A spoonful of sugar may seem relatively harmless. It does, after all, make the medicine go down. But it’s the pounds of it that we ingest every year (around 77 per person!) that’s the real problem.

Is Refined Sugar Bad For You?

A nonnutritive substance, refined white sugar increases inflammation and oxidative stress and is linked to the obesity and diabetes epidemic.

It’s also a known immunosuppressant and has been shown to reduce the germ-killing ability of white blood cells for up to five hours after consumption, according to nutrition expert Ann Louise Gittleman.

That’s enough to make anyone feel ill!

Healthy Sugar Alternatives

There may be those times when you want to enjoy something on the sweeter side of life.

As a sugar replacement, try the following natural alternatives.

• Agave Syrup

  Derived from the fruit of a cactus-like plant, this nectar is sweeter than sugar, so you may find you need to use less of it.

  • Choose the least refined brand you can find (the darker the color, the better).
  • Use ¹⁄₄ cup agave for every 1 cup sugar called for in recipes.

• Blackstrap Molasses

  This old-fashioned favorite is the residue that’s left after sugar crystals are removed from beet juice or sugarcane.

  It contains antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals—including B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, and iron.

• Brown Rice Syrup

  Made by fermenting rice grains, this delicately flavored, amber-colored sweetener has complex and simple sugars and some of the grain’s nutrients still intact.

  • Use 1 ¹⁄₂ cups rice syrup in place of 1 cup sugar.
  • Reduce liquid in recipe by 1 to 2 tablespoons.

• Coconut Palm Sugar

  This sweetener is the concentrated sap of palm tree blossoms that have been reduced down to a syrup and then sugar.

  It has a low glycemic index and high levels of micronutrients, and contains much less fructose than cane sugar.

  • Coconut palm sugar can be substituted for white sugar in a one-to-one ratio.
  • It’s less sweet than cane sugar but with more of a brown sugar or molasses flavor.

• Date Sugar

  Made from pulverized dates, this sweetener offers the consistency of sugar but without being refined.

  • Replaces sugar (including brown sugar) on a cup-for-cup basis.

• Fruit Juice Concentrate

  This sweetener is cooked down fruit juices (typically grape, peach, pineapple, or pear), and is typically found frozen.

  • It contains the nutrients found in fresh fruit—except for fiber, which can help balance blood sugar.
  • It works well in baked goods and desserts. Look for recipes that call for fruit juice concentrate as their sweetener of choice.

• Honey

  For centuries, this liquid gold has been both medicine and food for civilization.

  Sweeter than sugar, it also has more calories. But there are health benefits to honey, such as enzymes and minerals.

  • Honey keeps baked goods fresher longer than other sweeteners, and consuming it won’t promote weight gain. Research has even shown it to have an “obesity protective” effect.
  • Never give honey to a child under 12 months old. Substitute ¹⁄₂] to ³⁄₄ cup honey for 1 cup sugar. Decrease other liquids by ¹⁄₄ cup for each ³⁄₄ cup sweetener.

• Maple Syrup

  This sweet favorite is made by boiling down the maple tree’s sap.

  It’s a popular choice for pouring over pancakes or waffles or for flavoring baked beans.

  • Maple syrup contains minerals such as calcium, potassium, and manganese.
  • Use it as a topping over oatmeal or plain unsweetened yogurt.
  • Maple syrup comes in various grades (Fancy, A, or B). Grade B is best for baking, as it adds the most flavor.

• Maple Sugar

  Tasting just like maple syrup, this powdered sweetener is made by dehydrating and crystallizing liquid maple syrup. It tastes about twice as sweet as white sugar.

• Stevia

  One teaspoon of this herb has the sweetening power of two to four cups of sugar. It only takes a drop or two of the liquid form to sweeten foods and drinks.

  With zero calories, stevia also possesses medicinal effects such as lowering blood pressure.

  Baking with Stevia

  • It can be tricky to bake with as it is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Use ¹⁄₂ to 1 teaspoon stevia in place of one cup sugar. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons extra liquid.
  • Be advised that baked goods don’t brown when they’re made with stevia, so baking time may need to be adjusted.

• Xylitol

  A natural compound found in birch trees, corn fiber, and many fruits and vegetables, this sugar alcohol is popular in gums and candies.

  It’s also been shown to reduce bacteria and cavities while preventing plaque from adhering to tooth enamel.

  • Xylitol contains 40 percent fewer calories than sugar. It has the same sweetness as sugar, so xylitol can easily replace it in cooking and baking.
  • If consumed in large doses, it may cause gastrointestinal upset.

  Xylitol is Harmful to Dogs

  Xylitol can be highly toxic—even fatal—for dogs that accidentally consume it. Do not feed your dog anything containing xylitol, and keep it sealed in a safe place.

• Yacon Powder or Syrup

  • This low-gycemic and low-caloric sweetener is derived from a South American root vegetable.
  • A study of the syrup’s effects on obese volunteers with insulin resistance shows that yacon syrup promoted weight loss and suppressed appetite.
  • It can be used in recipes that call for molasses as it has a similar taste.

Tired of strict weight-loss programs that make you think of "forbidden" foods all the time? It’s time to kick dieting to the curb. To find and maintain lifelong healthy weight, embrace lifestyle changes. Here are seven to start with.

Lifestyle Tips for Weight Loss

• Address Your Body’s Many Cries for Nutrients

  You may think you’re craving a chocolate-covered doughnut, but in reality, your body really wants vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, essential amino acids, essential fats, lean protein, and, of course, carbs for energy. You simply misinterpreted the signal! To minimize cravings, create a multicolored menu with a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

  Make it a goal to eat 7 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, and see how much room you have for anything else! Cravings will diminish when your body is getting the nutrients it needs for optimal health.

  Supplemental Support

  To round out your craving-crushing menu, start the day with a green drink containing nutrients you won’t likely eat otherwise. Barley, alfalfa, wheatgrass, and red beets are great sources of chlorophyll. Greens drinks and supplements give you the nourishing benefits of sea veggies like spirulina, chlorella, and Atlantic dulse without having to put them on your plate!

  Look for green beverages or mixes containing antioxidant powerhouses like acerola cherries, bilberry, and grape extracts. Research also supports the use of chromium picolinate to reduce cravings.

• Balance Your Blood Sugar—and The Scale

  A second major stumbling block with fat-loss plans is caused by blood sugar fluctuations that have your energy bottoming out several times a day—leading you straight to the snack machine. Focus on stabilizing your blood sugar by eating some protein with every meal and snack, starting with breakfast. Protein not only keeps the munchies at bay, but also helps to build lean muscle.

  Adequate dietary fiber helps to slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream.

  Supplemental Support

  To set yourself up for a balanced day, toss some whey protein isolate powder into a smoothie, along with berries, banana, or your favorite fruits. For fiber, glucomannan from konjac root is a water-soluble polysaccharide that helps to provide a feeling of fullness so you aren’t as inclined to snack.

  Glucomannan also slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream to help prevent energy highs and lows.

• Rein in Emotional Eating

  It’s my observation that 98 percent of us have emotional connections to food, and the other 2 percent aren’t telling the truth! To put an end to sabotaging behavior, determine your emotional triggers and substitute a non-food comfort—like journaling, exercising, or talking with a friend. Emotional eating can become a serious issue in the wintertime, when reduced sun exposure leads to lower levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin.

  Likewise, a woman’s menstrual cycle can trigger fluctuating serotonin levels. Because carbohydrate consumption naturally stimulates serotonin production, it’s no wonder we reach for cookies or French fries.

  Support healthy serotonin production by eating foods containing vitamin B6 and the serotonin precursor tryptophan: whole grains, oatmeal, brown rice, and turkey are good foods to include.

  Supplemental Support

  Consider supplementing with precursor 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) to help boost serotonin levels. Keep your digestive tract healthy with daily probiotic supplements: We’re starting to learn more about the gut/brain/mood connection. Healthy serotonin levels are closely linked to a strong digestive tract.

• Burn, Baby, Burn

  We all know the simple equation that leads to fat loss: more calories out than calories in. Aim to exercise several times per week, and be sure to include muscle-building, weight-bearing activity. 

  Supplemental Support

  Some foods are thermogenic, meaning they help kick your metabolic rate into high gear so you burn more calories. Look for supplements containing epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) from green tea or capsaicin from hot peppers to boost your burn. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) also helps support fat-loss goals, possibly by helping to suppress appetite and increase energy output.

• Eat Fat to Burn Fat

  Your body requires fat to create the membranes for every cell in your body, and your brain relies on good fats too. While we want to limit saturated fats and avoid trans fats, skipping dietary fat altogether is the best way to get your body to hold onto it. If you’d like to lose the love handles, choose fats that boost metabolism.

  Supplemental Support

  Long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fats EPA and DHA from fish oil may protect against the development of obesity, and they can help to reduce body fat in those who are already overweight. Be sure to take daily fish oil (or marine algae) supplements.

• Seek Balance to Soothe The Savage Muffintop

  Weight gain around the middle is frequently caused by imbalanced hormones. Men typically get the so-called beer belly when testosterone levels start to drop: The spare tire is caused by excess estrogen in relation to testosterone. Men can boost testosterone levels with regular, weight-bearing exercise and adequate sleep. A woman’s expanding waistline often occurs due to adrenal exhaustion triggered by chronic stress.

  Supplemental Support

  Adaptogenic herbs like licorice root, eleuthero, and astragalus help your body adapt to stress so your adrenals don’t have to work so hard. For men, ingredients like chrysin (extracted from plants or bee propolis) may block the enzyme (aromatase) responsible for converting testosterone into estrogen.

  Stinging nettle root extract competes with a protein called SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) that makes testosterone unavailable to the body, while indole 3 carbinol and sulforaphane help regulate the production of good estrogens (2-hydroxy estrone) and inhibits the production of bad estrogens (16-hydroxy estrone) that can lead to imbalances.

• Rediscover Sleep, Glorious Sleep

  Mounting research shows the connection between sleep deficits and weight gain.

  • General Studies

    Women who sleep less than six hours per night on average have significantly greater odds of obesity than women who sleep between seven and eight hours nightly.

    Just one night of sleep deprivation in men triggers reduced morning energy expenditures, leading to weight gain. Create slimming sleep habits!

  • Sleep and Sugar Consumption

    British scientists determined that adults who upped their sleep time managed to cut down on sugary foods.

    The Sleep Study

    The study included adults who typically slept for less than seven hours per night.

    • Some participants were instructed to increase their slumber by about an hour and a half, and to follow good sleep habits such as:
      • avoiding caffeine before bed
      • establishing a relaxing routine
      • not going to bed too full or hungry
    • The others made no changes to their sleep habits.
    • All participants in both groups kept food diaries during the seven-day trial.

    The Results of the Study

    Those in the group that increased their sleep time consumed about 10 fewer grams of sugar per day.

    “The fact that extending sleep led to a reduction in intake of free sugars, by which we mean the sugars that are added to foods by manufacturers or in cooking at home as well as sugars in honey, syrups, and fruit juice, suggests that a simple change in lifestyle may really help people to consume healthier diets,” said researcher Wendy Hall, PhD.

  Supplemental Support

  Non-habit forming supplements can help bring on the slumber. Melatonin supports deep sleep; L-theanine promotes relaxation.

Who Benefits from Everyday Liver Support?

When herbalists strengthen the liver, we focus on the essential detoxifying function that it performs. Almost anyone would benefit from liver support.

However, it’s most important for people with a poor diet, impaired digestion, or a greater-than-average exposure to toxins such as chemical solvents, excessive alcohol, and liver-toxic drugs. 

What Herbs Help Detoxify the Liver?

Two categories of liver herbs lend a hand: “movers” and “protectors.”

For the average person who just wants to give a boost to the liver, try “movers” like dandelion, burdock, chicory, and artichoke. Although less researched than milk thistle, these herbs have traditionally been used to support everyday liver function.

• "Mover" Herbs Help the Liver Detoxify

  “Movers” enhance the detox response by encouraging the liver to produce and excrete more bile, the accumulated liver waste that is eliminated from the body via the gallbladder and digestive tract.

  My favorite liver detox herbs include:

  • dandelion leaf
  • dandelion root
  • burdock root
  • chicory leaf
  • chicory root
  • bitter salad greens
  • turmeric root
  • schisandra berries
  • artichoke leaf

  They generally have a bitter flavor and work better if you taste them, so take them as food, tea, or liquid extracts as opposed to pill form.

  Together with lymph- and kidney-supportive herbs, these liver herbs are often referred to as blood purifiers.

• "Protector" Herbs Prevent and Repair Liver Damage

  “Protectors,” which prevent and may even repair liver damage from toxins, include milk thistle seeds, turmeric, and the adaptogen herb schisandra.

  Milk Thistle

  Milk thistle is well researched for its ability to protect against and repair liver damage from a wide range of dangerous toxins and in serious liver conditions like cirrhosis, fatty liver, and hepatitis.

  The seeds are rich in protective antioxidants including a compound called silymarin that appears to slow down, block, or eliminate toxin absorption by the liver while enhancing protein synthesis up to 30 percent.

  Milk thistle is best taken as capsules, standardized to 80 percent silymarin.

If you are exhausted, have joint or muscle pain, memory issues, and headaches, and/or suffer from an “atypical” condition—you might have Lyme disease, a master of disguises.

Countless patients see me after years of illness without an accurate diagnosis. Once we reach a Lyme disease diagnosis, they begin to get their life back.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

In the 1970s, some children in Lyme, CT, developed symptoms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers discovered that black-legged ticks carrying Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria had bitten the children, causing what came to be known as Lyme disease.

• Early Symptoms

  Early on, Lyme disease resembles the flu, with signs and symptoms that can include:

  • Rash (erythema migrans)
  • Headaches
  • Sore throat
  • Chills
  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Stiff neck
  • Swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy)

• Late Stage Symptoms

  If incorrectly diagnosed and treated, Lyme-disease-causing bacteria affect other body systems with signs and symptoms including:

  • Chronic fatigue
  • Muscle aches
  • Joint pain and/or swelling
  • Neurological issues
  • Paresthesias (pins-and-needle sensations, burning, itching
  • Memory issues
  • Lightheadedness
  • Fainting
  • Pain that disrupts sleep
  • Gastrointestinal upset
  • Chest pain or palpitations
  • Headaches
  • Visual disturbances
  • Light/sound sensitivity
  • Anxiety
  • Depression

Lyme Disease Diagnosis

An accurate diagnosis challenges doctors because patients can have Lyme disease along with multiple sclerosis, ALS, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, heart problems, arthritis, neurological disease, and more.

• Diagnosis Challenges

  When diagnosing Lyme disease, most doctors look for the “bulls-eye rash”—called the erythema migrans (EM) rash, with concentric rings surrounding a red center—but only 70 to 80 percent of patients develop it.

  An EM rash or multiple EM rashes can appear up to 30 days after a tick bite, but most commonly at seven days. This warm-to-touch rash grows up to 12 inches and is usually not painful or itchy.

  Even when there is a rash, some doctors don’t suspect Lyme. I have heard from patients with tick bites told by their doctor, “Lyme disease does not exist in California,” for example. Left untreated, they developed an unexplained chronic illness.

• Testing Process

  A Lyme diagnosis should not entirely rely on lab testing. Available testing methods have high false-negative and low sensitivity rates, as Lyme bacteria evade the immune system and are immunosuppressive.

  The CDC recommends a two-step testing process. The first test, an ELISA test, looks for antibodies against Lyme. If positive, a Western Blot test is run, looking for IgM and IgG antibodies against antigens associated with Borrelia burgdorferi.

• Lyme-Literate Medical Professionals

  If you have symptoms, live in an endemic area, and recall a tick bite, yet have negative results, I recommend seeing a Lyme-literate doctor, found through the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS).

  They are trained to recognize, test, and rule in or out Lyme disease and co-infections like anaplasma, ehrlichia, babesia, or bartonella.

  A Lyme-literate doctor combines conventional and natural medicine. Integrative medicines support damaged tissue, help modulate the immune system, and maximize detoxification pathways for more effective healing.

Treating Chronic Lyme Disease

Chronic Lyme disease treatment includes:

• Long-term antibiotics
• Herbal medicines
• IV therapies
• Counseling
• Immune supportive therapies
• Diet changes
• Lifestyle modifications such as stress reduction and meditation

Antibiotics are effective in early stages, taking two to six weeks of treatment. For chronic Lyme disease, or post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, where symptoms have been chronically or intermittently present for six months or more, treatment can take six months to two years or more.

Healing After Lyme Disease

Many patients experience a “two-step forward, one-step backward” progression: some symptoms improve, while others worsen or new ones appear.

Some may develop a Herxheimer reaction, a “die-off” of the Lyme organism causing inflammation. With treatment modifications, the reaction reduces and symptoms improve.

Lyme disease causes psycho-emotional, social, financial, and physical stress, so support from family, friends, and community helps patients persevere. My Lyme patients teach me most about perseverance, courage, and trust through this journey.

Lyme is a very insidious and poorly understood illness that we as doctors are still learning about on a daily basis.