Do You Consider Honey an Added Sugar?

[mama2a]

I've done an added sugar detox several times and eat clean most of the time. During times where I'm not detoxing I limit to 25grams of added sugar a day. However, I've always considered honey and 100% maple syrup as acceptable sweeteners that I don't count towards my daily limit. Recently I've been reading that I probably should. Just curious what others think? My goal when I detox is to try to eliminate my sugar cravings. I've only been doing this a few months so it's hard for me to tell if my cravings are gone or if it's a placebo affect so I don't really know if using honey is helping or not. Thoughts or experiences?

[chickypoo2468]

Jan 17, 2015 12:29:11 GMT -5 mama2a said:

I've done an added sugar detox several times and eat clean most of the time. During times where I'm not detoxing I limit to 25grams of added sugar a day. However, I've always considered honey and 100% maple syrup as acceptable sweeteners that I don't count towards my daily limit. Recently I've been reading that I probably should. Just curious what others think? My goal when I detox is to try to eliminate my sugar cravings. I've only been doing this a few months so it's hard for me to tell if my cravings are gone or if it's a placebo affect so I don't really know if using honey is helping or not. Thoughts or experiences?

I count anything that raises my glucose, but I don't know about cravings

[MapleMe]

I do. I can eat maple syrup and honey but not sugar, but like MK said, they both raise blood sugar levels and (for me) create cravings.

[rrrrrachel]

Yes I do count them as extra sweetener. They have some micronutrients and minerals and things that make them "better" than white sugar, but they still impact your blood glucose.

[rrrrrachel]

I think you have to consider, too, if they're s trigger for you. Sugar is a trigger for me. I can't have one cookie I have to have like six. If you can have honey in your tea or whatever and not have it snowball from there then maybe that's ok for you.

[ellebeedub]

Jan 17, 2015 12:47:12 GMT -5 rrrrrachel said:

I think you have to consider, too, if they're s trigger for you. Sugar is a trigger for me. I can't have one cookie I have to have like six. If you can have honey in your tea or whatever and not have it snowball from there then maybe that's ok for you.

I think this is a great point. Yes, I consider them "added sugar," but the bigger question is, does that negatively impact your cravings?

[bonzo2012]

Jan 17, 2015 12:46:02 GMT -5 rrrrrachel said:

Yes I do count them as extra sweetener. They have some micronutrients and minerals and things that make them "better" than white sugar, but they still impact your blood glucose.

This. I don't have sugar cravings, but I do try to pay attention to my blood sugar because diabetes runs on both sides of my family. I've exhibited some symptoms of hypoglycemia, but test just on the healthy side of the line, so my doctor said I should just monitor how different foods affect me and pay attention to what I eat. White sugar and honey seem to have roughly the same effect -- too much of either and I can get shakey, or if I'm super hungry and getting light headed either one can quickly bring up my blood sugar.

[mama2a]

Jan 17, 2015 12:59:15 GMT -5 ellebeedub said:

Jan 17, 2015 12:47:12 GMT -5 rrrrrachel said:

I think you have to consider, too, if they're s trigger for you. Sugar is a trigger for me. I can't have one cookie I have to have like six. If you can have honey in your tea or whatever and not have it snowball from there then maybe that's ok for you.

I think this is a great point. Yes, I consider them "added sugar," but the bigger question is, does that negatively impact your cravings?

Yeah, I don't think my cravings are totally gone, but I do snack a lot less than I used to. It's hard to tell if it's just my motivation to not want to eat junk or if limiting my sugar has helped curb the oversnacking. I wouldn't mind removing honey except that I'm not sure what to eat for sandwich bread and snacks. You have to add some form of sugar to sandwich bread, right?

[rrrrrachel]

No? I mean sweetener will help the yeast and most sandwich bread has it, but you don't have to put sugar in bread.

[ellie]

I have a MAJOR sweet tooth so when I'm trying to curb cravings I count anything that adds sweetness an "added sugar." I think it totally depends on how you react to what you are eating.

[MapleMe]

Jan 17, 2015 13:06:51 GMT -5 mama2a said:

Jan 17, 2015 12:59:15 GMT -5 ellebeedub said:

I think this is a great point. Yes, I consider them "added sugar," but the bigger question is, does that negatively impact your cravings?

Yeah, I don't think my cravings are totally gone, but I do snack a lot less than I used to. It's hard to tell if it's just my motivation to not want to eat junk or if limiting my sugar has helped curb the oversnacking. I wouldn't mind removing honey except that I'm not sure what to eat for sandwich bread and snacks. You have to add some form of sugar to sandwich bread, right?

Sourdough bread (or any naturally leavened bread) needs no sweetener at all

[mama2a]

Jan 17, 2015 16:05:04 GMT -5 MapleMe said:

Jan 17, 2015 13:06:51 GMT -5 mama2a said:

Yeah, I don't think my cravings are totally gone, but I do snack a lot less than I used to. It's hard to tell if it's just my motivation to not want to eat junk or if limiting my sugar has helped curb the oversnacking. I wouldn't mind removing honey except that I'm not sure what to eat for sandwich bread and snacks. You have to add some form of sugar to sandwich bread, right?

Sourdough bread (or any naturally leavened bread) needs no sweetener at all

That's good to know! Thanks!

[MapleMe]

Also, yeast consumes the sweetener, so as long as that is all the sweetener is used for, it would be gone by the time you eat it.

[chickypoo2468]

Jan 17, 2015 16:08:41 GMT -5 MapleMe said:

Also, yeast consumes the sweetener, so as long as that is all the sweetener is used for, it would be gone by the time you eat it.

Is it gone tho or just different?

[MapleMe]

Jan 17, 2015 16:24:58 GMT -5 chickypoo2468 said:

Jan 17, 2015 16:08:41 GMT -5 MapleMe said:

Also, yeast consumes the sweetener, so as long as that is all the sweetener is used for, it would be gone by the time you eat it.

Is it gone tho or just different?

It's no longer sugar. Yeast is a fungus that consumes the sugar and puts out gas which give you lovely air pockets in your bread (OMG I just typed breast). Yeast doesn't need a lot of sugar though, so anything above a tbs per loaf or so will go unconsumed and still be sugar. The reason naturally leavened breads don't need added sugar is that the small amount of yeast from the air that settles in the dough has plenty of food in the starch of the flour. The small amount of yeast is also why naturally leavened breads take longer. The larger amount of yeast you use with commercial yeast quickly consumes the sugar/starch in the dough and dies off if you take too long.