15/10/2020
סוכר זה סוכר זה סוכר. וזה ממש לא משנה מהיכן הגיע. אותה השפעה על הגוף.
It kills me when I see people posting recipes that are supposedly 'healthier' because they contain 'raw,' or 'unrefined' sugars like honey or agave instead of table sugar. Or, when people demonize corn syrup as worse for us than any other sugar (this has never been proven, FYI). Or, when they order raw sugar in their latte instead of white sugar, because it's supposedly not as 'bad.'
Uh, nope.
In reality, the body breaks down all sugars the same way. Honey, agave (which, by the way, is higher in fructose than high fructose corn syrup...didn't see that one coming, did you?), maple syrup, organic cane sugar, coconut sugar, whatever.
They're all the same to your body.
So please, don't fool yourself into thinking that some Paleo blogger's 'sugar free' dessert that has maple syrup in it is actually sugar free. And don't listen to those people who say that raw or coconut sugars have 'beneficial nutrients' in them.
FFS. Just stop. Do you eat sugar for nutrients?
The whole 'unrefined' thing is a total racket, too. Most sugars are 'processed' in some way, except maybe raw honey, which doesn't make it healthier anyhow. White sugar comes from beets or sugar cane, both 'natural' sources. Brown and raw sugar simply contain molasses, which has been removed from white sugar. They aren't healthier in any way.
Sure, some of these sweeteners are structurally different than others, and some are higher on the glycemic index. But the differences in how our bodies respond to them are barely perceptible, and in the end, all the sugars we eat end up as glucose, feeding our cells and providing us with energy. Glycemic index of sugar is measured when sugar is eaten in isolation, and since nobody eats any of these sugars on their own (at least I hope not), its impact for each individual sweetener when eaten as part of a meal, isn’t too great on overall blood sugar.
It goes without saying, that too much of any type of sugar isn't great for anyone.
What I always tell people around sugars or sweeteners (even sugar-free ones) in general, is to choose whichever ones you like, but just choose less. Get yourself accustomed to less sweet overall. Be aware of the hidden sugars in ultra-processed foods.
Lastly? Understand that having some sugar in your diet is normal and will not hurt you. Don't be scare into going 'sugar free' by some wellness warrior, which is virtually impossible and totally sh*tty. Look at reduction, not elimination.
Life is good, enjoy the cake.
Abby xo
