Sugar Free Desserts

Sugar free desserts can taste good and be low glycemic; however, AVOID the sugar free label. This is because "sugar free" often means the product is loaded with high glycemic ingredients. Be suspicious of highly processed, packaged desserts that are labeled "sugar free." Unfortunately, most of the commercial, sugar substitutes that are in these processed foods are high glycemic. The best diet foods are usually NOT labeled "sugar free." However, they are in fact sucrose (table sugar) free.

According to the Glycemic Research Institute there are natural, low glycemic sugars that do not stimulate fat storage and do not elevate your blood sugar. These are the ones you want to use when making sugar free desserts.

Again, you need to read labels! When you want a sweetener for your tea, coffee or cereal or for a low glycemic recipe these natural sugars are acceptable. In fact, they are perfect and will NOT raise your blood sugar! When you are baking or just want a sugar free dessert, go to your natural foods store and find the powdered fructose which is made from fruit. It is NOT made from high fructose corn syrup and the texture is very close to table sugar.

When I talk about sugar free desserts what I mean is desserts that do not contain sucrose which is refined, white, table sugar, but they DO contain a low glycemic sweetener or just fresh fruit. So, what you are looking for are the low glycemic sweeteners listed above.

You do NOT have to give up sweets to maintain healthy fat loss but you do have to pay attention to what type of sweets you indulge in! You can have sugar free desserts made with low glycemic sweeteners. Yes, there are good sugars and bad sugars just as there are good fats and the "synthetic" bad fats. Low glycemic recipes can include natural sweeteners like fructose, erythritol, stevia or agave syrup that do NOT elevate blood sugar and actually have health benefits. The best diet foods have the low glycemic sweeteners.

Fructose has a low glycemic index, however, as with all sweeteners you need to indulge moderately. Fructose, made from natural sugars in fruit and honey, is the most like refined sugar as far as texture. It is found in some supermarkets and in most natural foods stores often in bulk. For most recipes you can cut the sugar in half anyway. When you are baking use fructose and try using less than the recipe calls for. It is perfect for sugar free desserts. Fructose is sweeter than table sugar so you need less of it.

When you eat from the low glycemic food list, you need to be familiar with the low glycemic sweeteners. This is not a temporary diet; this is how you eat because it's healthier and will guarantee a lifetime of fat loss!

There are more low glycemic sweeteners listed on the printable list on the Glycemic Index List of Foods page. Erythritol is the latest one to be discovered that I know of and it's still hard to find. I have not tried it yet but I have read that it tastes more like sugar than other sugar alcohols. It is being made by NOW and it is in some health food stores and it can also be purchased online from Amazon. Erythritol is a natural sugar alcohol that occurs in fruits and fermented foods and does not affect blood sugar. If you eat too much of it it can have a laxative affect but it does not cause digestive discomfort as some of the other sweeteners do.

Stevia and xylitol are also natural sugar alcohols. Xylitol is added to many products for sweetness including gum. Dentists sometimes recommend it because it "starves" harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay. There are even toothpastes on the market that contain xylitol because it is so helpful in preventing tooth decay.

I have used stevia and I find the flavor too intensely sweet. However, it has the added benefit of being good for your digestion. My favorite low glycemic sweetener is agave syrup which is widely available in natural foods stores. It tastes a little like a mild maple syrup and of course is low glycemic. For baking sugar free desserts I use powdered fructose and cut the sugar amount in half.

Coconut sugar or nectar is a fairly new product. The sugar is in crystals and so could be tried as a substitute for table sugar in baking.

You don't have to be a fanatic about refined sugar, unless of course you are already insulin resistant! If you have symptoms of type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance do not let anything sweet pass your lips! Otherwise, once in a while indulge yourself, especially for holidays or special celebrations.

If you do crave ice cream have a small bowl for dinner with berries and chopped nuts and nothing else! The protein reduces the glycemic impact and it will fill you up. Sugar free desserts are possible using fructose as a substitute for refined sugar or one of the other low glycemic sweeteners. You will need to reduce the liquid by an equal amount if you are using agave syrup.

It is possible to create delicious sugar free desserts. Once you have stopped eating so much sugar most recipes will taste much too sweet. You can reduce the amount and substitute a low glycemic sweetener. Here's a new habit to cultivate - eat fresh fruit for dessert! Save the low glycemic sweetened desserts for special occasions.

"The amount of fat the body absorbs after a meal is greater when that meal includes sugar." (Journal of the American College of Nutrition 1999;18)

Glycemic Index List of Foods

The glycemic index list of foods includes foods that lower blood sugar and help you to lose fat!

Controlling Food Cravings

Controlling food cravings means that you need to avoid the high glycemic foods on these lists! High glycemic sugars in foods stimulate the appetite and lead to food cravings.

List of Raw Foods

This list of raw foods contains fruits and vegetables that are a powerhouse of nutrients and they are low glycemic, meaning you can eat as much of them as you desire!

Omega 3 Sources in Healthy Salads

Healthy salads, especially when you add Omega 3 sources or foods with resistant starch, are a great low glycemic meal. These are fat burning foods and are assessed low on the glycemic index.

Low Glycemic Foods: Super Healthy Whole Grains

Eating lots of super healthy low glycemic foods means that you are once and for all replacing the fat storing high glycemic carbs in your diet with the low glycemic complex carbohydrates....

High Fiber Foods: Delicious Grains and Legumes

There are extraordinary health benefits that go with eating fiber rich foods including a lifetime of fat loss!

Low Carb Pastas and Cereals

Great news for pasta lovers....you don't need low carb pasta because pasta is low glycemic!

Good Fats

Calcium Rich Foods

Taking a look at dairy products and just how these calcium rich foods affect the glycemic index chart...

Soups, Oriental Cuisine, Protein Foods

Glycemic Load

Too much of a good thing can be a glycemic load and definitely high glycemic foods are a glycemic load.

Acidic Foods and High Glycemic Sweeteners

Any list of acidic foods will have sodas at the top of the list. These drinks are high glycemic and fat storing drinks!

High Glycemic Foods

Here are the high glycemic foods that need to be avoided most of the time in order to maintain your fat loss.

Reading Food Labels

Find out where the fat traps are hidden! This is what leads to obesity and insulin resistance....

Food Lovers Diet

Food lovers can celebrate good food and manage their weight at the same time!

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