A small change can really make a big change! In this series I will present changes I have made or am currently implementing. These changes make a huge difference in your life and your family’s life. Please leave a comment with your thoughts about this change. What are some big or little changes you are making that you want to share?
I love my coffee. And yes, I may see a “Simple Change” in the future where I am giving up coffee, but that is in the future…if ever at all! I used to use Splenda in my coffee. Well, let’s go back…I used sugar but that was “bad” so I switched to Splenda. Turns out that was a real bummer! Splenda truly is bad! Why is it a low calorie option? Because only about 15% of it is actually absorbed by the body! That is actually a “good” thing because Splenda is nothing more than sucralose which is derived from sugar (good thing) and then combined with chlorine atoms (bad thing). Splenda is more closely related to pesticides than sugar! Splenda themselves did a study and the rodents they tested had enlarged kidneys, livers and other horrible side effects after using Splenda. This was discovered by a short term study. No long term study was conducted before the FDA approved them as a sweetener. Are we the long term study?
Here is my point (if you still need one after that)…you want the sugar you eat to be as natural as possible (unrefined, raw). If the sugar is natural your body absorbs it and utilizes it to function. If it is not natural your body cannot break it down or absorb it. The sugars turn into trigylicerides and then fat and then hardened arteries. What doesn’t make you more fat just stresses out your organs as they attempt to process the “sugar”.
Anything “refined” should be avoided or at least limited. Also, it is recommended that you do not opt for “Sugar Free” as that means another form of sugar (aspartame, etc) has been used. Take a moment as I remember my love for “Skinny” lattes. Moral of the story: Keep it “real” and opt for the sugar! Some good sweetener substitutions are:
- Stevia – great for coffee, tea, salad dressings, etc. This is much more concentrated than sugar so a teeny tiny bit goes a long way!
- Honey, maple syrup – use it on cereal (hot cereals, not boxed breakfast cereal), yogurt (sweeten that homemade yogurt or organic whole plain yogurt). Also great in dressings as well.
- Rapadura – dehydrated cane juice. Truly raw, natural sugar. This is an even substitution for sugar and I use it in almost all of my baking (I will be sharing some recipes soon).
There are other sweeteners. Good and bad. There are plenty of scientific and informational sites for us all to explore as well. This is just me sharing with you that such a small change (what I put in my coffee) can truly extend my organ function, overall health and potentially keep me from putting on some unneeded extra pounds!
What do you put in your coffee? Do you think this would be an easy change for you? Or something you feel you should do? Perhaps you are fortunate and don’t put any sugar in your coffee or tea…in which case I say – good for you! Here is a “simple change” you don’t need to make!
In Him, Nikki
This post is linked to Monday Mania 7/11/2011, and Simple Lives Thursday and Real Food Wednesday, Homemaking Link up and Simple Lives Thursday and Pennywise Platter Thursday
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