Healthy Slimming Sugars (do exist)
We are all well-aware of the “bad” sugars that cause inflammation and weight gain, like table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, lactose (from milk), and sugar substitutes. But there are good sugars that contribute to improved gut bacteria, weight loss, and better health. These good sugars are glucose and fructose, found naturally in fruits and vegetables. I’ve never heard of anyone who got fat from eating too many berries or zucchini. Who binges on mangos or kiwis?
While you may see fructose or glucose on an ingredient list, that’s not quite the same. You don’t want to eat foods that have been tampered with to make a food sweeter. In other words, you don’t want to consume juice, since the fiber has been stripped out. The goal is to eat the food in its whole natural form.
So, when your sweet tooth is craving chocolate, it may be a magnesium deficiency. Make yourself a frozen banana sorbet, whipped with unsweetened almond milk, and topped with walnuts and cacao nibs. Healthy, carbohydrate-friendly, whole plant foods, don’t make us fat, they feed us nutrients and give us energy. Don’t just eat them, embrace them.
Photo: Me, doing lat pull-downs at the gym, before COVID-19.
Additional sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/are-certain-types-of-sugars-healthier-than-others-2019052916699
