Say Yes to Erythritol
You have decided to be the healthiest version of you, wonderful! Some choices are simple, like adding more fruits and vegetables to your daily diet and forcing down a green juice at your local juice bar. But then holidays and special events, such as your birthday rolls around and bam, the desire for sweets can send an otherwise healthy person into an un-healthy, sugar fueled spiral.
Thankfully, because of some little healthy crystals, called sugar alcohols, there is still a way to have your cake and eat it too! Choosing sweets made with sugar alcohols, such as Erythritol and Xylitol, allows you to be healthy and still satisfy that sweet tooth! Theses sugar alcohols do not cause blood sugar spikes nor do they add extra calories to your favorite deserts. While Xylitol is still an excellent choice, Erythritol is my particular favorite, it is granular like sugar without the overpowering stevia aftertaste. It is great to use in bulk, as it will not cause gastrointestinal upset like other sugar alcohols may, like sorbitol and mannitol. This is because it is absorbed in the small intestine rather than the large intestine, so indulge!
Here are just some more of the reasons why you will love Erythritol:
- Erythritol, as with other sugar alcohols, occurs naturally in some fruits or fermenting processes, it is usually derived from berries, corn husks or Birchwood.
- Erythritol provides all the sweetness with the least number of calories. Sugar has 4 calories per gram, xylitol (another popular sugar substitute) comes in at 2.4 calories per gram while erythritol only has .24 calories per gram.
- Erythritol is great to bake with and to add to hot tea and coffee due to its ability to be heat stable in high temperatures.
- Erythritol measures equal parts sugar, so you can substitute it for sugar in any recipe! I personally start with ½ the amount and adjust it to your liking.
- Erythritol does not elevate blood glucose, like sugar does, which helps insulin levels stay stable and is safe for diabetics.
- Erythritol is considered an antioxidant and helps fight free radicals in the body.
- Like xylitol, Erythritol has been found free of carcinogenic properties.
So, with Erythritol not causing intestinal issues, offering a lower caloric count and no blood sugar spikes, you can indulge and truly feel like you are not missing out! Your sweet tooth and your healthy-self will thank you!