If we are not supposed to have sugar, what about artificial sweeteners?
Unfortunately, they are a "no, thank you" from me (and many other functional medicine practitioners). In general, my recommendation is to choose natural, minimally processed foods so I have a similar argument for artificial sweeteners. And the research is pretty clear that they are not the "safe" "guilt-free" products they are marketed as and could be worse for your health than the real stuff. Consumption is linked to obesity, diabetes, and is highly addictive. Dr. Hyman, a well-regarded functional medicine MD, explains the research in this article. Check it out and reach out to me if you have more questions on the research.
Artificial/low-calorie/no-calorie/non-nutritive sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame, sugar alcohols, saccharin are found in drinks, yogurts, sauces, even breads. So I recommend checking the labels of products you are buying and opting for alternatives.
What if you are craving something sweet? I recommend having the real thing in moderation. Possibly cutting it out completely for a couple weeks, if you feel like sugar seems like an “addiction”. Then add back in sparingly. What does sparingly mean? Not every day…otherwise that is up to you. There are no hard and fast rules and it can depend on your specific medical condition. *Also* intense sugar cravings could mean other things like overall inadequate intake, blood sugar imbalances, gut infections/imbalances… If you feel like this is you we can dive deeper into some root causes in a 1:1 session with me.
What about Stevia and monk fruit? These might be the best choice in the non-nutritive sweetener market. So if you want a sweet fix more often these could be an option to switch to.
Ideas for alternatives to soda and sugar sweetened beverages:
Tea: If tea is not your thing, start with a fruity type of tea and a touch of sugar/honey until your taste buds get accumulated to a less sweet taste. I like Rooibos, Hibiscus or other fruity type teas. I love Red Dragon Teas, lots of options and made locally in Iowa! Also visited the Old Barrel Tea Co. when I was in Colorado and love the Blueberry and Prickly Pear teas I got there. Loose leaf strainer cups are super convenient for loose leaf teas.
Kombucha: Seems people either love it or hate it, but if you love it like me it has awesome gut health benefits too!
Sparkling Water: Brands like Bubly, Spindrift, La Croix are options to try if you are craving some carbonation.
Drink mixes like: Like Organifi, Rayvi and LMNT.
Adrenal Mocktail: 4 oz fresh orange juice, 4 oz of coconut water, and ¼ tsp sea salt, optional 1 T of collagen powder
Water add-ins like lemon, lime, cucumbers or fruit.
As always change is hard and things take time. You don’t have to change everything about your health in one day. Tackle one habit at a time. I hope this was helpful to expand your options for healthy drink choices. If you are ready to dig in and improve your health click here to book an individualized consultation!
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