Sugar Substitute? | Imamother

Seraph

Wed, Nov 30 2011, 1:03 pm

nylon wrote:

Seraph, that's one specific side effect that YOU have. It doesn't equate to "honey is healthier than sugar".

Did I say that?
I said "I'm saying that sugar and honey are not exactly the same." Which is true, in many ways. Healthier or not is another debate, but they sure aint the same exact. For one, one is a liquid and one is a crystal. Wink

One is cheaper, one is more expensive. One is made from sugar beets (usually), one by bees from nectar.

HindaRochel

Wed, Nov 30 2011, 1:11 pm

Honey is processed. Processing is not necessarily an evil, and if the question is what is the best non-processed sweetener, that is different then the question that was asked. The person was already using honey but didn't know if it was healthier or not.

True she stated she refused to use white sugar, but the real question was not "what can substitute" but what was a healthy substitute.

No one stated that sugar and honey were exactly the same, but that they were similar in terms of overall health.

Again, I would go with blackstrap molasses as there is a lot of nutrients in a small amount.

Seraph

Wed, Nov 30 2011, 1:47 pm

HindaRochel wrote:

Raw honey is not processed. Unless you mean simply removed from the hive is processed.

HindaRochel

Wed, Nov 30 2011, 2:19 pm

Seraph wrote:

HindaRochel wrote:

Raw honey is not processed. Unless you mean simply removed from the hive is processed.

Raw honey has other issues and risks. I wouldn't eat raw honey if I were pregnant, nor should it be given to a child under 1 or 2...I don't know what the age is now, because of the dangers of botulism. In any case I think you mean pasteurized. Process is just taking something from raw form to edible. Most honey goes through some processing, and some heating.

In any case, once the honey is cooked it is processed.

Raw honey, while having nutrients, has them at such a low level that really you'd have to eat a lot to get a benefit.

Really raw honey needs to be checked for bees I think...but it has been awhile since I read about that.

Still it is sweet and if you are anti-sugar makes a good substitute. I'm just not sure it is actually healthier, but just another option.

I'm still going for blackstrap molasses but that's my prejudice.

HerbalMom

Wed, Nov 30 2011, 6:55 pm

little_mage wrote:

HindaRochel wrote:

I'm still going for blackstrap molasses but that's my prejudice.

Don't you have problems with the taste of the molasses? It's so much stronger then honey.

It is too strong to substitute directly, Maybe she has never tried it. I am a personal fan of xylitol. Good for you teeth, low glycemic and a mild laxative Very Happy

I also keep my use of sugar to a minimum. - I only use a sweetener in desserts. I find you can always cut the amount in half (at least) from what they tell you to put in the recipe. Fresh fruit is still the ultimate finish to my meal. In fact a made a mango sorbet that was divine with no sweetener only coconut water and mange, yum. I am still dreaming of it (to cold to make it now).

I wish people would be more respectful of others views, and more friendly in questioning the health decisions of others. There are nice ways to ask questions.

tikva18

Wed, Nov 30 2011, 7:28 pm

ra_mom wrote:

I'm with Seraph. Pure honey is healthy. Sugar is not.

I haven't had time to read in detail yet; I'll be back later.

Raw honey is healthy; processed honey may not be. Further recent studies have found that processed honey has had the pollen removed from it; if memory serves me this includes the heimishe brands. Some honey isn't even honey - as we should all be aware - because at Pesach we have to be careful of which brands to get as some have corn syrup added.

Raw honey has many health attributes including fighting infection, can treat digestive issues, is an antiseptic and more.

Raw honey also contains B vitamins and amino acids as well as minerals such as calcium and copper and zinc.

Honey's glycemic load is 55, lower than sugar.

tikva18

Wed, Nov 30 2011, 7:38 pm

Splenda, mentioned by the OP along with other artificial sweeteners is not a health food - nor do I even consider it to BE food. It's adulterated in the lab and has been classified as edible. Many people have issues with eating artificial sweeteners - whether getting migraines as a result or chas v'shalom something far worse.

It's been found that although recommended by the American Dietetic Association, artificial sweeteners do not help maintain a healthy blood sugar, but instead since it mimics sugar the body metabolizes it the same way; thus still causing issues. Further people who use diet sugars and are doing so to lose weight, find that instead they are gaining weight. Using something artificial to make one's body think it's digesting/metabolizing food, is not in your body's best interest. Hashem did not make this new and wondrous 'food', man did in a laboratory.

I'd rather not take the chances with these artificial sweeteners and poison my body. If you feel that you can't use sugar, honey, maple syrup, xylitol, etc; then there is stevia which comes from a plant in South America. It, if you buy the 100% stevia with no additives, appears to be safe and is a food. This is what I'm pushing my dh to use instead of artificial garbage.

Hatzlocha! and may your health be great!

HindaRochel

Thu, Dec 01 2011, 12:32 am

little_mage wrote:

HindaRochel wrote:

I'm still going for blackstrap molasses but that's my prejudice.

Don't you have problems with the taste of the molasses? It's so much stronger then honey.

I don't bake and I don't add sweeteners to most foods except coffee, tea and tomato sauce, and occasionally if something is very acidic I'll use a bit of sugar to deaden the acid taste.

Molasses I would absolute use in tomato sauce, it would give it a great flavor.

Honey does have what you claim in it, but in a teaspoon it is negligible. There are, for example, only 4% of ones daily needs of B6 in a CUP of honey. I take it most people aren't eating a cup of honey at a time.

Sugar is also great at stopping infections. It is great as an exfoliate too. I just wouldn't eat a lot of either.

Sugar crystallization has been with us since about 350 something B.C.E.

tikva18

Thu, Dec 01 2011, 10:26 am

little_mage wrote:

HindaRochel wrote:

I'm still going for blackstrap molasses but that's my prejudice.

Don't you have problems with the taste of the molasses? It's so much stronger then honey.

I LOVE molasses. mmmm I have a cake recipe that calls for molasses and I always use blackstrap unsulphered - mmm. My kids all love it, but one time my parents were visiting and I was up to serving the cake; my mom saw the cake was really dark and assumed it was chocolate - lol. I tried telling her that it wasn't, but she must have misunderstood me. She asked for a big piece and then really didn't like it. Ah well. Can't win them all.

HindaRochel

Thu, Dec 01 2011, 12:57 pm

tikva18 wrote:

little_mage wrote:

HindaRochel wrote:

I'm still going for blackstrap molasses but that's my prejudice.

Don't you have problems with the taste of the molasses? It's so much stronger then honey.

I haven't had in so long. Where can I get it in Israel for a reasonable price? I love the stuff. My midwife put me onto it for the iron.

tikva18

Thu, Dec 01 2011, 8:59 pm

Sugar:
Raw sugar is quite different from the processed white stuff that they have in the stores. That processed stuff has been bleached and all of the benefits from the cane have been removed in the processing. When you strip the sugar of everything we are left with something that can barely be qualified to be called food. when sugar hits the body it sends signals to the pancreas to increase insulin; however the massive shock of sugar sometimes prevents the pancreas from reacting properly and then issues arise such as diabetes and hypoglycemia.
I believe that refined sugar and/or HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) are at the root of many health problems today - such as obesity, diabetes, and mental issues.

Raw sugar is metabolized quite differently as it has vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Sugar cane has fiber - but even the raw sugar has the fiber mostly removed.

nylon

Thu, Dec 01 2011, 9:43 pm

I find blackstrap molasses (not the milder kind you use for baking) to be very bitter and not have much sweetness left at all. It's got iron, but if you want to make something sweet, it doesn't work as well.

The vitamin content of raw sugar depends on type. Sugar in the raw is almost the same as white. Rapadura is a little better, but I think you'd have to eat a lot of it to get any real amount and the sucrose in it would outweigh the vitamins. Also, as far as your pancreas is concerned I'm not sure there's much difference--dietitians doing diabetes education definitely tell you to treat all sugar the same. there's also the famous SnackWell paradox. When you tell people something is healthier, they eat more of it, negating any advantage.

I really do like honey for bread baking though, more so than sugar. It helps keep the bread moist as well as making it sweet.