Healthy Tips For The Holidays - AKA Sugar substitution.

There will be much feasting over the next week or two and I would like to
pass on some helpful hints for your nutrition. Since refined sugar weakens
the immune system and has actually been implicated in a number of serious
diseases (cancer and mental illness) lets replace this nonfood with real
food. (References are available upon request

That so called "sweet tooth" is generally an indication that their is a
Vitamin B deficiency- these cravings for sweets generally disappear when
adequate amounts of a natural source of Vitamin B complex, such as
nutritional yeast, are taken. Mother nature in her infinite abundance and
wisdom provides us with a wide array of fruits to satisfy our needs for
sweets so when the need or urge arises why not try -

Fruit concentrates using fruits such as pears, pineapple, grape, and peach
juices to sweeten drinks, cookies, cereals, candy bars, and even chocolate
sauce. Apple juice is a great sweetener for lemonade and herbal teas.
Fruit juice sweetened syrups are available for cereals, pancakes, and ice
cream. Date sugar made of dehydrated, pulverized dates is a great
sweetener for baking as are raisins and currents.

Grain sweeteners are a bit more expensive, like barley malt, rice syrup, and
amazake but are largely composed of maltose, which is released into the
blood stream more slowly then the sugars of other natural sweeteners, which
are largely fructose and sucrose. The slower release time helps stabilize
the blood sugar levels.

Maple syrup and blackstrap molasses are other sweeteners but they do have a
potent taste.

Of all natural sweeteners, other than fruit, Honey - natural, raw, unheated,
unfiltered unprocessed is by far the best. In this form it is pollen-rich
and very beneficial. It increases calcium retention, increases hemoglobin
count ( great for anemia and its prevention), Beneficial for the kidneys and
liver, colds, poor circulation, and even the complexion. It has been
helpful said to be helpful in arthritis, constipation, weak hearts, and
insomnia. Some studies say it retards aging. A Russian biologist Dr.
Nicolai Tsitsin found that many centenarians were bee keepers who stated
that their principal food was honey !

If you would like more info. about how to substitute one ingredient above
for another in cooking please do ask.