Is coconut sugar a healthier option compared to regular sugar?

Marketing companies have made coconut sugar out to be a hero to boost sales. It is often advertised as having a lower glycemic index and a better alternative, a more natural alternative to regular table sugar. Let’s get things straight: Coconut sugar comes from the sap of the cut flowers of the coconut palm and not the actual coconut. While coconut does contain iron, zinc and calcium, you will need to eat really seriously high amounts of it to get even a small substantial amount into your system. You’re better off having one tsp of sesame seeds with 1/2 tsp of manuka honey to get all of these nutrients in good amounts. Now the catch: The major component in coconut sugar is sucrose (80 per cent) and sucrose is made up of almost 45 per cent of fructose, which is about the same as table sugar. When consumed in large quantities, fructose, the main component in coconut sugar, can cause high triglycerides (bad cholesterol). Sugar is sugar – whether it is in the form of table sugar, coconut sugar, brown demerara sugar or raw sugar. It is all packaged differently but does the exact same thing in your body when had in excess.

I often feel extremely anxious and am considering taking antidepressants and eating better as well. What can I do?

Anxiety comes from overthinking. If you can control two things in your life, you can live a peaceful joyful life – what you eat and what you think. Consuming 80 per cent of your food in its natural original form and 20 per cent processed because of the need for convenience is fine. When you eat clean foods, you get real ingredients that help your system function better by replenishing your body’s nutrient stores naturally. When people start to eat better they start to feel better about themselves, get in a more positive state of mind and are also able to think better. We would recommend you start gradually but consistently with eating better and practicing mindfulness with the help of meditations rather than jumping to taking antidepressants. The power to heal ourselves is always within us and within our reach. We only have to be mindful enough to tap into it.