addicted to sugar

5 Easy Ways to Enjoy Natural Sweetness by Rochel Marie Lawson

Sugar is a delicious way to add sweetness into your lives, but it isn’t the best. Sugar can be addictive while also causing a plethora of other health conditions, like added weight, diabetes, increased inflammation in the body, and ageing.

Have you ever opened a bag of your favorite candy, meaning to have just one little piece and ending up eating half? Or worse, the whole bag? That alone should tell you how addicting it is to consume sugar.

This addictive property of sugar then leads you to eating more of these sweet treats than you should.

This excess sugar has more calories than other types of food that you consume, and the more of these sugary treats you eat, the more calories you consume, thus leading to added weight.

Sugar is known to cause inflammation in the body. Studies show that there is a link between elevated inflammation and added sugar and carbohydrates. The excess sugar consumed by subjects in certain studies caused an increase in inflammatory markers.

Moreover, the sugar you consume reacts with protein, creating what doctors and scientists like to call AGEs or advanced glycation end products. This substance is what causes wrinkles because of hardened cell structures. Yikes!

If you have a liking for sugar, say, a sweet tooth, or if you are flat out addicted to the stuff, you will want to take a closer look at your sugar-eating habits.

Not all sugars are created equal. The sugar that you find in fruit and vegetables are naturally-occurring, and usually accompanied by fiber, which slows the digestion of sugar. Other foods like milk also contain sugar.

The good news is, natural sugar has not been linked to inflammation. Keep an eye out for sweeteners and sugars found in
processed food, or “added sugars,” and make yourself aware of sugar that comes disguised as high fructose corn syrup, juice concentrates, and the like.

The thing is, you CAN conquer the need to fill your body with sugar and still enjoy sweetness without risking the conditions I mentioned earlier. You can enjoy sweetness without having to worry about the peaks and crashes that we all dread. It’s all about the ay sugar is delivered.

 

5 Easy Ways To Enjoy Natural Sweetness:

 

Instead Of Adding Sugar To A Recipe

Instead of using added sugar, stir an overripe banana or some chopped dates into your favorite recipes like batters and doughs for bread, muffins, cookies, and even pancakes!

 

Sweetening Sauces

The acidic flavor of tomato sauces can be balanced by adding sweet veggies like grated carrots, beets, butternut squash, or sweet potatoes. Carrots, beets, and apples are great for adding sweetness to smoothies and baked goods as well.

 

Coconut As A Fantastic Natural Sweetener

Coconuts are a fantastic sweetener because of their natural sweetness! You can use shredded and flaked coconut (unsweetened) as a lovely topping to your desserts, and even use coconut milk in your oatmeal and granola. This natural sweetness will definitely help keep the cravings at bay.

 

Riper Fruits For Natural Sweetness

Some fruit grow sweeter as they ripen. In moderation, you can enjoy fruits such as peaches, avocados, apricots, bananas, cantaloupes, apples, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, plums, and even pears without worrying about sugar highs and sugar crashes.

There are so many things you can do with fruit! You can bake them into your favorite pastries, enjoy them as a topping in many different dishes, or even enjoy them on their own!

 

Greek Yoghurt and Plain Yogurt

Greek yogurt and plain yogurt without any fruits are a better option than, say, low-fat yogurts. Low-fat yogurt relies on more sugar to taste good. Instead of having yogurt that has been filled with artificially sweetened fruit products, choose something plain and your own choice of fruit instead. Now that you’ve got a list of yummy, sweet fruit (see above), your options are anything but limited to satisfy that sweet tooth.

 

Looking for sweetness in your savory dishes? Caramelized onions are a sweet and yummy treat to add into dishes like burgers and salads, spring rolls, or even on top of rice! You can draw out the natural sugar in onions by cooking them over low, slow heat.

Living in today’s society that is geared towards convenience and quick eating, sugar is everywhere and the temptation to consume it can be strong. Easy access to processed and fast food can make it difficult to avoid sugar. But knowing what sugar does to you is a great place to start in your journey to breaking free of these sugar shackles. You don’t need to be bound to your cravings and to these bad habits now that you know how to naturally cut down on sugar.

 

Wishing you peace to your mind, wellness to your body and tranquility to your spirit.

Namaste,

Nutrition
Rochel Marie Lawson, RN, AHP, CMS, The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

Rochel Marie Lawson is a Registered Nurse, Ayurvedic Health Practitioner, Holistic Health and Wellness Consultant, International Best Selling Author, Speaker and Radio Show Hostess.

She is the President of Blissful Living 4 U, which was founded to improve wellness, wisdom and wealth by utilizing ancient holistic principles that only lead to success. 

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