Healthy alternatives to sugar

Try our healthy alternatives to sugar to cut down on the sweet stuff without compromising on taste

Sugar. It makes us pile on the pounds and rots our teeth but we still can’t get enough of the stuff. Why? This diet enemy targets the brain’s pleasure centre where it releases the feel-good chemical dopamine, which is why many if us can’t resist the craving for a sweet hit. Imagining a world without doughnuts and cupcakes might seem impossible, but it’s really not! All it takes is a few dietary tweaks and smart food substitutions, and you can nix your sweet tooth once and for all.

So, why bother? What’s really in it for you? Well, better health, for a start. A new study published in the American Journal of Cardiology reveals that sugar – not salt – is to blame for high blood pressure, while many previous studies have linked the white stuff to a whole range of chronic diseases such as diabetes type 2, cancer and dementia. Giving up sugar can also massively boost your energy levels, curb bloating, improve your concentration and even ensure you get a good night’s sleep.

Smarten up your diet by munching little and often rather than skipping meals or going for long periods without eating – and always eat breakfast, as this will set a healthy tone for the day ahead. Eating regularly will help to avoid blood glucose spikes which are essentially responsible for making you overeat or give into cravings. Ideally, you should eat a balanced diet and swap chocolate and sweets for low-GI fruit like apples and pears. Try and avoid any pre-packaged foods and read food labels carefully. Anything ending in -ose, (think dextrose, fructose, maltose) is a hidden source of sugar so avoid these sneaky ingredients, too. And when you just can’t resist riding the sugar wave, we’ve picked out some pretty awesome natural alternatives which won’t leave you with any of the nasty blood sugar highs and lows, nor the deadly health effects of ordinary sugar. You’re very welcome!

We Heart Living – Sweet Freedom

1 Sweet Freedom (£2.99, hollandandbarrett.com)

Satisfy your sweet tooth with Sweet Freedom syrup. Made from apples, grapes and carob, this bottle of golden loveliness is low on the GI scale and on the calorie front, so you can indulge guilt-free.

How to use: Add to natural Greek yogurt with a pinch of cinnamon for a naturally sweet dessert.