Sugar Alternatives

So by now we all know that High-Fructose Corn Syrup (or Corn Sugar) is BAD. As in it affects the levels of insulin that your body releases and leaves more sugar in the bloodstream...which translates to fat. Look for it on labels - it's in nearly everything you buy that is processed.

Table sugar, while a better choice than artificial sweeteners (I'm talking to you Splenda, Sweet N'Low, NutraSweet, etc.) is still not good for your body. Table sugar (even the organic type) has the same affects on the body as HFCS described above. Table sugar also interferes with your body's absorption of lots of important minerals and can cause constipation among other things.

So what should you use as an alternative to sweeten food or drinks?

Raw Honey - Make sure it's raw...otherwise it's lost a lot of it's nutritional value through processing (it may even have HFCS in it!). That means don't buy the little bear shaped bottle of honey. It's especially good to buy raw honey from your local area to assist with allergies.

Stevia (pictured to the right) - This comes from a flower and has up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar....with negligible effect on your blood sugar and zero calories.

Date Sugar - This is basically ground-up dates. This is especially good for baking when you want to substitute brown sugar in a recipe. This doesn't dissolve in water, so don't try to use it in your coffee or tea.

Blackstrap Molasses - Two tablespoons of this stuff will give you your required Iron intake for an entire day. However, this stuff tastes like black licorice...so if if you are not a fan of Good & Plenty, you might want to look elsewhere.

Keep this in mind - ALL sugars, even the alternatives listed above are simple carbohydrates. While the natural sweeteners are less detrimental to your health, they should still be used sparingly.

WEDNESDAY'S WORKOUT:

Elliptical 

60 minutes on the elliptical trainer. In an effort to heal up my right sole, I'm letting my running shoes collect dust and I'm turning to some alternative cross-training to try and maintain my fitness. I'm not sure what 60 minutes on the elliptical at level 15 translates to, but it was a good workout.

Swim

912 yards in 17:09 (33:05 min/mile pace)

TODAY'S WORKOUT:

Bike

Approx. 2 hours (including a 10 minute warm-up and 10 minute cool-down) on the indoor bike. It's been a few weeks since I was on the bike and I could tell. I thought two hours would be easy, but this was a tough one...my legs are pretty tired. Probably covered around 40-42 miles.
Avg HR = 140 bpm
Time below Zone 1 = 26 minutes (warm-up and cool-down)
Zone 1 = 12 min.
Zone 2 = 27 min.
Zone 3 = 39 min.
Zone 4 = 16 min.