Ah the chocolate cake, sweet candies, and caramel lattes! I love every sweet item invented on the market today including ice cream and all the various flavors. Sugar by far makes anything taste just a little bit better. I wish such a tempting and delicious additive could be good for your body but it is not. Sugar turns into fat when not used and it also causes tooth decay gradually over time.

When we were children some of our parents would give us cookies or other sweets for good behavior which made us feel good eating it and our emotions do not forget. For a lot of us conquering weight issues sugar is one of our toughest items to replace. Now the market has helped a lot with many sugar free desserts yet they do not offer that same flavor or feeling with sugar. Then we also have to watch out for some sugar replacements as they are also not the best for your body.

My belief is that like anything else in life sugar has become a habit and a feel good food as well. A little in moderation is fine but too much or even a generous amount of it can cause your body great harm. With any negative habit we need to replace it with a positive one. When I quit smoking cigarettes I had to find a substitute when tempted to light up. One vice needs to have another but it can be a healthy one. I chose dance lessons and the gym and even when it didn't feel like it was working it was. For sugar I have replaced caffeine free tea which does not sound that exciting but before bed every night I would have a cup of hot chocolate and a large heaping scoop of frozen yogurt in it low fat but full of sugar. I am surprised I could fall asleep with this combination yet I did. I never acquired a weight problem but my teeth suffered and my system with sugar never felt that balanced either.

When the body ingests sugar a few things happen. One proven is tooth decay. Some other side effects may include disease, disorders, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and hyperactivity in children. Also obesity is another role sugar plays in because the foods that contain sugar are usually full of fat or empty calories.

Some health experts recommend returning to a diet with more complex-carbohydrate foods and less sugar and fat. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate and natural cases of sugar of course would be best for your body such as fruit, grains and vegetables would be complex-carbohydrates.

Although there are many both natural and artificial sugar substiutes that can do our body well. One natural substitute "Stevia" derived from a sweet leaf plant grown in South America would be wonderful if our country would allow it as it seems to be the most healthy sugar replacement out there. Althougth there are many alternatives on the market like Splenda or Sucrolose which is very sweet and leaves me feeling healthy still.A lot of sugar free ice creams use this as their sweetner and its delicious.

In conclusion, these are some artificial alternatives but like anything else maybe it is time to reach for more fruits, grains, and vegetables, and grab some kettleballs at the gym. Life should be healthy and energetic and made to enjoy the sweets in balance but be aware of what you put in your body!

Copyright (c) 2009 Laurie Noepel