Raising A Toast
food too sweet but also it will be sweet
enough to attract the consumer to ask
for more.
So it is advisable to go through the labels
before you buy any product. The food
products such as: sauces; condiments;
dressings; canned vegetables; breakfast
cereal; diet food; bread; smoothies;
contain high amounts of hidden/added
sugars. If you are willing to wean
yourself off sugar, sugar alternatives
are the best options, in addition to
cutting down the daily sugar intake.
There are plenty of sugar substitutes
available around us, some examples are
mentioned below:
Stevia
Stevia: Stevia is a powder that comes
from the grounded leaf of a plant
native to South America. Stevia plant
leaf is 200 times sweeter than regular
sugar and is a non-nutritive sweetener.
That means it has almost no calories.
So, if you are trying to lose weight,
this option is more appealing. Several
studies conducted on humans have
shown that stevia is not associated with
any adverse health effects. Extracts
from stevia leaves have been used for
centuries as a medicinal herb in the
traditional treatment of diabetes in
South America. It has also been used
to lower blood sugar and insulin levels.
Honey
Maple Syrup
Honey: It is sweeter and possesses
more nutritional values than sugar.
Honey is the ultimate white sugar
substitute. It is a natural sweet liquid
produced by bees from the nectar of
flowers. For centuries, honey has been
used for both nutritional and medicinal
benefits. High-quality honey is rich in
anti-oxidants. This includes organic
acids and phenolic compounds like
flavonoids. Flavonoids have many anti-
allergic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and
anti-inflammatory properties.
Jaggery
Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup goes
far beyond being used as a sweetener
for breakfast waffles and pancakes.
Molasses
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March-April 2019
Pure maple syrup is a thick, sugary
liquid made by cooking down the sap of
maple trees. It contains many minerals
like calcium, potassium, iron, zinc,
thiamine, riboflavin and manganese. It
also contains at least 24 different types
of antioxidants. Some of the newly
identified anti-oxidant compounds have
been reported to have anti-cancer, anti-
bacterial and anti-diabetic properties.
In fact, it is hailed as one of the best
alternatives to refined and fattening
white sugar.
Jaggery: Jaggery is made from boiling
raw sugarcane juice till it solidifies.
Both jaggery and sugar contain 60
calories per teaspoon and are both
made from sugarcane. Despite this,
jaggery is considered as a better
option over white sugar. Our ancestors
discovered jaggery and it was a great
go-to ingredient for boosting one’s
immunity and iron levels, preventing
constipation, detoxifying the liver,
curing cough and cold, warming the
body in winters, as well as being a
source of energy. It is rich in vitamins
and minerals. It is absorbed more
slowly than sugar and it is good for
the lungs.
Molasses: Molasses or black treacle
is a viscous product resulting from
refining sugarcane or sugar beets into
sugar. Molasses contains minerals and
vitamins like iron, calcium, magnesium,
vitamin B6 and selenium. Further, since
it is digested slowly, it can also help
stabilise blood sugar.
Coconut Palm Sugar: Coconut sugar
is a natural sugar produced from the
sap of the flower bud stem of the
coconut palm. It is more nutritious
and lower on the glycemic index than
sugar. It contains nutrients like iron,
zinc, calcium and potassium along
with some short-chain fatty acids and
anti-oxidants. However, it should be
eaten sparingly as it contains very high
calories.