Sugar-less Shopping

As you know, this blog was meant to help others who struggle with trying to eliminate BOTH gluten and refined sugar from their diets. So far, I have posted mostly about gluten-less options. But today, I would like to talk about NATURAL sweeteners.

Rather than go into the history of sugar or the molecular structure of various sweeteners, I would rather cut to the chase and talk about the glycemic index (the GI) and what to purchase at the grocery store. The following excerpt and table were taken from http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

Foods ranked low on the GI scale release glucose slowly and steadily without a sudden spike of glucose in the blood.  A spike in glucose results in a large insulin release, which is more likely to store glucose as fat rather than use it as fuel. Plus a high release of insulin often results in a rapid drop in blood sugar, causing hunger. So you eat candy. Your blood sugar spikes. Insulin is released. Your blood sugar drops. You eat more candy. The sugar rollercoaster ride begins.

It is important to remember that the GI scale is simply a comparative scale; it compares one food’s blood glucose response to another. There are many other factors to consider when choosing your food. Start with the basic question. Is this food dense with nutrients?

Sugars & Substitutes with their Glycemic Index

Stevia	0	Though it is 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar, stevia is not a sugar. It is a plant extract. Opt for pure stevia instead of mixtures.
Xylitol	7	Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol sweetener found in the fibers of fruits and vegetables
Agave Nectar	15-30	A sweet syrup made from the Blue Agave plant
Fructose	17	Though fructose has a low glycemic index rating, fructose consumption should be limited. Fructose is linked to heart disease as it raises triglycerides and cholesterol. It is devoid of nutrition.
Brown Rice Syrup	85	It is not recommended for diabetics, since its sweetness comes from maltose, which is known to cause spikes in blood sugar.
Raw Honey	30	With antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, carbohydrates, and phytonutrients, raw, unprocessed honey is considered a superfood by many alternative health care practitioners and a remedy for many health ailments. Choose your honey wisely. There is nothing beneficial about processed honey.
Coconut Palm Sugar	35	Made from the sap of coconut palms. It’s often called “coconut nectar sugar” or “coconut sugar”.
Apple Juice	40	Fresh apple juice is good for you. Concentrated apple juice (sometimes used as a sweetener) is closer to refined sugar than fresh apple juice.
Barley Malt Syrup	42	Barley malt is made by soaking and sprouting barley to make malt, then combining it with more barley and cooking this mixture until the starch is converted to sugar. The mash is then strained and cooked down to syrup or dried into powder. This is NOT gluten free
Amasake	43	This is an ancient, oriental whole grain sweetener made from cultured brown rice. It has a thick, pudding-like consistency. It’s not easy to find in the U.S., but it is a great alternative to refined table sugar.
Sugar Cane Juice	43	Sugar cane juice has many nutrients and other beneficial properties and is said by some health practitioners to be almost as medicinal as raw honey.
Organic Sugar	47	Organic sugar comes from sugar cane grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. It is usually darker than traditional white sugar because it contains some molasses. (It has not been processed to the degree white sugar is processed).
Maple Syrup	54	Maple syrup is made by boiling sap collected from natural growth maple trees during March & April.
Evaporated Cane Juice	55	Though better than turbinado, cane juice (unevaporated) is a better choice as a sweetener.
Black Strap Molasses	55	White refined table sugar is sugar cane with all the nutrition taken out. Black strap molasses is all of that nutrition that was taken away. A quality organic (must be organic!) molasses provides iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, and is alkalizing to the body.
Turbinado	65	Turbinado sugar is partially processed sugar, also called raw sugar.
Raw sugar	65	Raw sugar is not actually raw sugar. It is processed, though not as refined as common white table sugar.
Cola (and most other sodas)	70	Though cola has a lower GI ranking then some might expect, there are many other reasons to avoid cola, or any type of soda. There is nothing beneficial to the human body
Corn Syrup	75	Corn syrup has very little nutrition and should be avoided.
Refined, Pasteurized Honey	75	The nutrition is gone, and there is often high fructose corn syrup added to processed honey. Refined pasteurized honey is no better than white table sugar.
Refined Table Sugar (From Cane or Beets)	80	Conventionally grown, chemically processed, and stripped of all beneficial properties
High Fructose Corn Syrup	87	Many health advocates believe that high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar are the two biggest contributors to health ailments in our society. High fructose corn syrup is a combination of sucrose and fructose.
Glucose (AKA Dextrose)	100	White bread was the benchmark, but for consistency glucose now holds the rating at 100.
Maltodextrin	150	Foods that have maltodextrin often say “Low Sugar” or “Complex Carbohydrate”, but this sweetener should be avoided!

Please note that the glycemic index numbers here are estimates. There are many variables that help determine how quickly a sugar is absorbed. These numbers represant an average of many different respected studies. In addition, it is very important to note that the glycemic index does not define what is a healthy sugar and what is an unhealthy sugar. There are many other variables.

We have been using stevia and 100% maple syrup as our go-to sweeteners for quite some time. But within the last few months I have discovered that our local warehouse-type grocery store (the one I have mentioned in past posts that has a very large health-food section) carries organic coconut sugar in their bulk section. This has been quite a boon for me, as it is in granular form, making it easier to make gluten free cookies, cakes, and baked goods which require creaming a granular sweetener with butter. It can also be used to make sweetened whipped cream (raw, of course!) and frostings!

It is much lower on the glycemic index than maple syrup yet does not have the bitter aftertaste of stevia that my hubby hates so much! Is it expensive? No more so than the liters of organic maple syrup I have been buying at Costco.

For those of you who do not have a local source for coconut sugar here are some links where it can be purchased in bulk: http://www.znaturalfoods.com/Coconut-Palm-Sugar-Organic

http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/category/natural-sweeteners-coconut-sugar.php

For Oregon and Washington state residents: http://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/14046/  you can purchase 6 lbs. for $23.35 (it comes in 6 one pound packages)

That being said, you should use the GI to decide for yourself what sweeteners will be best for your family. There are several resources available for 100% maple syrup and I will post those if anyone is interested. Check back with my blog often as I will be posting many more GF and SF recipes and will be posting the different ways to use alternative sweeteners and how they interact when used for baking, etc. In the meantime, here's to having MORE!