What's the best sugar alternative to use? I'm looking to substitute in coffee and sweetened drinks for the kiddos. A friend uses Stevia but I can't really trust her judgement. :o
Melissa We use Raw Honey or good ol Organic sugar here :)
Melanie Us too with the addition of pure maple syrup sometimes.Wendy I bought coconut palm sugar that has a touch of stevia in it and used it in the gf brownies I made earlier... you can tell there is stevia in it, stevia def has its own sweet taste - better than aspartame though :). Xylitol may be your best bet though... kills candida, builds instead of degrading tooth enamel, cooks and looks like sugar - same measurements and all, but without the nasty side effects of sugar... actually can HELP one recover from diabetes as well. Best of all the family won't know you made a switch ;D!
Darlene My take on sweeteners is the same with our food all around - what is 1. the most natural and 2. what offers the most nutrition to our food. I'll opt for maple syrup, honey, or molasses over xylitol or stevia simply because it ADDS vitamins and minerals to our food.
Melissa On the Xylitol, I won't use it in drinks ever again! I did a few weeks ago to make lemon aid and it went right through my younger 2 and they had the runs within a few hours of drinking it, and only just once each! I told this to a friend the other day and she said yep that is one way you shouldn't use it! Whoops I like it in baked goods and for cinnamon sugar on toast. For the cost I try and use honey though.
Heidi We use coconut nectar for coffee or raw local honey for tea/nettles.
Chloe Raw honey, preferably local.
Wendy we haven't had the prob here... :(
When I had to go completely sugar free with gestational diabetes and working on candida issues - honey, maple syrup etc were not acceptable solutions to the nutritionist and most of all to my body. They still converted too fast and I could tell... left me in a world of hurt... so xyl and stevia were my best bets... if you can find the xyl made from birch instead of corn you may be better off... I think that may have been the problem with the experiences above.
Here are a bunch of links on xylitol and some quotes. Xylitol is a natural, healthy, viable solution:
"How is Xylitol different than other sweeteners?
Xylitol is a "sugar alcohol". Chemically, sucrose (sugar), fructose, sorbitol and glucose all have six carbon atoms in their molecules. Xylitol has five carbon atoms in its molecules. Six carbon molecules are easily digested by oral bacteria but a five carbon molecule has strong chemical bonds that are very difficult for bacteria to digest. So when xylitol is consumed, these bacteria populations starve out and decline. This is one way that xylitol helps prevent plaque and cavities. Xylitol has the same sweetness as sugar but with 40% less calories. Xylitol's functional properties are similar to sugar, it dissolves slower at cold temperatures but faster than sugar above 86 degrees F." http://www.xylipro.com/xylitol-faq.html
"Is xylitol a drug?
NO – it is a 100% natural product, a sweetener that occurs naturally. It can be found in berries, fruit, vegetables and mushrooms. It also occurs naturally in our bodies – in fact, an average size adult manufactures up to 15 grams of xylitol daily during normal metabolism."http://www.xylitol.org/questions-about-xylitol
"Xylitol was not manufactured in a crystalline form until WWII.
Until the war, scientists had classified Xylitol with other polyols (sweet carbohydrates only) and it remained as a research chemical until war-associated sugar shortages created the need to locate alternate sweeteners. " http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/76210/xylihuh_xylitol_sounds_like_xylophone.html **
Smart Sweet is premium quality xylitol produced in the USA from organic hardwood trees, not corn. Sm
This page is a brand comparison of xylitol products on the market, which demonst..
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Wanted to add...
I am all for honey, agave, maple syrup, rice syrup, coconut nectar etc... I've used and still use them all in many applications. I particularly like the coconut nectar for its amino acid content, Vit C, B vits, and minerals. And I use at least a TBL of honey daily to help prevent allergies... as well as all the other benefits it has. Agave - I use in my coconut balls because other sweeteners are too sweet. Maple syrup I use directly in my pancakes and to sweeten my home made ice cream and yogurt.
Stevia is an herb that I've grown in my garden. You can take a leaf and put it right in your beverage to 'sweeten' it. Can't get any more natural than that. You can also get the leaves already crushed for you to use if you don't grow it yourself. Here is where I get my seeds for stevia: http://rareseeds.com/stevia.html They are located near us in Mansfield MO... they have now branched out having a store out east as well as in CA. Gotta check them out!
I like stevia, but it does have a touch of a different kind of sweet flavor that doesn't always work.
I also have coconut palm granulated sweetener with stevia added that I used just last night in my carob brownies... it worked great!
For me... when battling candida... when you really have to say NO to all sugars and easily converted even low glycemic stuff... xylitol is the choice. Like one article stated: "Xylitol has a curiously cool taste, unlike sugar, which has a warmer taste. Table sugar can induce cravings for more, however Xylitol satisfies because it tastes as sweet as table sugar, yet leaves the body feeling like it has had "enough.""http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/76210/xylihuh_xylitol_sounds_like_xylophone.html
And I like this quote on page two of that article: "By the way, it is interesting to note that when the Finns returned to regular sugar after the war, the same old health problems returned once again! "
"My favorite Xylitol supplier, http://www.xylitolnow.com/XylitolProducts.html, (and a very nice bunch of people they are!) in Alpine, CA, says:
" "Xylitol is used to reduce Bad Breath (halitosis) by reducing plaque beneath which bad smelling bacteria can live.
" Xylitol is recommended and used by Doctors, Dentists,, Periodontists, Pediatricians, Pediadontists, and many other medical and dental professionals worldwide.
" Xylitol is given to EXPECTANT MOTHERS in PRENATAL CLINICS in order to help them NOT to pass STREP BACTERIA (strep mutans) to their BABIES. This has reduced inner ear infections in Finland by over forty Percent (study published in British Medical Journal).
" Xylitol is recommended as a SWEETENER for DIABETICS and people with HYPOGLYCEMIA because it has a LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX (7) and has LITTLE EFFECT on BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS. "
ok... enough copy paste! LOL I'll let you read the whole thing for yourself. :D ttyl!
For me... when battling candida... when you really have to say NO to all sugars and easily converted even low glycemic stuff... xylitol is the choice. Like one article stated: "Xylitol has a curiously cool taste, unlike sugar, which has a warmer taste. Table sugar can induce cravings for more, however Xylitol satisfies because it tastes as sweet as table sugar, yet leaves the body feeling like it has had "enough.""http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/76210/xylihuh_xylitol_sounds_like_xylophone.html
And I like this quote on page two of that article: "By the way, it is interesting to note that when the Finns returned to regular sugar after the war, the same old health problems returned once again! "
"My favorite Xylitol supplier, http://www.xylitolnow.com/XylitolProducts.html, (and a very nice bunch of people they are!) in Alpine, CA, says:
" "Xylitol is used to reduce Bad Breath (halitosis) by reducing plaque beneath which bad smelling bacteria can live.
" Xylitol is recommended and used by Doctors, Dentists,, Periodontists, Pediatricians, Pediadontists, and many other medical and dental professionals worldwide.
" Xylitol is given to EXPECTANT MOTHERS in PRENATAL CLINICS in order to help them NOT to pass STREP BACTERIA (strep mutans) to their BABIES. This has reduced inner ear infections in Finland by over forty Percent (study published in British Medical Journal).
" Xylitol is recommended as a SWEETENER for DIABETICS and people with HYPOGLYCEMIA because it has a LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX (7) and has LITTLE EFFECT on BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS. "
ok... enough copy paste! LOL I'll let you read the whole thing for yourself. :D ttyl!
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