The Sweet on Sugars
By: Elyse Prince
Published: March 29, 2011

There's nothing wrong with a little Suga Suga! As Baby Bash brilliantly said: So tight, so fly You got me lifted, you got me lifted Here are three tips to making your life a little sweeter:
1. It's All Sugar; Be Aware: There's sugar added to lots of foods - foods that aren't even thought of as sweet - breads, peanut butter and catsup, for example. And, many times sugar is not called sugar on the ingredient label, so you may not even know that's what you are consuming. Be aware of the sugars that are on the shelf: fructose, ethyl malitol, diastatic malt, dextrose, dextran, sorghum syrup, xylitol, cane-juice crystals, mannitol, maltodextrin, to name a few.
Tip: If you see (-ose) at the end of the word (glucose, maltose, fructose, lactose, sucrose) - it's sugar. Be a smart consumer and check your ingredient labels! And, just because it says "natural" or "organic" or "sugar in the raw" doesn't mean it's good for you. It's all just sugar!
2. Just a Spoonful: Keep consumption to 1 tsp/day. Why? If you consume too much sugar, it can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes, feeds cavity-forming bacteria, excess sugar is stored as fat in the liver, it can act as an anti-nutrient, etc. That being said, after fats and oils, sugars are the most concentrated sources of energy. So, if you are a very active person, you may want more sugar in your diet to keep your energy levels up, in the way of fruits and natural fruit juices.
3. For Fun and Flavor:  The best choice for a sweetener is fruit. Why? Fruits are high in nutrients and phytochemicals, they're alkaline forming, easy to digest, and they have lots of fiber.
Tip: After meals, stick to either cooked fruit or berries because they are easier to digest...The problem is that we don't always want strawberries and blueberries for dessert. Sometimes, we're in the mood for homemade chocolate chip cookies or a mocha-choca-latte. In that case, look for the following types of sugar on your shelf for baking and sweetening needs: barley malt syrup, rice syrup, organic white sugar, raw honey (Royal honey), ground dried dates, date sugar, organic maple syrup, organic fruit juices and fruit. Avoid: white sugar (table sugar), Turbinado (sugar in the raw, pictured above), brown sugar, and these more controversial sweeteners- splenda, stevia, and agave.