If your sugar level is high or your cutting back on sugar, honey is a great alternative. You can use it in your coffee, juices, desserts and in cooking, if need be. It doesn't only give you the energy boost you need, it also helps boost your immune system. 1 tbsp of sugar gives you less calories than 1 tbsp of honey. But since honey is sweeter, you may actually be using less honey that you will be using sugar. Also, honey contains minerals and vitamins that sugars don't have. So honey may be a better choice for you. What do you think?
I agree that honey is a good sweetener and healthful than sugar. But be careful in buying honey in the market as some seller mixed them with water and fooled the buyers.
I found this table and it would seem very helpful to you. This table is about table of sugar and sugar alternatives. Alternative Sugar Table
honey is still packed with sugar. If you are conscious about your sugar intake, I suggest using artificial sweeteners. You can also try muscavado or brown sugar but I don't know if they are the same or not.
Aspartame contains zero calories and can be used as an alternative for sugar. But it is rumored to be having a lot of unwanted side effects. In 2010, the BFSA even launched an investigation in to this matter. It is rumored to cause multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, methanol toxicity, blindness, spasms, shooting pains, seizures, headaches, depression, anxiety, memory loss, birth defects.etc
I like to use honey as a substitute, too. I don't like artificial sweeteners because of the bitter aftertaste.
How you will make sure whether the honey is synthetic or natural? Honey is a liquid, it can't be used as a substitute for sugar every time. And there is always the problem of availability. I live in the Arctic Tundra. How I am supposed to get natural honey here. Honey is always rich in health benefits, that I can agree. But we need to look beyond that.
When we say sugar, it must be the white sugar or the corn fructose used mainly by food processors. The main reason why the usual white sugar or corn fructose can be considered as unhealthy is because they are over-processed and could be devoid of any kind of nutrient the body can use. Foods is not just about satisfying our taste buds and stomachs, the most important function of foods is to supply our body with the nutrients it needs. Anything that has no nutrient due to over-processing can harm the body. If I were to use a table sugar, it should be the brown or better yet the so-called organic "muscuvado" sugar. Yes, honey is one of the best natural alternatives as it has the right sweetness and is a repository of different useful nutrients to make our immune system kicking and strong. We can also use stevia which is actually an herb having sweetness multiple times that of sugar.
I always keep honey in the house. I enjoy it in my tea instead of sugar. I closely monitor what my children are eating and I do not buy sugary cereal or oatmeal, etc. But instead I will give them plain whole grain cereals or oatmeal with a tiny bit of honey on it. My oldest daughter also enjoys peanut butter and honey sandwiches (on occasion), and I prefer giving her the honey instead of jams and jellies that are full of sugar.
I'd also suggest using honey as an all-natural alternative. I definitely do not like artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. They taste disgusting! That's not to mention the apparent side affects and diseases that they can cause. To me, the negative health effects that sugar causes are better than those caused by artificial sweeteners.
Does anyone here uses Maple sugar? I have heard that Maple syrup and sugar are better for our health. But I also know that they are extremely expensive. Here most of it is imported, so even more expensive. And most of the Russians don't even know what is Maple sugar. Maple sugar to Russians is what Prostokvasha and Ryazhenka is to Americans.
I'm from Canada, where maple syrup is extremely popular. And delicious. I actually once heard that maple syrup doesn't really have that many good health benefits. It's better than eating pure sugar, but I believe honey is a more healthy alternative. Honestly though, eat in moderation and maple syrup is a really tasty treat.
Thanks for the reply. I thought Maple Sugar might be better than ordinary sugar, since it contains lot of essential minerals like Manganese. It also contains Zinc, which is good for the heart and the normal functioning of immune system. But I agree that honey is better than Maple sugar.
I haven't used honey but I do agree that it's a great alternative to sugar. What I use is brown sugar, which is healthier to use than the white one.
Hm I didn't know it contains those minerals. But it pretty much confirms that maple sugar is better than plain sugar, but likely that honey is even better. To be honest, I probably eat more maple sugar than honey simply because it tastes better. Here in Canada it's quite abundant so I eat it often on my pancakes and waffles.
I use simple dehydrated cane juice for my coffee, and the kids prefer honey or agave nectar for their tea. All of these are great alternatives to the refined sugars most people buy at the super market. We also keep Truvia, which is simply Stevia leaf powder, on hand for my son because he enjoys it in his cereal and oatmeal. If you look through the health food aisle or a natural food store there are a lot of natural alternatives to white sugar or high fructose corn syrup. I don't trust Aspartame myself. It's purely a man made chemical compound, so I don't consider it a safe alternative.
Wow, I've never even heard of those alternatives like dehydrated cane juice, Truvia or Stevia leaf powder. I'll be sure to check them out and possibly try them out sometime soon. And I agree about aspartame, it just seems too unnatural to me and doesn't taste good.
I would also prefer honey than using any other artificial sweeteners like aspartame cause it will be safer. I believe that honey is healthier cause it is a good source for vitamins and minerals. I also love the taste of it and it could be mix on some other drinks.
That's exactly how I feel. Even if you get past the apparent health problems that aspartame brings, it still tastes terrible. I much prefer the taste of honey, and if it's more healthy too then that's a bonus!
