Real or Fake?

This has been something on my mind for quite a while. The debate between real and artificial sweetener. I don’t want to make this a Master’s Degree paper on all of the insulin triggers and everything else, I just want this to be as real as possible so that YOU can try to plan your diet and get the most out of your workouts.


Now before I divulge my preference, I just want you to refrain from shouting “Hypocrite!” when you see me doctoring up my quad-shot espresso at Starbucks. I am a recovering Artificial Sweetener Addict (ASA) so this is fairly difficult for me.

So what types of sweeteners are available? Many. Let’s check the Mainstream.
Natural (Sugar, Molasses, Agave Nectar, Honey, Stevia, Fructose)
Unnatural (HighFructoseCornSyrup/HFCS, Splenda, Sucralose, Aspartame, Saccharin, Sugar Alcohol such as Xylitol)

The benefits of natural sweetener are that your body is very familiar with how to break down the natural ingredients. This is definitely a bonus from a health standpoint. The PROBLEM is that our bodies are not used to consuming the amount of sugar that we have been ingesting for the last 100 years. It is no wonder that there is a rise in obesity and diabetes with the amount of sugar we consume. That 12oz. Coke? 140 Calories and 40 grams of sugar. Worldwide, the number one caloric contributor is soda! So I tread lightly when I speak highly of natural sugar. Trust me, we could all do with a little less.

The benefits of artificial sweetener are that they offer the same sweet taste but none of the calories. If you replaced a Coke-A-Day with a CokeZero-A-Day you would reduce your weekly calorie intake by 980 calories. Not bad. The problem with these types of sweeteners (sorry friends) is that they are… Artificial! They are usually derived from chemical processes and therefore are not handled well by your body. This is because your stomach really doesn’t like artificial sweetener. It says, “I wasn’t made to process this substance”. There are other issues with artificial sweetener that can be discussed more in detailed articles. If you really want that many details, let me know. They provide false sensations to your body and therefore still provide blood sugar spikes. For info on HFCS, see this article. And, by the way, make sure you look at the labels. HFCS is cheap compared to sugar so it is in almost everything that you buy! (Warning: Long Read)

What can I have, then? I recommend some real sugar in your diet for specific, functional reasons. Post workout, your body should have a mix of simple carbs and protein for muscle recovery. This should happen with about a 4:1 ratio mix of the carbs to protein. Otherwise, I wouldn’t take in too much extra refined sugar just to keep the blood sugar consistent. Stevia (Sun Crystals, Truvia, etc.) are good natural sweeteners that are low/zero calorie. Japan has been using this to sweeten their Diet Coke for the last 20 years. However, it should be used sparingly for the same reasons mentioned with artificial sweeteners about the false sensations for triggering blood sugar increases.

So what should I do? Fill your diet with natural foods that can feed your cravings. Fruit is full of the most natural sweeteners you can get. Any fruit with an edible skin (like apples and peaches) are perfect options. Also, eat plenty of protein and drink lots of water. Shakeology is my perfect sweet-tooth satisfier and it has very low amounts of naturally derived fructose for sweetness. After a few weeks of weaning yourself off of the sugar (or Splenda binge) you subject yourself to every day, you will find that you no longer crave those types of foods.

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