I recently read that during the pandemic the number of type 2 diabetes cases in children increased by 182%. As Joel Salatin often says, “Folks this aint normal.” The great news is that we are wonderfully made, and Lord willing, with the proper nutrition, sleep, exercise, and keeping stress low, I believe many people can experience the power of healing. I have witnessed this in myself and so many others. We don’t have to live in constant fear that we are helpless to our genetics. We live in a fallen world and will never experience perfect health, but most of us understand that certain habits are more damaging than others, and I believe getting our sweeteners right is a critical piece to bringing back the health of our culture.
According to the Weston Price Foundation, “There are many causes and types of diabetes, but a fundamental factor is eating too much sugar, which immediately raises the blood sugar levels. The most important factor in the prevention of diabetes is to avoid refined sweeteners found in cookies, candy, pastries, ice cream, boxes cereals, fruit juices, fruit punch, soft drinks, and energy drinks.” Thankfully we have insulin to treat diabetes, but this certainly isn’t perfect. It can be, . . . “lifesaving, but it also has side effects, including low blood sugar, weight gain, and kidney problems.” We have spent the last few weeks on Get Your Sweetener Right, and I am spending this week wrapping this subject up.
The final sweeteners on my list to avoid are processed fruit juices, which contain refined sugars that are damaging to the liver; sucralose (Splenda) which causes many health problems; corn syrup; fructose; dextrose; glucose; brown rice syrup; imitation syrups; heated honey; stevia extract; maltodextrin and sugar alcohols (xylitol, mannitol; erythritol); sorbitol; and the ones from previous weeks were aspartame, agave, and high fructose corn syrup.
In review refined sweeteners are damaging to our health, but there a good option out there. I always choose organic or find a trusted farmer to purchase these products from to avoid toxic chemicals, harmful preservatives, or fake products. There are many imitation products out there or those that contain other ingredients not even listed on the label. Once you start eating the real deal you will know imitation! Our favorite sweeteners are honey and maple syrup.
I have found that some people handle healthy sweeteners better than others, and we like to observe how we feel as the biggest factor in how much we consumer. As you ditch the modern diet and opt for a more traditional diet, your taste buds will change. When done correctly, most people don’t need so much “sweet” in their food. Because I have noticed consequences when we eat too much of even the healthy options, I have cut way down. We have even started to enjoy bitter foods as well. Here are some better options to replace those health damaging sweeteners below.
- Date Sugar
- Stevia Leaves
- Maple Syrup
- Unfiltered Raw Honey
- Sucanat
- Rapadura
- Molasses
- Sorghum Syrup
- Coconut Sugar
Our family has learned to slow down, make careful observations of what heals/damages, get rid of the distractions, take a little more time preparing our food, and most importantly to seek the Lord’s wisdom. It’s a daily struggle and it never goes perfectly, but we just keep trying to do the best we can. If you are working toward a more traditional, clean, whole foods diet, and would like to take small steps to get there, then you are at the right place. Week one was get your salt right, week 2 was get your sleep right, weeks 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 were get your fats right, we had several weeks about seasonings and herbs, and we are now getting our sweeteners right. Join us next Tuesday for Get Your . . . Right.