Sugar is one of the biggest culprits behind unexplained weight gain. It's also one of the hardest drugs to quit.
Most
people who try to go on a diet to lose weight are advised to cut down
on sugar and switch to healthier alternatives, or sources of natural
sugar, honey and jaggery included.
While these two remain the most
common choices, it's a misconception to think that they are indeed, the
best replacements for sugar. Just because you are swapping sugar for
jaggery in your cup of chai, or adding honey in your desserts doesn't
make it the safest bet. In fact, unmoderated intake of these two
'healthy' ingredients could be detrimental to your weight loss journey,
so it's important to pick wisely.
Here's why
While honey and jaggery are considered to
be traditionally used sugar replacements, it doesn't necessarily equate
on the health quotient. For example, most of us forget to note in the
calories present in both of these additives and end up making mistakes.
Watching, or cutting down on calories is extremely important if you are
on a weight loss journey.
We explain to you the pros and cons of both these additives for weight loss.
How does jaggery help you lose weight?
Jaggery is used in a lot of traditional
Indian desserts and of late, health-conscious people have started to opt
for jaggery powders instead of white sugar. Jaggery is a rich source of
potassium, magnesium, vitamins B1, B6 and C. Plus, it is loaded with
good fibre amount, which removes toxins and helps clean your digestive
system easy. Ayurvedic beliefs suggest that people begin their day with a
cup of warm water and jaggery. Some also have it post meals to aid
digestion. Jaggery also contains several phenolic compounds in it which
fight oxidative stress and work to boost immunity.
How healthy is it, compared to sugar?
Since the taste is a bit more
subdued than that of sugar, most people end up consuming more than what
is required. For example, if a person would usually stir in a spoonful
of sugar in a cup of tea or coffee, someone not used to the taste of
jaggery would end up adding more than required.
Again, it's not a
free food. Jaggery contains more or less the same number of calories as
sugar does. Hence, by adding in more, you are also increasing your
calorie intake. Jaggery also contains sucrose, which raises blood sugar
levels and may be harmful to diabetic patients.
If you don't go in
for unadulterated, well-aged jaggery, you could be eating food with
preservatives in it, which again, is not really helpful.
Health benefits of using honey for weight loss
Sugar and honey are both
sweeteners - the only thing that makes honey better is its natural
composition. While sugar is made up of glucose and fructose (50-50
ratio), honey is also made up of sugar but contains only 30% glucose and
a little less than 40% fructose. It also contains several other types
of sugar molecules, which take longer to digest by the body and do not
always get stored up as fat. This means this is comparatively healthier.
Since it is known as an immunity booster and illness fighter, it also
works to supply essential trace minerals, amino acids, nutrients and
antioxidants for your body.
Honey, when had with warm water can detoxify the body and give your metabolism a kick, accelerating weight loss.
Limit your consumption
If you do not follow the rule of moderation,
you end up doing major damage. You will be surprised to know that one
tablespoon of honey contains 60-64 calories, which comes out to be the
same as that of sugar. The only real way honey gains an advantage over
sugar or jaggery is because of the other added benefits.
Conclusion
Swapping sugar with jaggery or honey is a
good practice- as long as you don't overdo it and remember the
nutritional profiles of both the ingredients. If you really want to cut
down on sugar, try by lowering your intake, gradually. Opting for
natural sugars, such as the ones found in fruits can also take care of
your cravings. Stevia, loaded spices like cinnamon, date or palm sugar
can also be made use of, in a weight loss diet in place of sugar.