I have a recipe that calls for agave, which my health food store now promotes as the new healthy all-natural sweetener.
Despite the clever marketing, agave is actually worse for you than high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which deservedly has a bad rep. Agave certainly sounds healthy, and the word literally means “noble.” What could be so bad? Well, most agave “nectar” or agave “syrup” is simply fructose syrup. In fact, agave can be up to 97% fructose. Worse, heavy processing destroys most of agave’s nutrient value. True, agave has a low glycemic index, but what it does is far worse than raise insulin levels: it can raise your triglyceride levels, trigger inflammation, and otherwise damage your liver. So don’t fall for the agave hype.

What about honey? My friend told me it has health benefits.

The short answer is that sugar is sugar is sugar. Doesn’t matter if it comes from bees or sugarcane: it still breaks down in your body as sugar. Most honey is heavily processed, stripping it of valuable nutrients. My one exception is locally grown organic raw honey, which offers some homeopathic benefits for allergies. If you have immune responses to bits of mold and dust, organic honey can strengthen your immune system and help you handle those things better.  But you only need about a half-teaspoon a day to do the job.

My favorite soft drink just made the switch from high-fructose corn syrup to natural cane sugar. Am I good?
Nope. Granted, cane sugar is probably one step up in the sugar echelon than HFCS. But it’s still sugar, period.

I bought a healthy bottle of green tea that’s naturally sweetened. Should I worry about the sugar?

Again, keep in mind that manufacturers are always looking for ways to make sugar “healthier” and get you to buy their product, especially now that HFCS has gotten a bad rep. Read your label. If it has more than 5 grams of sugar per serving, put it back. Chances are, it does, and chances are you’ll drink more than one serving.

I’ve read that fruit can have a lot of sugar. I thought fruit was healthy?

Fruit has a lot going for it: it’s rich in nutrients and fiber, for instance, and can more healthily satisfy your sweet tooth than a candy bar. But fruit can also pack a lot of sugar. Three ounces of grapes, for instance, have almost 3 teaspoons of sugar. (And let’s face it: you’ll probably eat more than that!) Fruit is also high in fructose. Now, your body can efficiently process a small amount (about 15 grams) of fructose a day. More than that and your liver goes into overdrive, which can spark inflammation and stall fast fat loss. Choose low-glycemic fruits like berries. Three ounces of strawberries, for instance, has about 4 grams of sugar. Portion control is key with fruit.

What about dried fruit?
Dried fruit is basically concentrated sugar. There’s a reason, after all, they call raisins and dates “nature’s candy”: they satisfy your sweet tooth. Steer clear of dried fruit on salad and those dried fruit trail mixes: they add a lot of sugar to otherwise-healthy foods!
Why don’t you allow artificial sweeteners in the recipes? After all, they don’t have any calories.

Surely by now you’ve read about how artificial sweeteners can trigger cravings, make you eat more (and not salmon and broccoli either! We call this calorie dysregulation), and stall fast fat loss. Even though at this point most of the evidence is anecdotal (though more studies are validating it), aspartame and other artificial sweeteners can create numerous symptoms including headaches and fatigue. Hopefully more people are coming around to see these are not “legal” or healthy alternative sweeteners.

So what sweeteners can I use?
I used to recommend xylitol as my favorite sweetener, but then learned most of it these days comes from corn rather than birch trees where it once was derived from. Talk about frustrating!
I did a lot of research and wrote a blog about making sense of the bewildering array of natural alternative sweeteners. It seems like every time I visit the grocery store there’s a new sweetener, so I looked at the science and attempted to make sense of them all and find your best bets.

Short answer: Lo Han (monk fruit) or 100% pure organic stevia (Trader Joe’s makes one) are good choices. There are some health benefits with Lo Han, which I like a little better than stevia because it has some calories. Because it has 0 calories, stevia can create caloric disregulation.

Since I wrote that blog, I’ve discovered my absolute favorite sweetener: Natvia. Visit their website and learn more about these wonderful folks!

Natvia is a blend of non-corn based erithrytol and stevia. The Australian company creates an incredibly high-quality sweetener that complies beautifully with The Virgin Diet. I encourage you to look for Natvia and make it your favorite sweetener.