You don't need sugar to be sweet....

Sugar.  Tastes so good. Makes us feel SO bad.  It weakens the immune system.  It makes it easier to put on extra pounds.

Last week I got a cold.  Instantly, I went to work drinking green smoothies, chewing on garlic, and above all, staying away from sugar.

Until one day I didn't.

You know how it is. Life gets busy.  I was on the road with three little ones.  It seemed easier going through a drive thru instead of taking three kids out of their carseats to buy something healthy at the grocery store.  So we filled up on muffins and Timbits.  Later we were fed lunch at an event, which included pizza and ice cream.  I ended the day with some candy and iced tea to try and give me a boost to get through the last errands of the evening.  The next day I woke up, and the cold that hadn't really bothered me the past few days barely let me crawl out of bed.

I'm convinced the overload of sugar (and busy day without rest) contributed to that.  But hey, I am a girl who likes my sweets, so if I can't have refined sugar, I WILL find another way to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Good thing there are other sweeteners.  Ones that are natural and have not been stripped of their minerals and nutrients. They have a lower glycemic index which means they won't raise your insulin levels as high as refined sugar would.  A few alternatives to that white, processed sugar:

-Honey
-Agave (great for vegans and people who eat raw)
-Maple Syrup
-Dates

In this house we use honey, agave, maple syrup, and dates.  We do have white sugar in our house, but I don't touch it - it's for my husband's coffee, (don't worry, I've given him the whole "sugar is bad" talk). However, as I have said in my previous post, there are many other products in the house that you don't think to have sugar, and they do.  That's just a little reminder to me that I need to read labels more.  And, of course, although natural sugars are better to reach for to satisfy that sweet tooth, everything in moderation, right?

Of course, we can't end this post without a sweet recipe, right?

Chocolate Chia Pudding

1 cup of your choice of milk - almond, rice, cow, goat, etc. 
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 TBSP unsweetened,REAL cocoa
1 TBSP honey

Optional:  bananas, strawberries, or any kind of fruit you want to put on top! Sprinkle with coconut, cinnamon, cacao nibs, etc.  The sky is the limit!


Whisk together all ingredients.  Let sit out for an hour or more until it has thickened. Refrigerate and serve chilled. Enjoy every bite, knowing you are partaking in a dessert that has NO refined sugars in it.