Why I choose natural sugars — Gabrielle's Kitchen

Do I ever slip up and eat refined sugar? Well yes, I am human, but do I strive to avoid it at all cost? ABSOLUTELY! Why? Because I do not enjoy what refined sugar does to my body. I always try to make the conscious choice and choose natural sugars.

What does refined sugar do to your body and what exactly is it?

Your body recognizes refined sugar as a simple carbohydrate and converts it into glucose. It is created by the processes of extracting sugar from sugar cane or sugar beets. Most popular refined sugars you may know are white sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup found in most processed sweet treats, sodas, breads, and salad dressings. The body breaks refined sugar down very fast causing your blood sugar levels to spike. This is why we get a lot of energy when we eat highly processed foods containing refined sugars (like a breakfast pastry) and then we end up crashing and not feeling full or satiated very soon after. It also is highly addictive, rids the body of good nutrients, and causes inflammation in the body. It takes about 3 - 4 full weeks of no refined sugars to break the addiction. My personal negative effects from refined sugar were my skin was breaking out, I was never feeling satiated after eating it, I always had strong sugar cravings, headaches after eating it, and left feeling bloated.

My goal in this post is not to scare you out of eating occasional fun treats, but it is to share healthy replacements for refined sugar so you have the knowledge to make a more conscious choice. Here is a list of my favorite alternative and what I use them in:

Fresh fruit- this is my number one go to when craving something sweet. Fruit is the least processed replacement there is. My favorite fruits are blueberries, raspberries, apples, bananas, & dates. Fresh fruit contains tons of vitamins and minerals leaving the body feeling nourished.
Raw honey- this comes straight from the honeycomb and is not pasteurized. It has high antimicrobial + antibacterial effects. I typically have a spoonful in my matcha every morning!
Coconut sugar- this is a great alternative for baked goods. It is in a granular texture almost like brown sugar. It comes from the sap of a coconut palm tree. It contains nutrients like iron, zinc, calcium, and potassium.
Maple - this can come in the form of sugar granules or syrup. Again can be used for baking! It is high in nutrients and has an antimicrobial effect on the body. Grade A dark maple is the best option!

**Make the conscious choice and opt for natural sugars**

Try out any of my dessert recipes! I always use unrefined sugar in hopes of creating a surprisingly healthy and delicious dessert containing loads of nutrients and leaving me full + satisfied for hours! If you are a chocolate lover like myself I recommend Hu chocolate. It is the cleanest + most pure chocolate i’ve been able to find!

If you find yourself still having extreme cravings for sugar even after reducing refined sugars out of your diet it may be because of other reasons. Sugar cravings can indicate many things besides addiction to sugar. It may mean your body is lacking key nutrients. This may be caused from not having enough healthy proteins or fats in your diet. When we don't fully fill and nourish our bodies with the right food it oftens starts to crave quick energy foods such as carbohydrates containing sugars! So always try to fill your body with meals consisting of nutrient dense foods before reaching for that sweet treat!

XO, Gabrielle