Healing Arts has their own Food Pyramid. At the top of the pyramid is minimal sugars. Minimal sugars include honey, stevia, real maple syrup, monk fruit, molasses, and coconut sugar. It does not include white sugar, brown sugar or cane sugar. Maximum allowed of these healthy sugars is a serving a day and better if you were to have it only once a week. You can get muscle tested to know what specific natural sugars work for your body. Does your body do better with honey? Or maybe your body does better with coconut sugar?
Very rarely do we allow agave because it is a syrup that comes from the cactus plant and by the time it is bottled it is too highly processed. Anyone with blood sugar issues should stay away from it. Another thing to know, is if you have monk fruit it also counts as a fruit serving as well.
When it comes to honey, not all honey is made the same and the honey in the plastic bear is definitely too processed. Instead try to find raw, organic honey. Honey is one of the oldest known sweeteners. In Russia, the extremely potent honey from Siberian bees was given out as a prescription for almost all ailments. In ancient Egypt honey was used to heal wounds. Honey is extremely heat sensitive due to the sheer number of beneficial enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Honey that has been processed in any way losses most of its benefits. Also, honey that was not properly harvested and made by bees that have been fed sugar instead of naturally collecting pollen from flowers can contribute to a loss in nutrients. This processed honey is just as bad as sugar.
Raw honey is the best honey. It is an alkalining food that doesn't ferment in the stomach. It can be used to counteract acid indigestion. When mixed with ginger and lemon juices it also relieves nausea and supplies energy. Raw honey is also good to take for respiratory infections, liver problems. stomach ulcers, digestive problems, constipation, strengthening the immune system and promoting general vitality.
Manuka honey is most nutritious of honeys. I have never been able to find it raw but it is worth the hype and the price. It is only made in New Zealand and Australia from European honey bees foraging on the manuka tree. To be labelled New Zealand manuka honey at least 70% of its pollen content should come from the manuka tree. In 2004 Britain's National Health Service (NHS) licensed the use of medical grade manuka honey as a wound dressing. And in New Zealand, Peter Molan, director of the Honey Research Unit of the University of Waikato, has been studying the antibacterial properties of manuka honey and he says it kills every type of bacteria, including MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant “superbug”. For some reason this antibacterial property is stable and doesn't lose its potency when exposed to dilution, heat or light as in other processed honeys. So I always have a jar of it in my house that I take out when I feel I am starting to come down with something. Manuka honey comes with a number on the label +5, +10 etc. The higher the number the more enzymes are in the honey and so the more medicinal the honey is but also the more expensive it is. So I buy the highest number and use it only when I feel my throat or lungs need it and when I just want something sweet I use raw honey.
Also made from bees is bee pollen and it is so full of nutrition it is labeled as a super food! It is about 40% protein and since about half of that is in the form of free amino acids it is ready to be used directly by the body and can contribute significantly to one's protein needs. So that’s why I add a teaspoon every morning to my breakfast smoothie. It interestingly cannot be synthesized in a laboratory. When researchers feed bees manmade pollen the bee dies even though all the known nutrients are present in the lab-produced synthesized food. It is important to recognize that one teaspoon of pollen takes a bee working eight hours a day for one month to gather.
Pollen is known to improve endurance and vitality, aid in recovery from chronic illness, reduce cravings and addictions, regulate intestines, build new blood and boost the immune system. It is thought to protect against radiation and to have anti-cancer qualities. Pollen is rich in proteins, free amino acids, and vitamins including B-complex and folic acid. A true superfood!
Besides honey we do allow minimal amounts of maple syrup. Of course, it has to be the real organic maple syrup and not the corn syrup kind. With antioxidants that support the body’s immune system and heart health as well as several beneficial vitamins and minerals, maple syrup is a great sugar substitute in any recipe. The conversion of maple syrup versus sugar in recipes can vary depending on the recipe, but typically one cup of white sugar can be replaced with 2/3 to ¾ cup of maple syrup. Maple syrup comes in different colors. Maple syrup is classified from light to dark grades that include extra light/light (grades AA/A), medium (grade B), and amber/dark (grades C and D). It is grade D that you want because darker syrups show significantly higher phenol and antioxidant content, along with more phosphorous, calcium and total mineral content than the other syrups.
Maple syrup having such nutritional content gives it a strong anti-inflammatory effect. Especially the antioxidants content which lowers the impact of free radicals and prevent oxidative stress, which increases the risk of chronic diseases and chronic inflammation throughout the whole body. Phenolics have attracted significant research attention for their potential role in the prevention and treatment of several chronic human diseases including cancer. Studies show that phenolics from maple syrup can stop colon cancer from growing. I’m sure phenolics can also help with other types of cancer but the research has not been done yet. If you are wanting to use maple syrup medicinally add 1 tsp.grade D to your diet a day but do not heat it. It loses some of it’s medicinal value if it’s heated. Other food high in phenolics are berries, spices, nuts, green tea, and olive oil.
Coconut sugar is made from the sap of coconut palm trees in a process that is very similar to the production of maple syrup. The harvested sap is reduced to a thick syrup and then boiled until it is reduced to a granulated form similar to that of brown sugar. Coconut sugar has many culinary applications, but my favorite way to work with it is to use coconut sugar in baking. Coconut sugar does not taste like coconut (disappointing to coconut fans, I know!), but instead has a unique caramel flavor. While it is similar in texture to light brown sugar, it isn’t quite as “wet” and doesn’t pack down quite as tightly as real brown sugar. It also doesn’t have the same molasses notes, so it brings a lighter overall flavor to baked goods. Despite these differences, coconut sugar can be used like both white and brown sugar in recipes. Do use coconut sugar as a 1:1 substitute for white or brown sugar.
Just like maple syrup, coconut sugar retains a significant amount of the nutrients from that sap, unlike traditional table sugar that is stripped of nutrients. Coconut sugar contains zinc, potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, phenolics, specialized fiber, vitamin C and other antioxidants, rather than the basic “empty calories” of traditional sugar. However, coconut sugar is still very high in fructose, and just like the other healthy sweeteners, should be used in moderation. When the liver processes fructose, it releases triglycerides, which are a form of fat that you want to make sure doesn’t get too concentrated in the body because it is not heart healthy. Fructose is fruit sugar and is a different type of sugar than glucose. This is the main reason why my rule of thumb is a serving of fruit a day. You don’t want too much fructose in your diet. Evolved chocolate and Hu chocolate are vegan chocolate companies that use coconut sugar if you want a sweet treat.
Stevia is very healthy sugar alternative made from the green leaves of the stevia plant that is native to South America. Only stevia provides zero calories and is the healthiest sweetener for diabetics. While stevia is an excellent substitute for sugar, it's twice as sweet than sugar, and because of this you really can't use it to replace sugar at a 1:1 ratio. It’s better to cut the stevia amount in 1/2. Look for stevia in powder or liquid form in supermarkets and health-food stores. You’re likely to find it in the baking goods aisle. Major U.S. soda companies now sell soda sweetened with stevia. Some flavored waters also have stevia but unfortunately they come in aluminum cans so I haven’t tried them. Unlike the other sweeteners I feel like stevia can have an aftertaste and different brands do have a slightly different taste so you will want to experiment. Lily’s chocolate is a healthy chocolate sweetened with stevia that tastes good.
In 2015 a study came out that stevia can kill the bacteria that causes Lyme’s disease (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4681354/pdf/eujmi-05-268.pdf). Ever since then I have been using stevia with success not only with my Lyme’s patients but also with other patients fighting bacterial and fungal infections. It has to be an organic liquid stevia and it’s amazing how it works!
Blackstrap molasses is another healthy sugar alternative produced by refining raw sugar cane. It is also known as the final by-product of cane mills. Thick and dark, with a sticky, syrup-like texture, molasses is what's left over once no additional sugar can be crystalized from sugarcane or sugar beets. Molasses comes in light, dark and blackstrap. It is only the blackstrap that has nutritional value.
While blackstrap molasses contains roughly the same amount of carbohydrates as sugar, it stabilizes blood sugar levels and is digested more slowly because it is full of nutrients. Blackstrap molasses is an excellent source of calcium that promotes good bone health, aids in the removal of toxins from the colon, boosts the function of the enzyme system. It is loaded with magnesium which aids in the functioning of the nervous system. Magnesium also balances the amount of calcium in the body, allowing the blood vessels and nerves to relax. Blackstrap molasses is also an excellent source of vitamins and minerals including pantothenic acid and vitamin B6. Deficiency in these vitamins can trigger headaches, stress, asthma, and fatigue.
I also suggest taking one tablespoon of blackstrap molasses a day as a good vegan source for iron. Blackstrap molasses contains about 3mg of iron which is not enough iron to treat anemia when the average person needs 15mg of iron a day. Besides iron, blackstrap molasses could increase antioxidant intake to a level similar to that found in a serving of berries or nuts. Blackstrap molasses is used in food products like gingerbread, baked beans and barbecue sauce. It has a very distinctive taste that you can't substitute other sweeteners in any recipe that calls for blackstrap molasses specifically and would not be a good substitute for regular sugar.
I also apply molasses topically on the skin to treat minor injuries and burns. I first clean the injured area and then apply a thin coat of molasses and cover it with a dry, clean bandage. It works like magic. If I don’t have molasses handy then I will use non toasted sesame seed oil instead.
Monk fruit is a newer healthy sugar alternative that is zero calories like stevia. Monk fruit, also called luo han guo, is a small green melon that was cultivated for centuries by Buddhist monks—hence its name. This fruit is native to southern China and northern Thailand, and most of the world's monk fruit is still grown in that region. The extract is derived from the monk fruit once it’s dried. It has a sweeter flavor than sugar and offers many health benefits. Stevia and monk fruit are the only two sugar alternatives that are keto-friendly because they have zero calories. Additionally, monk fruit has anti-inflammatory and infection-fighting properties. It contains fructose but its sweetness doesn’t come from the fruit sugar but instead comes from certain antioxidants in the fruit called mogrosides, and unlike sugar, this diabetic-safe ingredient even promotes weight loss.
Monk fruit sweeteners can be used to sweeten almost anything, such as coffee, smoothies, hot cereals, tea, and sauces. And since monk fruit sweeteners are heat-stable, they are safe to use in baked goods. Since it is sweeter when you use monk fruit I would cut the amount in half, so for every 1 cup of sugar use 1/2 cup of monk fruit.
Follow these healthy sugar alternative guidelines and I truly believe you can create a healthy life no matter what you suffer from. It is amazing, food can really be medicine and we can help!
