For anybody who is into slimming, you will know that sugar make us put on weight if we do not do anything with the energy consumed. I try to avoid sugar as much as possible in my food and drinks. That goes for my family's. If instead of slimming, you want to put on weight, eat complex carbohydrates like brown rice, wholemeal pasta or potatoes. A high intake of sugar raises your blood sugar quickly which also increases the danger of diabetes if the excessive intake is maintained all the time. But that doesn't mean that we should deprive ourselves of a sugar high once in a while.

Sugar is what our body needs and it has been coded into our body (see how babies love sweet things). There are alternatives out there which we can substitute for sugar: eating habits too. Sugar is really bad if you consider how sugar can cause tooth decay, weakens your immune system, destabilises blood sugar levels and causes fungal infections like candida.

1. Stevia is a herb that is many times sweeter than sugar but with very little calories. It's also believed to reduce tooth decay and gum disease.
2. Barley syrup is as sweet as sugar with the same amount of calories, but raises blood sugar more gently. It also contains b vitamins and minerals.
3. Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) granules are mildly sweet and low in calories. It stimulates bifido bacteria in the gut, which fights gastro-intestinal infections and food poisoning.
4. Maple syrup is sweet and tasty, with just over half the calories of sugar. It contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals, and is made from the sap of maple trees over forty years old.
5. Honey has less calories than sugar, but is almost as sweet. It is often antibiotic, especially manuka honey which is made with pollen from the tea tree.