Do you often reach for diet soda, no added-sugar treats or use nutrasweet to sweeten your coffee?
Do you think these are BETTER for your health and weight loss goals – especially if you’re a diabetic? 🤷♀️
Think again.
When artificial sweeteners were introduced everyone was very excited about their potential because they were zero or low calories, which should lead to weight loss, lower blood sugars, and a healthier population.
People wanting to lose weight were told to switch from regular sugary soda to diet soda – maybe you were even one of them?!
Unfortunately, research suggests that artificial sweeteners may in fact have the EXACT OPPOSITE effect! 😱😱😱
That’s because of the way the body processes and reacts to artificial sweeteners.
Some of the potential negative effects include:
INCREASED fat storage,
INCREASED insulin resistance,
INCREASED sugar cravings,
DECREASED efficiency in regulating blood sugar,
DECREASED satisfaction, and
DECREASED health of the gut microbiome.
Although further research is needed for conclusive results in humans, we recommend steering clear of artificial sweeteners and instead focusing on:
✅ 1) preparing your own healthy treats at home using whole, natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, agave, or unrefined brown sugar.
✅ 2) keeping your desserts for occasional treats or special occasions.
✅ 3) always pairing your sweets or desserts with a healthy fat, protein and/or fibre in order to reduce blood sugar spikes – EVEN if you’re using a whole, natural sweetener.
✅ 4) cut your sugar cravings and addiction to soda by reducing your exposure to them (buy a single serve not a family pack), cutting back gradually (we don’t recommend going cold turkey because it usually leads to cravings and possibly binge eating), and actively searching for delicious, whole, nourishing treats that you genuinely enjoy (like our Decadent Chocolate Smoothie recipe or our wildly popular Dark Chocolate and Pecan Stuff Medjool Dates).
✅ 5) For BONUS points: Take a walk or move your body after you eat sweets to further help regulate blood sugars!
So tell me, are you addicted to sugar?
And what’s ONE step you can take TODAY to cut back on refined white sugar?
We’d love to hear from you!
warmly,
Anna Rakoczy
Founder, Homemade Method
Stanford / UC Berkeley
