Although it causes many health problems, sugar is one of the key ingredients in the Western diet.
The truth is that the human body and the brain need sugar to function and the soul deserves a little pampering from time to time.
The problem is that today, sugar is consumed when it is industrialized, processed and in huge quantities which cause tremendous damage to health.

Aside from the sugar itself, many people eat foods rich in sugar like white rice, white flour, processed foods, sugary drinks and more.
These foods, which are abundant and consumed in huge quantities, have led to the body becoming addicted to sugar!

As mentioned, the human body needs sugar.

Sugar has a substance (monosaccharide) called glucose. When you eat sugar, glucose enters the bloodstream and makes its way to the various cells and organs of the body. The body’s cells convert glucose together with oxygen into energy – this energy allows the body to live and exist.
Sugar cannot enter cells alone so the body secretes a substance called insulin which puts glucose into the cells.
The pancreas is the organ in which insulin is produced. The amount of insulin that the pancreas produces depends on the amount of sugar you eat, so the more sugar you eat, the harder your pancreas works.
As the pancreas works harder and harder, it gets tired and can reach a state where it stops producing insulin.
When the pancreas produces little insulin (or stops producing altogether), glucose does not enter the cells and the blood becomes a concentrate full of glucose and in one word diabetes!
In addition, the cells that did not receive the glucose begin to die and the whole body becomes more and more ill.
At the same time, sugar causes obesity, dental problems and a variety of other medical problems.

The amount of sugar the body needs is small and is already found in most of our natural foods (like fruits for example).
The problem is that humans consume very large amounts of sugar and mostly processed and industrialized white sugar, which increases the harm to health.

So how can all the health damage of sugar be prevented?

The best thing is to avoid sugar as much as possible.
Avoid sugary drinks, do not sweeten herbal teas.
Avoid eating white flour and white rice and reduce to a minimum of eating sweets.
Prefer eating fruit when you feel like something sweet.
When it is still necessary to sweeten a drink, food or pastry, it is recommended to use natural sweeteners such as: coconut sugar, cereal, molasses and stevia.

Here are the most common types of sugar and sweeteners (worse and less bad), what is forbidden and what can be an alternative when you want to sweeten food:

White sugar – industrialized, processed, refined sugar. It has no nutritional value, creates a load on the body’s cells and is significantly harmful to health.
Brown sugar – industrialized and processed sugar is slightly less than white sugar but is actually almost as harmful to health.
Cane sugar – the least processed sugar but still harmful and it is advisable to consume as little as possible.
Coconut sugar – the least bad of the sugars. It breaks down slowly and creates less strain on the body. At the same time, it is still sugar and it is advisable not to consume in large quantities.
Artificial sweeteners – There are many types of “sugar substitutes” with more or less familiar names, also known by names such as: sucrose, aspartame, sorbitol, maltitol and more.
This is poison!
These sweeteners are industrialized, full of chemicals and can cause countless medical problems such as: vomiting, gas, diarrhea, headaches and more.
Honey – In terms of sugar levels, honey is no less harmful than white sugar and is not recommended for use.
Seelan – a syrup extracted from dates that are slowly cooked with water.
It contains calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and vitamins B and A, as it is very rich in glucose, one should be careful not to consume too much.
Carob syrup / honey – a sweetener with a special and unique taste. Contains less glucose than silane.
In addition, it is very effective in treating liver cough, respiratory problems, constipation and diarrhea.
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
Give cereal – a syrup with a gentle sweetness which is extracted from whole grains (rice, wheat or barley).
Contains B vitamins, calcium calcium and more.
Molasses – One of the better sweeteners.
Syrup extracted from sugar cane, rich in iron, calcium, zinc, B vitamins and more.
The darker the syrup, the less sugar it has and the better the quality.
Maple Syrup – A syrup made from a part of the maple tree.
It is sweet and great for sweetening desserts and pastries.
Contains zinc, calcium, magnesium, iron and more.
Caution! “Maple” flavored syrup is not pure maple syrup. It is actually an industrialized syrup with huge amounts of sugar, food coloring and flavorings.
Stevia – a sweet plant from which a sweetener is usually produced.
About 2-3 drops of stevia sweeten a cup of tea for example.
There are also dried stevia leaves that can be brewed or added to tea to sweeten.
The uniqueness of stevia is that it does not contain glucose and is also calorie-free.
Agave syrup – a sweet syrup extracted from a cactus.
A natural and effective sweetener.

Yaron Cohen Zvi – Reflexology and Complementary Medicine C