Your body needs carbohydrates to give energy to your cells. Since carbohydrates break down into glucose (a natural sugar, and your body's preferred energy source) you'll need to consider where you're getting these very necessary carbohydrates from. Choose complex carbohydrates that take your body longer to break down, which can control your blood sugar.Get complex carbohydrates from:


Whole grains
Cereals
Vegetables
Fruit
Beans
Legumes;
, There's really no such thing as a healthy sugar,so you should eat it in moderation. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your sugar intake to 6 teaspoons (25 g or 100 calories) a day if you're a woman, and 9 teaspoons (37.5 g or 150 calories) a day if you're a man.Try to avoid simple sugars like table sugar (sucrose) which can be quickly broken down by the body.


Try to reduce your intake of soda, sweetened beverages, candy, cakes, cookies, and pies.
 Instead of reaching for simple table syrup, replace it with another sweetener that has nutrients. Honey contains some vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, including vitamins C and B6, folate, niacin, riboflavin, calcium, iron, and manganese.Since honey is made up of a combination of complex sugars, studies have shown that it's easier on your blood sugar. It also tastes sweeter than sucrose (table sugar), so you can use less., Molasses is another nutritional sweetener that breaks down into sucrose, although it takes longer for your body to break down. It also contains calcium and magnesium which are good for your bones. Studies have shown that molasses contains iron, potassium and antioxidants.Since molasses has a distinctive strong taste, you may prefer to substitute molasses for sugar when baking.
 Molasses and honey are just a few variations of sweeteners that break down into sucrose and glucose. But, because of the minor health benefits, they're seen as "less bad" for you than table sugar. Other natural sweeteners include:


Agave syrup
Maple syrup
Brown sugar (which has a bit of molasses included)
Coconut sugar (which contains some fiber)

, Stevioside and Rebaudioside are both marketed as stevia and come from the stevia rebaudiana shrub. Stevia is anywhere from 30 to 300 times sweeter than sugar on a gram for gram basis. It's a popular substitute because it has no calories and can be used in baking and cooking. Studies have shown that stevia might be useful in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels.Stevia has a slightly bitter taste, so it's often combined with other sweeteners to mask the flavor.
 Xylitol is the sweetest of the sugar alcohols, which are modified sugars. Dentists recommend using xylitol because it doesn't encourage tooth decay, unlike other sugars. It does contain calories, but xylitol doesn't raise blood sugar or insulin levels.The body has a hard time absorbing xylitol, so you may experience gas, bloating, and diarrhea, especially if you consume large amounts.Be aware that xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs and cats. If your pet ingests xylitol or a product containing xylitol (such as gum), call your vet immediately or Pet Poison Helpline (800-213-6680)., Erythritol is another sugar alcohol which is often mixed with stevia to mask stevia's bitter taste. Erythritol is 60 to 70 times sweeter than table sugar, but it doesn't increase blood glucose levels or affect cholesterol. Like xylitol, erythritol doesn't cause tooth decay (because bacteria don't digest it).


The Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends erythritol as a safe sugar alternative, although it can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea, or nausea in some people, after consuming large amounts., This syrup comes from the roots of the yacon plant. In addition to being a natural sweetener, it contains fructooligosaccharides (FOS) which can act as a prebiotic, supporting healthy gut bacteria.


Studies have also shown that eating yacon syrup every day may help with weight loss in people with insulin resistance., This sugar substitute contains fructose (sugar found in fruits and vegetables), sucrose, and lactose (milk sugar). It can be used very much like table sugar which means you can cook and bake with it (unlike artificial sweeteners).


Whey low is not completely absorbed by the body, so you get the sweetness without taking in many calories.Whey low contains 4 calories per teaspoon.
 Chemical sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin are often found in diet foods and sodas. These no-calorie sweeteners contain no other nutrients. Research shows that they don't help with blood sugar or weight management.Many independent studies have linked these artificial sweeteners with cancer, leukemia, and irritable bowel disease.Pregnant women, children, and people with phenylketonuria (an inherited genetic disorder) should never use aspartame.You should also limit the amount of sucralose you give to small children, since they can easily get more sucralose than the FDA recommends.
 Sugar has no nutritional value (no vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc). It does contain calories, but they're known as "empty calories" because there are no health benefits.


Sugar does provide some energy because it contains calories. Calories are a measurement of energy released by food.
Keep in mind that whole foods, like fruit, containing naturally occurring sugars have nutritional value.
 Some forms of sugar, like fructose, are only metabolized in the liver. If you eat a large amount of fructose, your liver can be overloaded, regardless of whether the fructose came from something healthy like apples or a processed food with high-fructose corn syrup.If your liver is already damaged, eating foods with added fructose can damage your liver even more.
 Insulin resistance (also known as prediabetes) can lead to diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Studies suggest that sugar intake is directly linked to insulin resistance and contributes to obesity.Sugar intake is connected to the development of these diabetes and metabolic syndrome complications:Heart disease
Nerve damage
Blindness
Kidney disease

, Studies have found that sugar is linked to chronic inflammation which is linked to diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, autoimmune disease, and cancer.Sugars (especially the high-fructose corn syrup-type) can raise cholesterol and fat levels like triglycerides in the blood. This can also increase the chances of becoming obese.
Pick complex carbohydrates.
Limit your table sugar intake.
Use honey.
Eat molasses.
Look for another nutritive sweetener.
Consider stevia.
Choose xylitol.
Look for erythritol.
Include yacon syrup.
Try whey low.
Consider the risks of artificial sweeteners.
Recognize sugar's nutritional impact.
Understand that sugar is processed by your liver.
Consider sugar's connection to insulin resistance.
Learn about sugar's connection to inflammation.
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