Alternative Lifestyle

Now don't go getting all in a huff over the title of this post. I'm not leaving my husband for a trucker named Betsy, I'm just talking about food alternatives! Healthy, natural ones! :)  Substitutes. Just because I don't eat refined sugar, doesn't mean want to give up chocolate goodies forever! So, here's a quick list of a few alternative food stuffs and sweeteners that will help take the place of those indulgences that are near and dear to your heart. (I have to giggle at the fact that "natural" items have to be listed as the "alternative" because "processed" is the norm. Ugh!) :)

First - Cocoa Crack! Click the pic below for the blog post and recipe on my chocolate savior (reblogged from the Heavy Cream Queen):

Cocoa crack is a "chocolate bar" or "magic shell" alternative that uses coconut oil (which has a magical "solid at room temperature" property and has insane health benefits), pure cocoa powder (preferably organic), and a natural sweetener of your choice. I prefer raw honey. There is a bag of this stuff in my freezer AT ALL TIMES. It is labeled as "PMS Medicine".

Let's detour to sweeteners for a moment.

This may seem obvious, but as more and more dubious products hit the market claiming to be “natural” sweeteners, I think it’s time to set the record straight. A natural sweetener is one that a person could reasonably expect to grow, harvest, and process themselves without the use of added chemicals, enzymes, or expensive machinery. So, let’s do a quick exercise.

Agave Nectar? NOT NATURAL (deceitful, I know!)

Corn Syrup? NOT NATURAL

Splenda, Sweet & Low? NOT NATURAL
Maple Syrup? NATURAL
Miel de Agave (traditionally made agave nectar)? NATURAL
Raw honey?  NATURAL
Truvia? NOT NATURAL
Sorghum Syrup? NATURAL
Turbinado Sugar? NOT NATURAL
Sucanat? NATURAL
Sugar Alcohols (like xylitol and erythritol) NOT NATURAL

Are you starting to get the idea? While I don’t actually grow or process any of these natural sweeteners myself, I know *how* it’s done and know that I could do it myself. I don’t live in Vermont or the Carribean, and while I could raise honey bees, I don’t want to. The point here isn’t that I actually make all my own natural sweeteners, just that I could (given the right circumstances).

Stevia is an herb that tastes sweet on the tongue without any actual sugar molecules to send your metabolism into a tailspin. As such, it’s awfully nice to use when you’re trying to reduce sugar intake or go low-carb. The white, powdered versions of Stevia out there are highly refined mysteries and therefore suspect. I’m not saying it’s impossible to make a white, powdered version of Stevia in my own kitchen, but I just don’t know how I’d do it. And unfortunately for most of the companies selling the stuff, they’re not willing to disclose how they do it either. So, for now, I’ll assume it’s some kind of weird, chemically-enhanced refining process and stay away from the stuff.

That said, the green-leaf stevia is a plant that I have actually grown on my own patio. I’ve used it for the following:

1) Adding fresh or dried leaves to tea leaves or other herbal teas before brewing in order to add a natural sweetness without the use of sugar.
2) Making a liquid stevia extract using vodka, which I then use to do things like make homemade chocolate almond milk for my kids or sweeten already brewed or cold beverages.

Raw Honey

I use this in smoothies, stir into hot beverages, use it to sweeten dips or salad dressings.. I very rarely substitute honey for granulated sugar in recipes as it has a strong (and different!) flavor as well as a different consistency. As a rule, though, if you do try to substitute it, you’ll want to follow the tips in this how-to.

Maple Syrup
This occasionally gets used to top our grain-free pancakes. I’m sure there are other uses for it, but that’s all this sweetener does in our house.

Sorghum Syrup
This, too, occasionally gets used to top our pancakes. Sorghum syrup is a traditional natural sweetener used in the South, but originally hails from Africa. 

The Bottom Line

I'll it eat if it was grown ON a plant, not IN a plant. :)  Sugars are nature's gift to us. But, here, the "everything in moderation" mantra applies.  Too much of a good thing - in this case - is a bad thing! Let's not go raising our blood sugar daily.  The way to make sure your blood sugar is under control? STOP CONSUMING SO MUCH SUGAR.  That's it.

Do your research, understand that manufacturers put sugar in EVERYTHING. You need to know how these things behave in your body. KNOW all the sneaky names for sugar and READ THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS (I cannot stress that enough). And if you don't know, keep checking back here for more helpful tidbits.