It’s important not to forget that maple syrup is natures version of candied tree blood. If Willy Wonka made trees, they’d be maples. At first sight, you might think it’s kind of healthy. It comes from a tree. It’s organic and vegan. It has no sweetener. It’s super delicious. So, what’s not to like? Well, there are plenty of sweet things that come from nature. Sugar comes from sugar cane, honey from bees and corn syrup comes from corn. They’re all totally natural elements that are disastrous for your health in the long and short term. Maple syrup is their distant cousin, even though it’s been filtered and is totally natural, it is sweetened by mother nature herself.
Maple Syrup Is NOT Healthier Than Sugar
Maple syrup is not a health food. If it were, then 27% of Canadians may not be obese. For manufacturers it must be listed as an added sugar on the ingredients list if it’s ever added to another food stuff. Stir it into your oatmeal or throw it over your pancakes and it very much does count towards your daily added sugars. It’s not all bad and does offer a few added nutrients that sugar and corn don’t offer. Maple does have antioxidants that can lower inflammation, plus it offers a little potassium, zinc and some calcium. None of these are life changing, nor do they offset the potential hazards caused by the blood sugar spike it may offer your system.
Maple Limits
Honey, sugar and corn syrup are things that pretty much never go off. They’ll be sitting pretty in cupboards long after the apocalypse kicks into full effect. Maple syrup simply won’t offer that kind of longevity. Many people see this as a good thing. Foods that don’t go off, are things such as McDonald’s burgers and fries. Maple syrup does have a shelf life and can be prone to mold which can make it go rancid. Fortunately, you can get substitutes that offer an improvement on nature.
The Worthy Alternative
There’s no doubt maple syrup taste amazing. It has a distinct aftertaste that can even make the first pancake (the worst one) of a batch taste incredible. It’s not perfect when it comes to your health, but it’s not a slouch. If you enjoy the taste then you can try maple syrup alternatives, such as SINFIT syrup – maple. This is sugar free and offers zero calories and no fat. This doesn’t mean you can down the whole bottle in one sitting but is a very viable alternative to regular maple syrup if you’re trying to lose weight. A product such as this is made primarily with things such as water, cellulose gum and flavorings so that you don’t need to feel like you’re going without your favorite condiment. If you want to find a way to stick to a healthy eating plan, then it’s important to make sure you don’t feel deprived. This is a worthy alternative to the calorific sticky stuff the trees spew out. Use it to bring back a little joy to your diet.
Photo by nikldn on Unsplash.
