Low Glycemic Alternative to Common Sweeteners

The taste of common sweeteners such as brown and white sugar may be yummy, but what these products do to your body is not so sweet. Eating too many refined carbohydrates can lead to heart disease, some forms of cancer, and diabetes. Low glycemic sweeteners are better for overall health and are diabetic-friendly. This is why so many consumers are turning to alternatives to sweeten their baked goods.

If you are looking for a healthier lifestyle with controlled diabetics and weight, then you should know about Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Insulin Index. In this post, we do not want to describe Glycemic Load and Insulin Index in detail. But, we’d like to share more details on Glycemic Index as we look for low Glycemic alternatives to common sweeteners. Anyway, if you want to know what Glycemic load is, simply it can be calculated by multiplying the consumed carbohydrate amount by the Glycemic index. Now, you may have doubts about what the Glycemic index is. Below is our simple explanation of Glycemic Index.

Glycemic Index

If you want to learn how quickly certain foods will spike blood sugar levels, check their Glycemic Index rankings. These ratings indicate how one carbohydrate compares to another in terms of the amount of carbs present, the type of carbs present, and the food presence of other products such as soluble fiber that slow down the metabolism of carbohydrates. Here are the categories:

• High GI: 70 and above
• Medium GI: Within the range of 56 to 69
• Low GI: 55 and below

In the high category, you’ll find glucose, dextrose, and maltodextrin, i.e. basic sugars. In the medium range, you’ll find products such as caramel and golden syrup. In the low group, you’ll find sweeteners like agave syrup and the very popular alternative: organic coconut palm sugar.

Baking With Coconut Sugar

Baked goods are some of the sweet treats of life! The act of baking itself is comforting and could even be considered patriotic, hence the saying, “as American as apple pie.” You don’t have to give up pies or cakes because their recipes call for too much sugar. Simply modify your recipe with substitutes such as low GI coconut palm sugar. Here are some reasons why:

• Tastes like caramel
• Has a texture like brown sugar, but contains more minerals
• Is considered a 100% natural sugar
• Has a low GI rating of 35
• Measures just like table sugar, 1:1 ratio
• Certified organic by USDA

Your Body and Mind Will Thank You

If you switch to low GI alternative sweeteners like coconut palm sugar, your body and mind will thank you. Not only are common sweeteners linked to diabetes and obesity, but scientists are also finding connections between high GI sugar and aging, immune function, and even bad moods. Loading up on traditional sweets can lead to peaks and valleys in your blood glucose, plus you can wind up wrinkly, irritable, dizzy, sweaty, forgetful, thirsty, anxious, and depressed.  Thank goodness there are low GI alternatives!

You can still bake tasty goodies and stay healthy mentally and physically. 

Simply substitute low glycemic sweeteners like organic coconut palm when cooking your favorite cakes, cookies, muffins, and pies.

Do you have any suggestions or any experience to share about low glycemic sweeteners?