Hold the white sugar, please!

Cutting back on our white sugar intake has been one of the most rewarding aspects of our new, whole food, diet. There are so many reasons to lay off the processed sweeteners: it greatly reduces overall calorie intake, it lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, it improves dental health, and simply because they ARE processed. Aside from the tangible health benefits, we feel better. One beverage made with an average amount of white sugar and I'm ready to ralph.

I'll start by sharing a few facts about sugar. Did you know that much of the sugar found in processed foods is actually beet sugar? Along that vein, most beets are genetically modified to be 'Round-Up ready'. If you're working to eliminate GMOs in your diet, processed sugar is one ingredient that you must avoid. Even cane sugar is highly processed and doesn't meet nutritional needs other than calories from carbohydrates. High fructose corn syrup, despite really not being quite as evil as it's been made out to be in recent years, it is HIGHLY processed and corn is a highly genetically modified crop. Ergo, we don't use it.

You don't have to cut out sweets all together when you stop eating the sugar we all grew up with. There are many alternatives to sweeten your food and beverage without using cane or beet sugar.

• Raw honey
• Maple syrup (but only the real stuff)
• Molasses
• Stevia (though you've got to watch stevia based sweeteners for 'icky' ingredients)
• Fruit

Raw honey, though calorie rich, provides many health benefits as well as a sweet treat. Molasses is rich in iron. Stevia, though more processed than I care to use regularly, is a great alternative to more questionable low-calorie sweeteners for diabetics or people looking to cut calories from sugars. Fruit is an obvious choice, as it's obviously naturally made and provides more nutrients than you're average sweetener.

There are so many ways to use less processed sweeteners if you're willing to get just a little creative. Honey and molasses are great for baking, but stevia is not very effective in that department. Maple syrup is wonderful for far more than pancakes and waffles. You can use it to sweeten yogurt or oatmeal. Use fruit frozen in ice cubes to sweeten cold drinks, or even pureed fruit in baked goods or yogurt.

You can even grow and process the stevia plant at home, which is very appealing to do-it-yourselfers like me. Maple syrup, in the right climate and with the presence of sugar maples, can also be tapped and processed by relative beginners without much expense or effort. If you cared to keep bees, you could have your very own buzzy honey-makers right there in your back yard. Knowing precisely how your food is processed because you've processed it yourself is a great way to make sure that you know exactly what is going into what you eat, and in my most humble of opinions, it feels good to be able to provide my own food.

P.S., Sorry I haven't posted in so long. Sometimes, life really gets in the way, you know?