IF I DON’T EAT SUGAR HOW DO I SOLVE MY SWEET TOOTH? – BLOG #69

IF I DON’T EAT SUGAR HOW DO I SOLVE MY SWEET TOOTH? – BLOG #69
Dr. Spiker Davis D.D.S.  713-781-2800    Dr. Matt Guerre D.D.S. 713-781-2800
In collaboration with Dr. John Seger M.D. Cardiologist 713-791-9444
BLOG | ABOUT | MISSION | PALEO | RANT | PRODUCT

I believe the mouth is the WINDOW TO YOUR HEALTH. I also believe that as individuals we need to take care of our health-nobody else is going to do it for us.

As I know you are aware, I am against eating sugar. It is linked to almost all of the major diseases of the human body ranging from heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, obesity, and many others. I am a big believer that sugar is just poison, and we should all avoid it. That is easy to say but we all have a sweet tooth once in a while and everything that is packaged has sugar in it. So, what do we do? For me, I try hard to avoid anything in a package or a can. If you read the labels, they almost all have some form of sugar in them. So how do we deal with a sweet tooth?

I have found that for me, the more I avoid sugar the less I want it. And the reverse is also true-the more sugar I eat the more I crave it and the more I want it. Many times, I find that my dentist and physician friends discuss sugar substitutes. I personally am against those. I have a friend that used artificial sweeteners on everything because they had fewer calories. After doing this for several years he started to develop some strange health issues and his doctors finally discovered that it was from all the chemicals in artificial sweeteners. As soon as he quit that habit all of his physical complaints went away. So now what do you replace those with?? Let’s take a look.

In my opinion, I think all artificial sweeteners should be avoided because of the added chemicals. At the top of my list to avoid would be Saccharin (Sweet and Low), Sucralose (Splenda), and aspartame (Equal). That covers the majority of what I see, so what the heck can I eat or put into my coffee or tea???

So, let’s look at healthier sugar substitutes. You will come across many different sugar substitutes when you read recipes and nutrition labels. Let’s look at some of the natural substitutes.

1. HONEY-This is far and away my favorite. I put this in my iced tea, coffee and even put it on my breakfast cereal. Raw honey is natural, unprocessed, and contains nutrients like B vitamins and iron. It was used by cavemen and fits into the Paleo diet. It also has some antibacterial compounds which can help fight infection. The biggest problem I see with honey is the calorie count. It is 60 calories per tablespoon.
2. AGAVE-it a type of syrup that comes from the Agave plant (same as tequila). It is sweet and looks similar to honey, but I just happen to like the flavor of honey better. It is sweeter than sugar so you can use less. Many physicians recommend that diabetics use this because it has a low glycemic index (which means it may not cause a big blood sugar spike).
3. ALLULOSE-It is a single sugar molecule called a monosaccharide that is derived from fructose which is naturally in fruits such as dates, figs, and raisins. It tastes similar to sugar, but with less sweetness and it does not affect insulin levels. In my opinion, it is a good alternative for diabetics. Some people do experience intestinal issues so if you notice any of that please discontinue.
4. COCONUT SUGAR-This comes from the coconut palm tree. It seems like I see it used a lot in coffee-type creamers. It is similar to Agave with low fructose and a low glycemic index. It also works pretty well for baking. the biggest drawback to me is the calories which are similar to sugar. It can also be very expensive.
5. STEVIA-It is a powder from the leaf of a plant in South America. It is virtually calorie-free and is much sweeter than sugar. It does not impact your blood sugar and some studies show that it may lower your blood pressure. Some physicians believe that it needs more study but on the surface, it seems great. It is often time mixed with sugar alcohols so be sure to read the ingredient labels.

So now you have some healthier choices to replace sugar. I hope this helps. In my opinion, you are better off with nothing, but many people are so addicted to sugar that it is hard to eliminate it from your diet. I am 100% convinced that if you lower your sugar intake to 1-2 tablespoons per day, you would be much healthier, and the craving really does subside after about 6-8 weeks. However, if you cheat (We all do some) the addiction comes roaring back. To me, it is better not to ever buy it or have it in the house because if it is there, I will probably eat it.

SUMMARY-in my opinion, you should avoid all sugar. Easier said than done, but if you have a huge sweet tooth and can’t put it to rest, then there are at least a few sugar substitutes that you can try.

“THE MOUTH IS THE WINDOW TO YOUR HEALTH”. BRUSH AND FLOSS TWICE DAILY, AVOID SUGAR FOR 2022 AND SEE YOUR DENTIST AND PHYSICIAN REGULARLY.

Spiker Davis D.D.S. spiker@thepaleodentist.com John Seger M.D. Matt Guerre D.D.S.
PLEASE SIGN UP BY GOING TO OUR WEBSITE www.thepaleodentist.com 

STAY SAFE. WORRY ABOUT NOTHING AND PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.