FOODS FOR LIFE GUIDEBOOK
Common Sense Guide
to Whole Foods

Foods for Life Substitution Handbook

Sugar & Sweeteners

The average person in the Unites States eats 130 pounds of refined sugar a year. This translates to 31 teaspoons of refined sugar a day!

By contrast, at the turn of the century, the average American was eating 5 to 8 pounds of refined sugar a year.

Refined sugars are found in processed foods. Since refined sugars contain no vitamins or minerals, the body has to rob healthy cells of their vitamins and minerals in order to handle the sugar. B vitamins are especially exhausted in the assimilation of refined sugars. The ratio of calcium-phosphorous in the body is also adversely affected by eating refined sugars.

Fruit is a natural source of sugar and additionally furnishs fiber in the diet. In replacing refined sugars, do NOT substitute artificial sweeteners of any kind. From my reading, none of the artificial sweeteners are safe to eat and they give me a headache.

Try instead:
Amasake is an Oriental whole grain sweetener made from cultured brown rice. It has a thick, pudding-like consistency. It adds sweetness, moisture and leavening to bake goods.

Barley malt is sprouted barley that is made into syrup. Similar to the flavor of molasses, barley malt can be used as a refined sugar replacement in baking. In Europe it is ground up and used to feed the yeast when making bread.

Brown rice syrup is made from brown rice that is cooked down to a syrup that has an unusual taste. It adds a nutty flavor to recipes. It is made from brown rice, malted barley, and water. High in maltose (a complex sugar that is slowly digested) and complex carbohydrates, it is a desirable sweetener for baking.

Carob is a natural sweetener rich in B vitamins and minerals. It has a flavor reminiscent of chocolate but is a healthier ingredient for use in baking. Carob is available in powder, syrup and chips (similar to chocolate chips).

Date sugar is made from dried, ground dates. It can be used to replace brown sugar in baking recipes with date sugar. Reduce the oven temperature when you use it to replace brown sugar.

Fructose is a simple sugar like fruit sugar. It is twice as sweet as white sugar. Crystalline fructose works best for cold dessert recipes or for low temperature cooking.

FruitSource is a brand-name sweetener available at health food stores that replaces fats and sugars in recipes. It is a blend of carbohydrates from fruit and rice. Directions for use are on the bottle. It is light amber in color and 80% as sweet as white sugar.

"Wendy has done a fine job in simplifying and clarifying what you really need to know. Her book is more than a mere cookbook, it is a guidebook to a healthier life and a freer spirit."
John Robbins, Pulitzer prize winning author, "Diet for A New America" and "Reclaiming Our Health"

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