If there’s one thing we can’t seem to avoid in the Standard American Diet, it’s sugar. Nearly 70% of grocery store foods have at least some added sugar and many Americans consume more than a pound of sugar per week.
If you’re starting to think differently about food and metabolic health, you’re likely removing processed junk and ‘near food objects’ from your grocery list. But as you cook at home and cut sugar from your diet, you may wonder if there’s still a way to keep sweeteners in your pantry.
Quitting sugar looks different for all of us. However, maintaining our metabolic health stays the same no matter how you look at it. So as you wade through misleading packages and confusing marketing claims, you have to ask: is this sweetener bad for me? Or can it help maintain my metabolic health?
It usually depends on how much you use, how pure it is, and how often you’re using each one.
Different types of sweeteners on the market
There are more than 61 different names for sugar in our food, only a small percentage of which is whole, real food.
Rather than discuss all of them here, let’s look at the most common so you can make more educated decisions.
Stevia
You’ve probably heard about this little plant — it’s one of the most popular sweeteners for those on ketogenic diets. Since stevia isn’t a sugar (it’s simply a sweet-tasting plant), you can sweeten a lot of desserts without spiking your blood sugar.
However, not all stevia products are manufactured the same. Some are 100% pure varieties, while others are mixed with maltodextrin to make a shelf-sable, powered version. As you can imagine, these can trigger inflammation and affect your gut biome.
Watch out for powdered stevia alternatives with added fake sugars. Remember: moderation is key. You don’t need much stevia to sweeten a dish.
Honey
Honey is one of the most natural sweeteners available today. As bees store nectar and dehydrate it into honey, they also pollinate our gardens and ensure future plants can survive. It’s a staple for those on a paleo diet, since it focuses heavily on whole, real foods.
But not all honey in the grocery store is real. Some is mixed with corn syrup, strained free of pollen, or pasteurized so much that there are few nutrients left. Globally, nearly a third of all honey for sale is adulterated or faked. In the US, that number may be 70% or higher.
If you are a diabetic or sensitive to sweeteners, honey may cause an unwanted spike in your blood sugar. You may want to rely on a lower glycemic option like stevia, or plan your workout routine around your diet to accommodate the increased glucose.
Fake sweeteners
If you’ve had aspartame, Sweet’N Low, or Splenda before, you’ve eaten fake sugar. This includes neotame, advantame, and acesulfame potassium, many of which you’ll see as additives in food.
As you can imagine, you can’t find powdered forms of these substances in nature — they must be manufactured before reaching the grocery store. They also don’t have any health benefits — these are fake sugars that sneak into our food and disrupt our metabolic health.
The bottom line? Avoid fake sweeteners if at all possible.
Maple syrup
Maple syrup is one of the oldest sweeteners in the Americas — and unfortunately, one of the most imitated as well. Pure maple syrup provides calcium, zinc, magnesium, and potassium, while artificial versions usually do not.
There’s a big difference between pure maple syrup and the ‘pancake syrup’ sold at the grocery store. One is a mixture of heavy sweeteners and manufactured additives, while the other is grade A and distilled from real trees.
If you’re going to consume maple syrup, be sure to buy from a reputable company (but still moderate your intake). Throw out any bottles that say ‘pancake syrup’ on the package. Knowing how to read an ingredients label helps.
Erythritol
Like stevia, erythritol is a zero-calorie sweetener used by many people with diabetes or sugar sensitivity. It also happens to be a sugar alcohol — it’s a naturally-occurring sweetener usually synthesized from corn.
If you choose to use erythritol in your diet, you should know it may have an impact on your gut biome. It may also trigger an increase in blood clots, leading to heart attacks and strokes.
Scientists are still studying the effects of erythritol, so there may be more considerations in the future. However, you should be aware of the potential effects before you put this sweetener on your shelf.
Agave syrup
Agave is similar to a thin, watery honey, just with a great deal more sweetness per teaspoon. It’s the product of processed agave leaves, which was once a major fad in the US.
However, agave syrup is much sweeter than honey and far more processed as well. The beneficial nutrients of Agave sap are destroyed by the heating and extraction process. This means the final product is extremely high in fructose, which can increase insulin resistance and impact liver health.
If you’re a diabetic, steer clear of agave syrup. Even though the glycemic index is purportedly low, GI has very little to do with the true healthiness of sugar. The excess fructose can wreak havoc in your body and destroy your metabolic health.
Date sugar
Many of those on the paleo diet use dates to make desserts. You can also get date sugar in granulated or power form so it’s easier to add to recipes.
Of course, granulated date sugar is heavily processed, so you lose some of its raw nutritive benefits. Some products also mix date sugar with other sweeteners to create a more palatable flavor (and a cheaper product).
I recommend cooking with raw dates rather than buying its processed alternative. If your recipe requires granulated or liquid sweetener, stevia may be a better option.
How to avoid unhealthy sugars
Only things that come from the ground (or eat things that grow on the ground) should be a part of your diet. This means you should scrap anything that doesn’t make the cut — including granulated sugar, fake honey, and misleading ‘pancake syrup.’
If you want to make the switch to natural sweeteners and quit traditional sugar for good, you need to start introducing certain lifestyle changes. These include:
- Shopping local for your sweeteners if possible. Local honey and maple syrup are more likely to be real than their alternatives sold in big box stores.
- Tossing out granulated sugars, corn syrup, and fake honey. You can replace these sugars with healthier alternatives depending on your dietary goals.
- Cooking at home as much as possible. Added sugars are everywhere, but eating at home ensures you know exactly what goes into your food.
And remember to always limit your intake of even these natural sweet foods, as they can still spike your blood sugar level.
Don’t forget to surround yourself with a tribe that’s focused on similar goals. Specific accountability partners, including a metabolic health coach, can help you reach your goals 95% of the time.
No matter where you are in your journey to cut sugar, I encourage you to seek the support of others. You’re welcome to join my Elite Health Coaching plan to get closer to your goals. Alternatively, you can sign up for my quit sugar challenge to get 21 days of encouragement and support.