Why Sugar Substitutes DON’T Work and the 5 Foods To Control Your Sugars!

Sugar Substitutes

Those sugar substitutes might do more harm than good, particularly when controlling your blood sugars (or blood glucose) and losing weight. So, if you’re looking to get either problem under control, you might want to avoid these chemicals.

What Exactly Are Sugar Substitutes?

Currently, the sugar substitutes on the market are chemicals, anywhere from twice as sweet as sugar to over a hundred times as sweet. They fool your taste buds into thinking you’re eating something with sugar when you’re not. Here are the most common ones right now:

  • Aspartame
  • Sucralose
  • Acesulfame K
  • Saccharin
  • Xylitol

There’s also stevia, a natural herb that tastes sweet but can leave a bitter aftertaste. There are also alternative, natural sugars such as honey, agave, molasses, fruit sugars, and many others. But these will all raise your blood sugar levels because… well, they are sugar.

Your body handles natural, real sugar easily – around 70 to 100g per day. Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet has anywhere from 3 to 4 times the amount of sugar we’re supposed to eat – around 300-400g of carbohydrates. And that’s causing problems…

Why Sugar Substitutes Throw Your Whole Body Into Chaos

The balance of sugar, or more precisely glucose, and insulin within your blood helps dictate your energy, metabolism, thought processes, and your weight. Insulin moves sugar from your blood into your cells to produce energy. If you don’t eat the sugar, it will pull stored sugars from your muscles and brain.

People can feel light-headed, dizzy, exceptionally hungry, and even pass out. You’re weak and tired, and all you want to do is eat. You have no more fuel for your body, and you can start craving more sugary food, become irritable, and want a nap.

But the sugar substitutes can do more. They can influence your hormones, increasing the risk of depression, weight gain, moodiness, and PMS. Some artificial sugars increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and cancer, especially hormonally reliant cancers, like breast cancer.

Here are some of the big problems with the most common types of sugar substitutes:

  • Aspartame 
    • Cancer inducer
    • Neurotoxin
    • Increased risk of type 2 diabetes
    • Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
    • Increased risk of liver disease
  • Sucralose
    • Liver toxin
    • Digestive disruptor
    • Increased risk of inflammation
  • Acesulfame K 
    • Neurotoxin
    • Increased risk of inflammation
    • Digestive disruptor
  • Saccharin
    • Heart disruptor
    • liver toxin
    • Increased risk of liver and renal impairment
  • Xylitol
    • Cancer inducer
    • Digestive disruptor

Currently, no sugar substitute on the market is entirely safe to consume. It’s far better to use food to help control your sugars because those foods will also help dozens of other health problems.

And to top it all off – long-term studies show using artificial sugars shows no improvement in BMI, body weight, or blood sugar control. Basically, they are useless.

The 5 Foods To Control Your Sugars

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish like salmon and sardines can help you control your sugar by providing healthy omega-3 fatty acids. These fats help stabilize your blood sugar and insulin levels, helping you to avoid sugar cravings. Plus, the healthy omega-3 fatty acids help your brain health, giving you better willpower to resist temptation and helping to reduce anxiety and depression which can make you crave sugars more.

Nuts & Seeds 

The wide variety of nuts and seeds can add crunch and healthy fats to your diet. Like fatty fish, healthy fats help control sugar and improve mood. And nuts and seeds add incredible taste and texture to your food, making your meals more satisfying.

Probiotic Foods 

Your gut controls so much and having a healthy mix of probiotics in your digestive system can help your whole body. Specifically for sugar, it can help reduce sugar cravings and help you feel content with your food. Plus, it helps your immune system, mood, and weight loss goals when you eat healthy probiotic food.

Eggs

Eggs are packed full of vitamins and minerals, plus fats to make you feel full longer, and most of those are found in the yolk. Except been shown in studies to help diabetics regulate their blood sugar, helping to curve cravings for sugar. Plus, numerous studies show eggs are healthy for both your heart and waistline, debunking the dietary myth that eating eggs causes high cholesterol.

Green Leafy Vegetables

Green leafy vegetables are naturally low in sugars and pack a tremendous amount of phytonutrients to help regulate your sugars. In particular, chlorophyll can help reduce sugar cravings. Having some green leafy vegetables every day can help you lose weight and control your sugars.

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