Goodbye Sugar – This is how it works with a sugar-free everyday life

We've all heard it before: white sugar is not good for us. Parents usually pay close attention to how much sweets their little ones eat. But why don't we as adults pay the same attention to our own sugar intake? Well, we really like sweet things and sometimes the temptation is just too great.

The good news: You can enjoy it without any industrial sugar. In this blog post we will explain to you why it is worth banishing industrial sugar from your pantry once and for all and how sugar-free can easily be implemented in everyday life.

What is industrial sugar?

White sugar, also called table sugar, granulated sugar or sucrose, is made from sugar cane or sugar beets and processed through refining. It is a highly processed industrial product that contains neither vitamins nor minerals and consists of glucose and fructose. A high consumption of white sugar can make you sick and is associated with a number of diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Switching to a sugar-free diet is not that easy, because industrial sugar can even be addictive and is hidden in an incredible number of foods - especially in heavily processed finished products. However, complete renunciation does not have to be the long-term goal. For example, if you are in a restaurant and cannot find out about the ingredients, an exception is okay.

It's about the everyday decisions you make day after day. So reducing sugar is not that difficult. You can often feel the positive changes in your body very quickly. At every meal where you make sure to leave out sugar and pay attention to the ingredients, you are doing your health a favor.

Naturally sweet

By natural sugar we mean the natural sugar substances found in unprocessed, whole foods. These can be found, for example, in fruit or whole grain products as well as in oats. Among other things, fructose is found in fruit. If we eat a banana or berries, the fructose they contain has no harmful effect on us. Quite the opposite, actually. The fruit is full of phytonutrients that help the body fully process fructose and use it as a source of energy. These phytonutrients and the vitamins and minerals contained in fruits and vegetables have been proven to have beneficial effects on our health and can prevent disease.

How does industrial sugar affect our bodies? We found an exciting study on this. For example, if you drink a glass of water with three tablespoons of table sugar, a similar content to a can of soda, your blood sugar level rises enormously within the first hour. The body releases so much insulin that there is an excess of insulin. After just two hours you become hypoglycemic. This means that your blood sugar level is too low. The blood sugar even drops so low that it is below the level measured before drinking the sugar water. In response, the body releases fat into the bloodstream because blood sugar has suddenly dropped so low.

But what happens if you eat mixed berries in addition to the sugar water? These also contain fructose – even an extra tablespoon of sugar. Shouldn't the blood sugar rise even more? The study shows that there was no additional increase in blood sugar and no hypoglycemia occurred afterwards. Blood sugar simply rose and fell without any excess and without any fat being released into the blood.

Why is that? Here you can once again thank the phytonutrients that are found in whole foods such as berries, apples and dates. They can block some of the absorption of sugar by the cells located in our intestines.

We don't have any industrial sugar! We are sweet enough.

We also rely on a lot of fruit in our products. We do not use industrial sugar in all of our 3Bears products. We promise vegan, delicious and wholesome breakfast enjoyment without a guilty conscience. How it works? With lots of fruit. 3Bears Porridge contains the highest fruit content on the market with at least 30% (for fruit varieties). In addition, our fruits contain no additives and no added sugar. 3Bears Porridge only needs the natural sweetness from fruit.

Here we have put together a few recipes for you that do not require any added sugar. Really nice taste, but completely natural.

In the morning:
- Vegan berry granola
- Vegan Carrot Cake Porridge
- Chocolate pancakes

Midday:
- Hearty spinach porridge 
- Italian Caprese Porridge

As a snack:
- Energy Bliss Balls
- Fruity Energy Balls

At evening:
- Hearty porridge with pesto topping
- Vegan vegetable balls

Many more sugar-free recipes can be found on our recipe blog .

Our no-sugar tips

#1 Know sugar traps

It's worth knowing the many different names sugar goes under on food packaging. That's up to 60 different names. The most common are dextrose, invert sugar syrup, sweet whey powder, maltodextrin and glucose syrup.

#2 Shopping is easy

It's also good to change your shopping habits and avoid processed products that are full of processed sugar and other harmful ingredients. Even pickled red cabbage or pickles usually have plenty of added sugar. It's best to consume mostly whole, plant-based foods.

#3 Avoid sugary drinks

A great tip is also to just drink water or tea. Soft drinks, iced tea, fruit juices and the like are absolute sugar bombs. We like to add fresh lemon, mint, ginger or cucumber to our water. So refreshing and delicious.

#4 Cook fresh

Try cooking almost exclusively with fresh, whole foods and making your own sauces. Because ready-made pasta sauces, salad dressings, ketchup or barbecue sauces are total sugar traps. You will certainly quickly notice how your taste buds change, so that the sweetness from nature is completely sufficient and satisfying.

#5 Know sugar alternatives

One of our favorites is dates. Natural sweetness at it's best. That's why you often find them in our porridges. Thanks to their high amount of fiber, they fill you up, promote digestion and slow the rise in blood sugar levels. You can use them to make a healthy caramel sauce , which is ideal as a topping or in dressings. Other alternatives are honey and maple syrup. Since these are natural products, they contain valuable vitamins, minerals, trace elements and amino acids. Nevertheless, you should dose them in moderation as they still have a high sugar content.