
The Sweet Spot
SUGAR!!!!!
Do sugar cravings overwhelm you?
Do they call your name and the HUNT you down?
If your sugar cravings get BAD, your probably not eating enough good fat and protein with each meal. When you don’t have enough good fat and protein, your blood sugar goes up and down.
Sweet foods are a quick but very unsustainable way to feel better in the moment. Eating sweet foods, EVEN LOTS OF FRUIT, can throw your blood sugar off balance and pushes inflammation and MORE cravings.
Ready to get off the sugar merry-go-round?
1. Increase your good fat intake to ~40% of your caloric intake.
2. Have at 1-2 servings of protein with each meal. A serving of protein is the size of the palm of your hand.
The good news is making better sweetener choices is a great way to boost your health and is DELICIOUS!!
(yumtastic recipes below……)
All sweeteners, even the good ones, should be taken only occasionally in small quantities. Frequent sugar intake impacts our body’s ability to heal and function properly.
Many sweeteners are greatly refined to the point all previously existing antioxidants and minerals are obliterated rendering it completely void of nutritional benefit. Even the amount of naturally occurring sugar in orange juice is enough to suppress the immune system’s ability to function for up to 6 hours.
Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, splenda, equal, nutrisweet, etc are even worse than sugar. Research links use of these types of sweeteners to obesity, ADD, ADHD, and cancer.
Some sweeteners are almost ubiquitous in our society, such as corn syrup and its derivatives. For many Americans corn makes up a caloric majority our collective diet. Corn syrup and especially high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) have high levels of fructose. Fructose is the form of sugar most consumed in US. Not bad in its own right but we are not able to effectively process the large amounts in the SAD.
Another sweetener, touted as a healthy alternative to HFCS, is agave. Unfortunately agave (95%) has even more fructose than HFCS (55%). Fructose in these concentrated forms increased insulin resistance, which can lead toward increasing triglycerides, increased risk of liver damage, high cholesterol levels, and increased risk of Type II Diabetes. These sweeteners are highly chemically processed to create a presentable and palatable product.

Sweeteners that maintain their whole food status are easily available.
These include:
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Date sugar
- Palm sugar
- Stevia, unrefined
The antioxidants and mineral, while not in large amounts are still present in these options.
Here are some chocolate recipes to help you get started. 🙂
Dark Chocolate Black Bean Brownies
Enjoy!
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