked to lowering blood sugar, insulin levels, and blood pressure. The taste is intense so a little goes a long way. Start with ¼-½ teaspoon and work up to taste preferences .   

Monk Fruit: Another 100% natural sweetener derived from a whole food, a fruit and contains some of the fruit’s beneficial nutrients. Monk Fruit as all the similar benefits of stevia in that it’s natural, healthy and zero calories. The con is that it’s much harder to find because the majority of monk fruit sold are combined with other sugar alternatives (like erythritol or Splenda which aren't good for you). Be sure to always check the ingredient list in the back, it should have only 1 ingredient: monk fruit extract. 

Honey, Maple syrup, Coconut Sugar: These are all natural sweeteners and much healthier options than refined white sugars. The cons is that unlike stevia, they are high in calories and have a higher glycemic load (sugar dentistry) so for those looking to manage their weight or blood sugar, this isn’t an ideal option and should be used in much lower amounts. An example would be: a drizzle of honey on your breakfast or a teaspoon of maple syrup in a needed recipe. The pro’s are that because they’re all-natural, they come with some nutritional goodies like lots of minerals and antioxidants. Hence why I feel comfortable using them in moderation as my go-to sweeteners for my kids’ pancakes and other baked goods. 

Sugar Alcohols: Xylitol is my preferred choice from all the sugar alcohols (see below) and use occasionally. It is found in plant material, fruits and veggies and sometimes extracted from corn or brick wood. It has a similar sweetness and  taste to real sugar, but 40% less calories. Because of it’s low glycemic load, it won’t raise insulin or blood glucose levels. Studies have shown it to actually have positive effects on your dental health by preventing plaque build up and  starving the bad bacteria that causes cavities, so this dentist right here sets her stamp of approval! Use in moderation because it can cause digestive upset if overused. Other sugar alcohols include Erythritol, sorbitol, maltitol: They are all a low glycemic and calorie load, so still a better alternative to refined sugars. Their major downfall is that because they are not fully absorbed in your gut, they can cause digestive issues like bloating or gas so I wouldn’t recommend these for anyone that suffers from IBS or any other digestive issues. For those reasons, I also wouldn’t give it to children. 

Artificial Sweeteners: such as Splenda and Aspartame (Equal). These are associated with increased obesity and increased cancer risks, they damage your microbiome and are overall bad news! They’re 1000x sweeter than real sugar and completely hijack your taste buds. If you taste a blueberry after using an artificial sweetener, it’ll taste like cardboard. Don’t eat them for a few weeks and that blueberry will taste like candy. 

Names for Refined Sugar hidden in your ingredients. Avoid These:

• Agave nectar

• Barbados sugar

• Barley malt

• Barley malt syrup

• Beet sugar

• Brown sugar

• Buttered syrup

• Cane juice

• Cane juice crystals

• Cane sugar

• Caramel

• Carob syrup

• Castor sugar

• Coconut palm sugar

• Coconut sugar

• Confectioner’s sugar

• Corn sweetener

• Corn syrup

• Corn syrup solids

• Date sugar

• Dehydrated cane juice

• Demerara sugar

• Dextrin

• Dextrose

• Evaporated cane juice

• Free-flowing brown sugars

• Fructose

• Fruit juice concentrate

• Glucose

• Glucose solids

• Golden sugar

• Golden syrup

• Grape sugar

• HFCS (High-Fructose Corn Syrup)

• Icing sugar

• Invert sugar

• Malt syrup

• Maltodextrin

• Maltol

• Maltose

• Mannose

• Molasses

• Muscovado

• Palm sugar

• Panocha

• Powdered sugar

• Raw sugar

• Refiner’s syrup

• Rice syrup

• Saccharose

• Sorghum syrup

• Sucrose

• Sugar (granulated)

• Sweet sorghum

• Syrup

• Treacle

• Turbinado sugar

• Yellow sugar