What’s the healthiest way to sweeten coffee?

Direct Answer: What’s the healthiest way to sweeten your coffee? If you are following strict blood sugar control, then pure Monk Fruit extract or Stevia are the best of the best compared to anything else because they do not create an insulin response. Keep It Natural And Unprocessed Raw Honey or Real Maple Syrup, If you don’t mind the calorie hit, then either (both) will provide some trace minerals and antioxidants. But arguably the most “scientifically” effective non-caloric way to taste sweet without adding sugar to a dish is masking bitterness with Salt (or enhancing aroma with “Vanilla Extract”), which tricks your brain into thinking you are tasting “sweet.”

1. For the Weight Watchers & Calorie Counters

14 Day Subway Dietconutrene27765Needless to say, this is controversial and not a very well rounded type of diet.

The Goal:

Sugariness without the caloric consequence, sidestepping the “hunger trap” of artificial sweeteners.

The Counter-Intuitive Truth:

Actually, many empty-calorie artificial sweeteners (like Aspartame or Sucralose) can work against weight-loss efforts. They contain no calories but can interfere with gut bacteria, and don’t activate the “reward” center in your brain, which will cause you to crave more carbohydrates later in the day. The healthiest way to do this is not simply to find a substitute with zero calories, but one that goes through the body without being absorbed and without causing an insulin spike.

The Solution:

Erythritol or Pure Stevia (in Liquid from).

The Protocol:

Selection: Choose Erythritol. Unlike many sugar alcohols, it isn’t fermented in the colon (preventing bloating), and most of it is excreted unchanged in urine. Or use liquid Stevia to bypass the “bulking agents” (such as dextrose) in many powdered packets.

The “Taper” Technique: If you are used to downing your tea with two teaspoons of sugar, don’t switch cold turkey.

• Week 1: 1 teaspoon sugar with a small squirt of Stevia.
• Week 2: 0.5 teaspoon sugar + med drop of Stevia.
• Week 3: Only Stevia.

This helps retrain your taste buds to the slight aftertaste of natural zero calorie sweeteners.

2. Blood Sugar Conscious

This tinder simmer is prepared with a traditional roasted seasoning that contains no salt.

The idea:

A coffee that you both enjoy, and which doesn’t have any effect on the Glycemic Index.

The Counter-Intuitive Truth:

There are “hidden spikers” you should watch out for. A lot of powdered “sugar free” sweeteners are cut using maltodextrin which has a higher glycemic index than table sugar. Also, cow’s milk contains lactose (a sugar) that is known for raising blood glucose. The healthiest sweetening you can do here also comes with the fat source.

The Solution: Pure Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) + Fat

The state of ketosis can be maintained indefinitely by switching your sugar crystals with pure monk fruit, but fat is no replacement for a calcium, magnesium and potassium meal containing as many minerals as you’ll typically find in there.

The Logic:

Monk Fruit derives its sweetness from mogrosides, an antioxidant, not sugars. They are not used for burning energy. An additional source of fat (heavy cream or coconut milk), will further buffer gastric emptying, resulting in a straight glucose line.

The Protocol:

Check Labels: Purchase “pure monk fruit extract” with no added erythritol or molasses. It is 150 to 200 times sweeter than sugar, so you only need the tiniest amount.

The “Buffer” Method:

• Brew black coffee.
• Introduce a tablespoon of heavy cream or unsweetened almond milk (fat buffer).
• Include a pinhead size of Monk Fruit Extract.
• Stir vigorously. The fat is what helps the mouth-feel of the intense sweetness of the Monk Fruit as opposed to only using water.

3. For the Clean Eaters & Naturalistas

The Goal:

Strive to steer clear of concoctions with chemical processing and refined ingredients at any cost.

The Counter-Intuitive Truth:

From a pure biochemical standpoint, your liver is dealing with fructose in honey the same way as the fructose in high-fructose corn syrup. “Natural” does not equal “metabolically free.” But if your primary concern is that you don’t want industrial solvents and do want micronutrients, then you have to select sweeteners for operational reasons other than calories.

The Remedy:

Ceylon Cinnamon and Raw Manuka Honey.

The Logic:

The Cinnamomum verum, aka “True Cinnamon”, is a type of bark that acts like natural sweetener in your mouth after acting to balance insulin sensitivity. This neutralizes the honey.

The Protocol:

The Temperature Rule: Do not mix raw honey into coffee that you have just brewed at a very hot temperature. Anything higher than 37 to 40°C (98.6°F) starts screwing all the beneficial enzymes, antibacterial properties of honey. Allow the coffee to cool for 2-3 minutes, though.

The Spice Hack:

• Add 1/2 teaspoon of Ceylon Cinnamon* (not Cassia cinnamon, which can be toxic to the liver if consumed in large doses) to your coffee grounds before brewing.
• Brew the coffee.
• The final product will taste a touch sweeter and a little “warmer,” meaning you can use 50% less than what the recipe calls for.

4. For the Keto & Low-Carb Enthusiasts

The Idea:

Stay in ketosis while losing the black coffee bitterness.

The Counter-Intuitive Truth:

You do not need a sweetener to make coffee taste sweet. Bitter and sweet counteract each other. Suppressing bitterness, lets the brain access the coffee’s fruity notes as simply “sweet.” The most potent weapon against it is sodium, not sugar.

The Solution:

The “Saline Hack” and Vanilla Extract.

The Logic:

Salt ions occupy the salt receptors on your tongue so they can’t respond to bitter taste as effectively. Bitterness is suppressed allowing the honey and chocolate staccato of roasted coffee beans to lead.

The Protocol:

The Saline Hack: Add the tiniest pinch (less than 1/8th teaspoon) of high-quality sea salt or Himalayan pink salt to your coffee grounds before brewing. (It will counteract the acidity and bitterness.)

Sensory Deception: If anyone knows of someone who can stand the smell of pure Vanilla Extract, let us know and we will try to track them down.

Vanilla doesn’t have all that much sugar in it, but we know the smell of vanilla as cookies and ice cream, so your brain “tastes” sweetness retro-nasally (that is, when you drink most things you can still kindof smell them up the back of your throat).

Result: Smooth, slightly sweet coffee with zero carbs and no insulin response to keep you deep in ketosis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is it possible that I can eat raw vegetables (allegedly “negative calories”) later in the day or tortilla chips with artificial sweeteners I don’t digest and still not lose fat by exercise?

A: Artificial sweeteners, such as Aspartame, can throw off the balance of bacteria in your gut and are unable to stimulate the reward center in your brain, thus leading to carbohydrate cravings later on. Add Erythritol, or liquid Stevia, which is excreted through your system and does not spike your insulin.

Q: What is the best way to sweeten coffee for diabetics?

A: The cleanest way to consume it is with “Pure Monk Fruit Extract” (look for labels that don’t have maltodextrin fillers which are completely unnecessary) and a source of fat such as heavy cream. The fat also buffers digestion and the monk fruit add’s a serious punch of sweetness without going to your waistline or in sugar into your blood.

Q: How do you make coffee taste sweet without sugar?

A: Employ the “Saline Hack,” or add a minuscule pinch of salt to your coffee grounds, which will stymie the work of bitterness receptors on the tongue and help unlock the bean’s natural sweetness. Also, they use Vanilla Extract to fool the brain that – “There is sweetness going on through my nose”.

Q: If adding raw honey to coffee, what is the right way?

A: Wait for 2-3 minutes until your (an it lungo) coffee is cool enough and won’t kill the beneficial enzymes in raw honey. If kept at above around 37-40 degrees (anything over body temperature), honey lose all of it’s valuable enzymes, proteins and minerals so you won’t be getting anything from it but sugar essentially.

Q: How does Ceylon Cinnamon minimize coffee sugar intake?

A: Scoop of ceylon cinnamon added to coffee grounds before brewing Sweetness in the senses – mimics sweetness and reduces “sweet” cravings Add 1/2 teaspoon (or more for stronger aroma) fresh ground sugar-free ceylon/hati cinnamon with your favorite brew. It has the added bonus of improving insulin sensitivity naturally.

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