Sugar is Sugar is Sugar
“But what about honey?”
“I heard agave nectar is so good for you!”
“Coconut sugar is definitely super healthy!”
I’m here today to be the loving bearer of bad news, my friend.
No matter how you slice it, all sweeteners are still SUGAR.
Sure, different sources of sugars are made of different compounds and interact with your body on somewhat different levels, but at the end of the day…
SUGAR IS SUGAR
And we can’t change it.
Sugar negatively affects our health from our waistlines to our teeth to our hunger, energy, & cravings all the way to our hormones.
Our biology simply hasn’t caught up to deal with this. We eat more sugar in a week now than humans used to eat in a year just a century ago and it gets worse by the decade.
I’m not here to convince you to give up sugar.
I am here to tell you that there’s no “healthy” sugar or sugar substitute no matter how you slice it.
So, if you’re trying to reduce sugar or give it up entirely, there’s no real alternative aside from naturally sweet substances like fruits that also contain fiber.
It’s also true that the less sugar you eat, the less you’ll crave.
While you don’t have to cut sugar entirely overnight, every single one of us should be aiming to have sugar in our diet as minimally as possible for optimal health. Less than 50 grams / day is a great goal. and this is including fruit.
If you are going to choose a sweetener- here are a few best choices and tips.
-stay away from white sugar
-Coconut sugar, raw organic honey, real maple syrup or Raw Stevia or dates as slightly better options.
-Organic Fruit is always a better choice for a sweet treat
-Apples, pears and berries have the least amount of sugar
I’m curious – what’s your relationship with sugar? Are you trying to curb it? If so, how’s that going? Reply below and let me know!
If you are interested in learning more about Full Circle Coaching, call/text us at 786-586-6057 today or better yet, click this link: http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU to schedule your FREE Triathlon Breakthrough Session. This is a complimentary 30 minute session to ask me anything about triathlon, health and wellness or holistic lifestyle/ nutrition.
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom and much much more.
great to reinforce that. Sugar is the devil. But what about honey? how much is too much. I like to have honey in my tea in the evening before bedtime. I think honey is a superfood and possibly supernatural. (never goes bad) made by bees that inexplicably fly with wings that are too small. can you blog on honey?
Honey is still sugar to the body
And must be treated as such
Check the suggestion in the blog that suggests having less than 50 grams of sugar each day – so that would include honey. Also it’s important to read the fine print in your honey jar- is in real pure honey? Or a blend that many manufacturers off honey use. Best sources of honey are raw and organic and are not always completely clear- and yes honey is a superfood and has many other health and immune boosting benefits – just not too much of it!
My husband is diabetic and recently revamped his diet to cut out sugars. Since he’s the primary chef in our home, I have, too. I feel great, but I have begun to notice how I feel after eating what may be too many grains in a day (homemade granola for breakfast, a slice of gluten-free bread with lunch, brown rice with dinner). Where do you fall on grains and their metabolic decomposition into sugars in our body?
How does sugar factor in on for 2+ hour runs as far as energy gels and/or gatorade. Do these count towards the 50 grams? Should we try to rely solely on carb powder or something that isn’t sugar based? Also, should we avoid coconut water before and after workouts (about 20 grams of sugar in a 16.9 oz bottle of Vita Coco organic coconut water)?
It looks like my comment disappeared. I was wondering how energy gel packets for long runs factor into this? Should we use something other than energy gels? I figured the calories are burned so it wasn’t a problem. Also, should we avoid coconut water before and after workouts?