LOW SUGAR TREATS TO AVOID TEMPTATIONS

When you are trying to dump sugar from your diet, but everyone around you is eating it and you feel tempted to join, eat these things instead.

I began avoiding sugar (and reducing carbohydrates in general) nearly a decade ago when I really grasped the damage they do to our bodies in increasing risk of heart disease, strokes, arthritis and dementia.

It’s not too hard to avoid sugar if you just don’t have any around the house. But it becomes more difficult if you share your home with people who still want to eat some sugar, or if you are going to activities where sugary foods are served. When your family pulls out the ice cream and cookies or the pancakes with syrup and you are tempted to join them but are trying to be strong here’s what you can eat instead.

1. Dark chocolate (85% cacao or higher). If you at first don’t like it because it seems bitter to you, start with 72-75% cacao and work your way up. Once you’ve been away from sugar long enough 85% will taste plenty sweet, just hang in there. Some bars are around $3.50…but no name brands taste just as good at $2.50. You probably shouldn’t load up on these though as they are still high in calories, but the cacao is actually good for you. Dark Chocolate is packed with flavonoids which have numerous health benefits. Cacao also contains a fiber that your friendly gut bacteria like, so it helps feed the good bacteria at the same time you are avoiding sugars that feed the bad.
2. Plain Greek yogurt with Berries and roasted pecans and those little green pumpkin seeds: Make sure it is truly plain yogurt…no sugar added.
   Yes, plain Greek yogurt tastes a bit like sour cream, the other yogurts are too full of sugar, that’s why you have to doctor it up with the berries and nuts. The first time you try this you won’t be that impressed, it’s not ice cream. But after 1-2 months off of sugar you might find this is a good ice cream substitute. Berries of most all kinds from raspberries, strawberries, blue berries and black berries have a carb load of 2. Compare that to a banana at 10 and a baked potato of 30. To top it off the plain yogurt has friendly bacteria for your gut, and the berries are full of antioxidants and nutrients. Pecans have oleic acid that promotes cardiovascular health and pumpkin seeds are a good source of magnesium, iron, and fiber. I like the pecans roasted in the oven, it just gives them a better taste in my opinion, and when you are avoiding sugar, you should pamper yourself in every way you can.
   Roasting nuts and peanuts can cause a slight reduction in some heat-sensitive nutrients, like vitamin E and antioxidants. However, the process can also improve digestibility by breaking down anti-nutritional factors like lectins and possibly phytic acid.
   For those who just need a bit more sweetness you can add a small drizzle of honey, but honey is sugar, I don’t add the honey, my wife does.
3. Smoothie with Protein powder, banana and berries: This is a great milk shake replacement. I just got done saying that bananas have a carb load of 10 while berries only a 2, so you want to minimize the banana if you can, but at least a banana is on the edge of acceptable and definitely better than straight sugar. See how little banana you can add and still like this.
   We use “just ingredients” brand protein. Try a berry flavored one.
   One serving use:
   • • 1 scoop of protein powder from the bag
     • 3-4 cubes of ice depending on how slushy you like it (more ice = more thick)
     • 1 frozen banana (cut them up before freezing)
     • 1 Cup of water (milk makes creamier…but lactose is sugar, so I use water)
     • 1/4 cup of berries
     • put these ingredients in the blender and blend.

   If you prefer a chocolate peanut butter flavor over berry try a chocolate protein and:
   Add 1 tbs of Adams peanut butter (100% peanuts, not sugar or bad fats added) or 1 tsp of PB2 powder (also no sugar added). Also add ice, water and the one frozen banana adds a little sweetness and some slushiness. (no berries)

   Even green shakes can be calm your sweet craving if you add a few berries and

   • 1-2 large handfuls of dark green leaves, kale, spinach etc. (can be frozen first…so if a bag is about to go bad, freeze it and use it later for a shake.
   • Vanilla protein powder 1 scoop, or 1-2 scoops of collagen (has 10 grams of protein per scoop. we use just ingredients brand collagen)
   • 3-4 ice cubes
   • 1 Cup of water
   • 1 frozen banana
   • could add a 1/4 cup of frozen pineapple if you need a titch more sweetness, do not use canned, since this is often canned in a sugary syrup. But pineapple is pretty sugary so if you can skip this it is better.
4. A banana with a little almond butter (100% almonds, no other ingredients) I do this far too much. It is fast and simple and tastes great, but is more carb than the berries, so if you are smarter than me, you won’t do this too regularly.
   You can use Adams 100% peanut butter as well…no sugar.
   Two supplements that can help especially if you have diabetes or insulin resistance and want a little help along with dietary changes to help sugar metabolism issues.
5. Gymnema herb: This herbal is most effective when sucked on for a bit and then swallowed. It binds to the sugar receptors on your taste buds and so makes sugar taste bad and chocolate taste like wax for the next hour or two. So, this is less of a nice snack and more of a deterrent against temptation. But even more importantly, Gymnema is considered by many to be the best herbal to fight diabetes as it has been shown to reduce appetite, reduce sugar absorption in the intestine and increase the number of pancreatic beta cells which can lead to increased insulin secretion. Mediherb – (in my opinion the best herbal company on the plantet) produces an outstanding Gymnema that I carry and get through Standard Process.
6. The supplement Inositol: This is a little pill produced by standard process that tastes sweet because inositol is a sugar alcohol. I avoid most sugar alcohols but a little can be o.k. and for some when inositol is provided, sugar cravings, and overall appetite decrease. The body uses inositol for many functions including promoting insulin sensitivity and healthy insulin and blood sugar levels, thyroid function and even building cell membranes.