Sugar Alternatives

Source http://refineryfitnesspdx.com/sugar-alternatives/

Humans are hardwired to seek out foods with the sweet flavor.  Sweetness signals to our body that a food is dense in calories and energy, an important characteristic in hunter/gatherer societies where food was either feast or famine.  Sugar provided valuable calories to help people get through periods of lean food.  In fact, the sweet taste is tied to the reward center in our brain and actually “lights up” the same areas in the brain as drugs.  Even breast milk contains sugars called oligosaccharides which feed the good bacteria in a baby’s gut.  Sugar occurs naturally in many foods such as fruit, dairy products, starchy vegetables and honey.  These sugars are usually fine because they come “packaged” with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.  Unfortunately modern society has begun to over consume a diet rich in processed food which is frequently loaded with added sugar.  With this increased burden on our pancreas to process all the sugar our pancreas can become taxed, leading to weight gain, insulin resistance, diabetes, inflammation, increased liver fat and heart disease.  All types of sugar can lead to health issues if over consumed.  The American Heart Association recommends 9 teaspoons of added sugar a day for men an…

Source http://refineryfitnesspdx.com/sugar-alternatives/

Humans are hardwired to seek out foods with the sweet flavor.  Sweetness signals to our body that a food is dense in calories and energy, an important characteristic in hunter/gatherer societies where food was either feast or famine.  Sugar provided valuable calories to help people get through periods of lean food.  In fact, the sweet taste is tied to the reward center in our brain and actually “lights up” the same areas in the brain as drugs.  Even breast milk contains sugars called oligosaccharides which feed the good bacteria in a baby’s gut.  Sugar occurs naturally in many foods such as fruit, dairy products, starchy vegetables and honey.  These sugars are usually fine because they come “packaged” with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.  Unfortunately modern society has begun to over consume a diet rich in processed food which is frequently loaded with added sugar.  With this increased burden on our pancreas to process all the sugar our pancreas can become taxed, leading to weight gain, insulin resistance, diabetes, inflammation, increased liver fat and heart disease.  All types of sugar can lead to health issues if over consumed.  The American Heart Association recommends 9 teaspoons of added sugar a day for men an…

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