Stay healthy: Replace sugar with natural sweeteners

Champakbhai had a habit of adding ghee and sugar to rice in his meals since childhood. Seeing him, his son Ritesh also had this habit from childhood. Today, even at the age of 80, Champakbhai eats desi ghee and sugar with rice every day. But his 50-year-old son has developed diabetes, so he has to give up this habit. At that time, there were not so many means of transportation, so some kilometers were walked on foot, so the sugar we ate every day was digested. But since Ritesh hardly had time to hurt Kaya, he developed diabetes. There is breath in Champakbhai's talk. There is no doubt that if you consume so much sweets without physical exertion, it will lead you to diabetes. And it can't be denied that it was swallowed by all. One of the reasons why cases of diabetes are increasing by leaps and bounds in today's time is because of eating junk food without exercise. It is also common to gain weight due to excess sugar and obesity related diseases like high blood pressure or heart disease. It is better to replace sugar with natural sweeteners. Today we will talk about some of these substances.

* Jaggery: Jaggery has been used for centuries to make the things we eat there. But sugar pushed jaggery back. However, it is still not too late. You can use jaggery instead of sugar. As jaggery is rich in iron, it helps in curing anemia. Moreover, jaggery also improves digestion due to which the complaint of constipation is removed. A small round of jaggery after meals improves digestion. You can have gol-chana in the evening snack. There is a possibility of cold and cough in monsoon season. A jaggery-chickpea snack provides relief. You can also use jaggery instead of sugar in tea if you want. Sukhdi has always been a favorite among Gujaratis as a dessert. There is no doubt that this desi sweet is more beneficial for our health than any other sweet.

* Dates: Dates are low in calories and high in other nutrients. It contains a lot of fiber, minerals and vitamins, so it can be used in place of sugar. However, since dates are highly digestible, it is important to understand the amount to take.

To make date paste, take one bowl of seeded dates, one cup of warm water and five cups of plain water. Prepare a paste by grinding it in a mixer. You can take this paste as a sauce with different snacks. Date chutney can also be used for salad dressing. Sweets like khoorna ladu, khoorpak have always been our favorite there. But it was marginalized following the onslaught of other sweets. However, in the recent past, health conscious people prefer to eat sweets containing date sweetness instead of sweets made with added sugar.

* Raisins: You can also use raisins instead of dates if you want. Mix one cup of raisins in one cup of water and make a paste. Raisins are rich in iron, vitamin C. Being an antioxidant, it helps in brain development, while vitamin C helps in boosting immunity. The iron in it keeps the heart healthy. While fiber proves helpful in keeping the digestion process running smoothly. You can use raisin paste instead of sugar in many foods.

* Honey: Since honey also has natural sweetness, it can be used instead of sugar. Of course, since it has more calories than sugar, it is imperative to use it in limited quantities. However, its nutritional value cannot be underestimated. Since honey is rich in antioxidants, it helps to reduce inflammation in the body and other related health problems like autoimmune diseases, heart disease. Honey is better than sugar for children.

Drinking a spoonful of honey mixed with a glass of warm water in the morning improves digestion. Taking a spoonful of honey when there is a sore throat is beneficial. Since honey has a warming effect, consumption of honey is considered excellent in winter.

- Vaishali Thakkar