Someone please tell him that there are better things to suck on.
Let’s be clear: Sugar is not healthy – and most of us eat way too much of it. When we compare raw sugar to regular, white table sugar, we’re really just examining the lesser of two evils.
In the refining process that creates white table sugar, minerals and vitamins are removed. These include Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, and Potassium. In addition, the refined sugar is treated with a number of chemicals and added ingredients to create the final product.
From an environmental standpoint, the less processing the better; it means less waste, less energy and fewer chemicals.
It’s also worth noting that, contrary to popular belief, brown sugar is not raw sugar. Brown sugar is refined white sugar with the added ingredient of molasses. Environmentally, it’s the least Earth-friendly.
Because of the nutrients, vitamins and smaller environmental impact, raw sugar is a slightly less detrimental choice – but it certainly doesn’t make raw sugar healthy. Regardless of the amount of processing, sugar isn’t a wise choice – and most of us have no need for the added sugar we consume. We get plenty of sugars through the fruits and vegetables we eat, and our bodies can create sugar from carbohydrates.
The bottom line: Rather than focusing on the type of sugar we consume, we should pay attention to the amount of sugar we consume.
I agree 100%… but I have to admit, I have it easy.
I’ve been conscious of my diet since I started lifting weights at the age of 15 (I started for sports, now it’s just vanity LOL). So I’ve gotten very used to not eating “sweet”. But a lot of people are so used to it all they can think about is how much they miss it when they “cut back.”
I’d suggest that people who are trying to cut back on sugar find something else flavorful to substitute, whether it’s a spice (cinnamon is great!) or vegetables or herbs or whatever. If you don’t substitute SOMETHING for flavor, and your choice is “sugar” or “no sugar”, you always feel like you’ve “lost” something.
A lot of raw-vegan recipes call for date pastes or agave syrup. Both are really more environmentally friendly then raw sugar, because they require really low processing. And both are dryed at low temperature, which keeps all the nutrients intact (or so they say!).
Though, agave is high in fructose, which is strongly linked to diabetes…
Actually, I have to disagree with Julian. Agave sugar is the most processed form of all sweeteners.