Substitute Sugar To Better Manage Your Health

Diabetes Health Team discusses an all-natural sugar substitute to satisfy those taste buds!

- 

What makes sugar so bad?

We are what we eat! This makes it important to classify how every food type can help us improve our health and maintain our well-being. Proteins are building blocks and used for growth and repair of various organs. Carbohydrates (carbs) are utilised as fuel to work the organs and fats are store houses storing the excess carbohydrates as well as nutrients and vitamins for a leaner time. Fibre works as the facilitator in digestion and absorption of the three nutrients and helps keep the digestive machinery unclogged. Since carbs essentially provide the energy or fuel for the cells we are naturally programmed to accept intake of things that are ‘sweet’. And adding sweet taste to various nutritious foods consciously can make it much more palatable and enjoyable.

What goes wrong is the amount of refined sugar we add to food. The ‘dose’ makes the poison. Large quantities (spoonful) of sugar taken at a time, allows higher blood sugar peaks and forces the body to compensate which ultimately either unbalances the total carbs you consume or overload the body systems in trying to utilise or store them in some way. Harmful effects of excessive sugar have been studied in detail and result in a number of health concerns like resistance to insulin, rapid weight gain ultimately leading to obesity, dental problems and increased uric acid levels leading to heart and kidney disease.

The way forward