High and Low Glycemic Sweetener Tricks

Diabetes. Hypoglycemia. Insulin resistance. Candida overgrowth. I've seen enough people come through the Tree of Life with these issues that the benefit of a low-glycemic diet is undeniable in its power to support the body in healing. To see the miracles that happen in a relatively short time period with these ailments is enough incentive to really look at the topic of sugar in one's diet.

I don't eat all low glycemic raw food, but I eat mostly low glycemic raw food. As time has gone on, my body has less of a tolerance for highly sugary foods as well. They more easily throw me off. I don't have any sugar-related health issues on a substantial basis, however.

A great trick I play with is combining low-glycemic and higher-glycemic sweeteners together in creations. Often people tend to go all or nothing with sweeteners - we either cut them out completely and only use the lowest-glycemic sweeteners like stevia and xylitol, or we go crazy and have dates and agave all in the same dish. Ick.

A very, very important disclaimer here: If one has a serious physical imbalance, I agree with Dr. Cousens' research: a no-glycemic diet is what should be eaten. This post is to simply illustrate what I do, as a person with no health issues whatsoever. For more info on Cousens' research on sugar, read Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine.

Here's what I like to do with my sweet treats:

1. Begin with the low glycemic sweeteners. Start with the "phase 1" (lowest-glycemic) sweeteners such as stevia and xylitol. Add as much as you can of these two without feeling like you're ruining your creation or that you won't like the taste.
   
2. After that, go to your next highest sweeteners. These are your "phase 1.5 sweeteners" (see list of glycemic phased-foods by clicking here) such as mesquite or goji berries.
   
3. Still not enough for you? Go for some of the higher glycemic sweeteners such as coconut products or lucuma.
4. Only use high glycemic sweeteners such as dates or honey if you really feel like you have to, and use as little as possible to "top off" your sweet taste, rather than it being the base sweetener. Perhaps you'll end up putting in dates. But maybe you'll just need two. Or perhaps you'll put in honey, but you'll only need a teaspoon.

Again, to see the complete chart of glycemic phases of foods, click here.

Rather than viewing sweeteners as an all-or-nothing thing (if you don't have physical health imbalances), try just looking at percentages. You don't have to stop using dates or honey if you don't want to yet. Just start with lower glycemic sweeteners and work up the glycemic index, so that by the time you get to your high glycemic sweeteners, you might be able to use 50% less of the higher glycemic ones. Or 75% less. Or 90% less.

Sweetly,

Courtney