Healthy Alternatives To Sugar And Artificial Sweeteners

Source Taken From Here

Healthy Sweetener Options

Refined sugar is incredibly harmful, and artificial sweeteners are just as bad if not WORSE for humans depending on who you talk to. For this reason, clean eaters are looking for healthy alternatives, and the GOOD NEWS is that there are many low-calorie, low glycemic, whole, organic, nutrient dense sweeteners on the market that taste just as good.

Pure Raw Honey 

Honey will not spoil or rot, it can crystallize overtime, but do not mistake this for it going bad. If honey does crystallize, simply loosen the lid and let the  jar sit in hot water, as this will allow the honey to liquefy naturally. It is important not to heat honey in a microwave as it will kill the beneficial enzymes. It also stops the growth of bacteria, and when used topically, it heals wounds & minor burns. It relieves sore throats, and is touted for it’s ability to treat high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Pure Maple Syrup  

Pure Maple Syrup is the product of the sap from sugar maple, red maple or black maple trees, and should not be confused with ordinary syrup made with high fructose corn syrup and imitation maple flavorings. Healthy sweetening foods can be tricky to find if you’re trying to clean up your diet, but researchers have found that the compounds contained in pure maple syrup offer cancer prevention benefits, and the ability to prevent the proliferation of cancer cells. These cancer fighting properties are greater if the syrup is dark in color.  Another benefit of pure maple syrup is that it has been found effective in lowering blood glucose levels.

Blackstrap Molasses 

Blackstrap Molasses is a sweetener that is a healthful sweetener that contains significant amounts of a variety of minerals that promote your health. Unlike refined white sugar and corn syrup, which are stripped of virtually all nutrients except simple carbohydrates. It is also much better than artificial sweeteners like saccharine or aspartame, which not only provide no useful nutrients, but have been shown to cause health problems in sensitive individuals. Blackstrap is darker than other versions and adds a distinct flavor into foods.  Molasses supplies energy to your body in the form of simple sugars, or carbohydrates that are readily absorbed by your digestive system providing a quick burst of energy to fuel your activities. Consuming decent amounts of the correct carbohydrates spares your dietary protein, so it can support the maintenance of muscle mass as well as other protein needs. The carbohydrates in molasses also help your body during strenuous physical exertion. Some people have even said that taking blackstrap molasses regularly can prevent your hair from going gray too early, and that it can change graying hair back to it’s original color.

Coconut Palm Sugar

Navitas Naturals Coconut Palm Sugar is an ideal replacement for regular sugar. It’s low-glycemic, has a wonderful brown sugar flavor, that works well for baking. It also dissolves easily in hot and cold liquids. A sweet bonus: coconut sugar’s nutritional profile includes amino acids, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron and B vitamins, and it is low on the gycemic index so it enters the blood stream more slowly to help curb blood sugar spikes!

Lucuma Powder

Lucuma Powder offers an abundance of healthy benefits when added to your favorite food or beverage. In addition to satisfying your sweet tooth, this powdered all natural, organic sweetener is also gluten-free and an amazing source of antioxidants to boost the immune system, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals necessary for bodily functions. I use Navitas Naturals Lucuma Powder, that is made from whole Peruvian lucuma fruit that they dry at low temperatures and mill into a fine powder. It is also a is low-glycemic sweetener like Coconut Palm Sugar, contains many nutrients including beta-carotene, iron, zinc, vitamin B3, calcium and protein, and has a unique, maple-like taste that’s perfect for a variety of recipes. Lucuma provides 14 essential trace elements, including a considerable amount of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Studies has shown it has anti-inflammatory effects and is wonderful for wound healing, promoting tissue regeneration and skin aging.

Monk Fruit 

Apart from being a healthy and safe sugar substitute, Monk Fruit is widely used for the treatments of whooping cough, constipation, acute bronchitis, acute tonsillitis, sore throats, cute gastritis, etc. Different parts of Monk Fruit have different medicinal uses. The mashed root is able to help psoriasis & boils, while external use of the fruit hair can be used for wounds. Monk Fruit tea can be a cool refreshing drink that can prevent respiratory infections, and provide longevity if used on a daily basis. In addition, the monk fruit concentrate and extract are often utilized as a condiment to make nourishing stew, broth, cakes, candy, cookies, granules, syrups, fruit essence, cough syrup, and so on.

Stevia 

Stevia is a sweetener that has become immensely popular in recent years. Stevia is a 100% natural, zero calorie sweetener with a number of health benefits that have been confirmed in human studies. It is a green, leafy plant that is native to South America, and has been used for medicinal purposes for many centuries. The plant has also been bred for its strong, sweet flavor and used as a sweetener. Stevia comes in either liquid or a powder, or a version of the plant’s isolated sweet compounds, that are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar.

10 Amazing Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey

Source taken from here

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) and honey are two amazing natural substances. When you consume them in their unprocessed, raw forms, the health benefits abound. If you put the two together, the results become even more positive. In addition, the use of sweet honey makes the taste of the drink more pleasing.

Fight joint pain, inflammation, digestive problems and sore throat in a natural way by consuming a concoction of ACV and honey on an empty stomach, and observe for yourself the great offerings of nature.

Health benefits of ACV and honey mix

Raw honey and ACV are both praised for their abilities to ward off infections and treat different conditions that have an impact on your quality of life. If you consume them together, you’re likely to experience the following benefits:

1. Better joint health and joint pain alleviation (good for arthritic pain)
2. Acid reflux and heartburn relief
3. Improved digestive health, including help with constipation
4. Weight loss
5. Reduced cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure
6. Sore throat relief
7. More energy
8. Youthful appearance and better condition of the skin
9. Remedy for bad breath
10. Reducing inflammation

Why is the combination so successful?

The overwhelming benefits of the mixture can be explained by looking at their chemical properties and interactions with the body. Many experts believe that we become ill when our bodies turn overly acidic (pH below 7). Vinegar is naturally acidic, but when consumed, it turns alkaline. Honey, too, has a low pH, but raises the alkalinity of the body once eaten.

The two substances are a perfect way to get rid of excessive acidity (resulting from stressful lifestyle and unhealthy foods and drinks) and building an internal environment with a protective pH. Our bodies function at their best and healthiest when the body’s pH is between 7.0 and 7.4, so slightly alkaline.

How to make ACV & honey healing drinkFurther reading: read more about the body’s pH in my articlesHow to Balance Your pH and Find Out If You’re Too Acidic and5 Things to Avoid If You Want to Get Your Body Alkaline.

Make sure you get the ingredients that are unfiltered and in their natural forms. Honey and ACV that have not been processed, thus have maintained all their nutritional properties, appear cloudy. Also, check the label and go for ACV with the ‘mother of vinegar’, which can be seen as a pulp on the bottom of the bottle.

Mix together:

• 1 teaspoon raw honey
• 1 teaspoon ACV (if you can tolerate the taste, increase the dosage to up to 1 tablespoon)
• 8 oz. warm water (1 glass)

You might initially struggle with the potent taste, but once you experience the benefits, you’ll most likely want to stick with the concoction.

When to drink it?

It’s best to drink the mixture on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. Consume it about 20-30 minutes before you eat. Be consistent and drink it on a daily basis.

Some suggest increasing the intake to two, or even three, times a day, depending on your needs and tolerance for taste. As with many other natural remedies, it is best to test it for yourself and see what works for your body, although high consumption of ACV may cause low potassium levels and lowers bone density. Also ACV may interact with diuretics, laxatives, and medicines for diabetes and heart disease, so if you’re planning to use it on a daily basis make sure to consult your doctor to avoid interactions with the medicines you’re taking.

Also read other related articles:
How To Use Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) For Weight Loss
How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Drinks
13 Ways to Use Honey For Your Health

Sources:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/apple-cider-vinegar-and-honey-benefits.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/284591-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar-honey/

Health Benefits Of Honey and Lemon Water

Taken from here

She Drank Honey Lemon Water for 1 Year – This Is What Happened

A lot has been said and written about the benefits of honey and lemon, and I have written about it extensively. Crystal Davis felt that she needed to try it for herself. She embarked on a 12 month journey, during which she drank honey and lemon water every morning. She wanted to see if there would really be any difference in her health. In short, Crystal was blown away by what the morning drink did for her and her loved ones.

First of all, to do this experiment, Crystal used all natural ingredients. No chemist-bought, artificial packets or fake honeys. She worked with raw honey and fresh lemon juice. She does admit skipping some days, but, all in all, she tried to follow the protocol as diligently as possible.

After 1 year, these were the main things she noticed:

1. During the 12 months she was drinking her morning concoction, Crystal developed no cold, flu or digestive problem. There were days when she felt slightly run down, low in energy or had a light headache. However, in the whole year, no illness materialized. She described that as particularly surprising, as she is known to frequently suffer from maladies and bugs attack her readily.

2. She no longer craved coffee in the morning. It seemed that honey and lemon replaced her need for caffeine. Her new choice of a morning drink came with an additional bonus: no caffeine crash or headache.

3. She became a morning person. The new morning habit also resulted in a new morning rhythm. Instead of feeling grumpy, Crystal reports feeling energetic and ready to start the day upon waking up.

4. The potion helped others as well. Crystal introduced her morning drink to other members of her family. They, too, had positive experience and reduced their sick days.

Needless to say, Crystal Davis is continuing with her morning health regimen, and so is her family.

Recipe for Honey Lemon Water

1. Boil some water and let it cool a little in a mug.
2. Add fresh juice of half a lemon (beginners can start with a smaller dose of a quarter of a lemon). For best results, use organic fruits.
3. Mix in raw, organic, unpasteurized honey (you can experiment with different flavors).
4. To drink immediately, you can add in a little bit of cold water.
5. Enjoy the drink as soon as you wake up.

Some of the Benefits of Honey Lemon Water

• This drink hydrates and cleanses the digestive system. Thus, it prevents constipation and keeps infections at bay.
• It acts as a diuretic and flushes the body. This helps to prevent urinary tract infections.
• The mix also nourishes your liver and helps with body detox.
• It’s great for maintaining a healthy weight.
• It makes your skin glow. The combination is particularly good for making you look healthy and youthful – it provides you with collagen and antibacterial nutrients.

You can also experiment with this cleansing ginger lemon tea as it has amazing health benefits as well.

You can also read about the amazing health benefits of lemon water in my post:

8 Health Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water

Source:
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/02/i-drank-warm-honey-lemon-water-every-morning-for-a-year-heres-what-happened/