Sugar Maple

Sugar Is Taking Over The World !

I am not here to preach to you about the addiction and health issues related with sugar consumption nor am i going to rattle on about the endless pain and suffering our relationship with sugar has on us and our children.

All i would like to do is give you some healthy, natural and most of all tasty alternatives !

I hope you find this information useful and please if you only try one of these,  you may be on the way to a better diet for you and future generations.

Molasses
The king of nutritious natural sweeteners, molasses is the thick syrup that remains after all the nutrients have been “refined” out of the sugar cane and beets. These are no ordinary leftovers, however. Black strap molasses has more calcium than milk, more iron than eggs, and more potassium than any other food, and it’s an excellent source of B vitamins. Other nutrients in molasses include copper, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, pantothenic acid, and vitamin E. Although blackstrap molasses contains the most vitamins and minerals, i caution to use it sparingly, unless specifically called for in a recipe. “Blackstrap has a very strong flavor and can be overpowering—a few tablespoons usually suffice,” . “Regular molasses is great for adding a moist, chewy texture, like in gingersnaps.” It also works as a glaze marinade for meat.

Maple syrup
A sweetener native to North America, maple syrup has a “rich, woodsy flavor and aroma,” . Produced by evaporating water from the sap of sugar maples, this syrup has fewer calories and more nutrients than sugar. “One ounce of pure maple syrup supplies 22 percent of the daily value for the trace mineral manganese,” . Maple syrup also contains the mineral zinc, known for supporting the immune system. You’ll find different grades of syrup based on color, with the lightest being grade A, but nutritionists recommend using the darkest variety, grade C, because it’s undergone less processing. (Grade A can actually contain formaldehyde runoff from certain machines used to process it.) i also favor darker grades, because of their fuller flavor.

Date sugar
This sweetener may look like a coarser version of refined sugar, but it actually consists of ground-up dates, which makes it rich in fiber and other good stuff. “It has more protein and fat than simple sugars,” , “making it a more complete nutritional food.” It’s also loaded with calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and copper. The one downside: It can be tough to find, and chances are you’ll have to buy it at a health-food or specialty shop. Date sugar’s thick, granulated texture makes it a little trickier to use than other sweeteners, because it doesn’t completely dissolve or cream up like cane sugar when mixed with other ingredients. While this means you won’t want to use it in hot drinks, it does substitute well for brown sugar in cookie, pie crust, and quick bread recipes.

Thanks for reading and for more useful hints and tips on diet, health, and fitness with a little humor thrown in please visit my blog….. http://thehealthninja.blogspot.com

About the Author

The health NINJA !

I love any interesting ways to help others with there health and fitness.

http://thehealthninja.blogspot.com

maple sugar