VigorBuddy.com | Making the Switch to Organic and Plant-Based Sweeteners Easy with Erythritol – the best sweetener for plant-based diet. | The festive five-week span between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year are filled with lots of irresistible, sinful, and sweet foods. And since last year has been a rough and bumpy road for most of us, indulging in those foods is what most of us crave.
But then after few days of non-stop binge eating, you will suddenly realize how you overate the turkey or lechon on the banquet table and that you have gained an inch or two from those cookies, ice cream, cake, and other sweets you swiped from the plates during the holiday get-togethers you have attended.
The holiday season is already over and so the diet and shedding of gained fat begin. Lessening the intake of sweets is the first order of the day when you’re on a diet and want to keep fit. With a lot of alternative sweeteners out in the market, which one will you choose to help you with your diet plan?
Sugar is one of the kitchen staples to make our foods and drinks really tasty and satisfying for our taste buds. And this is something that the majority of us wouldn’t go missing. Anything that is too much can harm our bodies, especially when we go overboard with sugar consumption.
Healthy living has been a fad for some time now, unfortunately, sugar has been pointed out as one of the culprits by health-conscious individuals in having unhealthy bodies and diets. But scientific research has proven wrong this old belief.
There are a plant-based and organic type of sweetener that does not only satisfy our sweet tooth side, but also gives us the nutrients that we need as required by a daily dose of nutrients that our body needs and is also safe for diabetics, fitness buffs, and health-conscious individuals. It is called Erythritol.
What is Erythritol?
Erythritol is all-natural but tastes exactly like sugar with the exemption of calories. It actually has all the good things about a regular sugar that we are used to but with the exclusion of the negatives of the classic sugar. Erythritol belongs to a group of compounds that is called sugar alcohol. Various sugar alcohols are widely used by food makers. It incorporated xylitol, sorbitol, and maltitol. The majority of them functions as low-caloric sugars in sugar-free or low sugar items. Erythritol is the best sweetener for plant-based diet.
Most sugar alcohols are formed in small amounts in nature, particularly in foods grown from the ground. The manner in which these particles are structures enables them to animate the sweet taste receptors in your tongue. Erythritol appears to be somehow different from the other known sugar alcohols. To begin with, let us get to know more about this celebrity grain that can be an answer to the health concerns of a sweet tooth like you.
Where does Erythritol come from?
Erythritol was found in 1848 by Scottish scientist John Stenhouse. Erythritol was first segregated in 1852. In 1950 it was found in blackstrap molasses that was aged by yeast, and it got marketed as a sugar liquor during the 1990s in Japan.
How do we benefit from Erythritol?
- Weight Loss Management
Sucrose gives an adverse effect on your weight and adiposity building. Most health-conscious individuals and those who are trying to lose weight usually stop the sugar intake and switch to commercialized sweetener if they can’t go sugarless.
Erythritol has an extremely low glycemic index (GI=0). Adding it to your refreshments, biscuits, or desserts will decrease the blood glucose build-up which triggers gaining weight.
Even though it causes weight gain for some, Erythritol plays a fundamental part in weight management, particularly among the obese.
- Tooth Decay Prevention
Erythritol stifles the development of oral microorganisms, like Streptococcus, which structure a biofilm on your teeth that causes tooth decay.
Restraint of microbial development leads to a decrease in the acid that is produced by your gut. In this way, caries and plaques on the teeth don’t occur.
In comparison with other synthetic and natural sugars such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and sucralose, Erythritol is the mildest of all and takes the longest to form plaque.
Attributable to these properties, dental specialists can use Erythritol as a matrix in subgingival air polishing that replaces the customary root scaling in periodontal treatment.
- Contains Anti-Diabetic Properties
Erythritol doesn’t expand serum levels of glucose or insulin in your body, while a similar portion of glucose raises insulin levels quickly within the span of 30 minutes.
Also, it doesn’t have any huge impact on the serum levels of total cholesterol, free fatty acids, and triacylglycerol.
Erythritol is the same for consumption and is a better alternative for diabetic patients since over 90% of ingested erythritol is readily absorbed and excreted through our pee without degradation.
- Potent Antioxidant Activity
The Erythritol is an amazing scavenger of free radicals. The sugar alcohol forms erythrose and erythrulose that are excreted by means of urine.
It searches specifically the hydroxyl free radicals and can shield your body from damages in cardiovascular, hyperglycemia-induced disorders, and lipid peroxidation.
Having Erythritol rather than going for other sugars can lessen the inflammation in organs like the liver, intestines, and kidneys.
Erythritol can forestall the improvement of conditions like renal failure, hypercholesterolemia, constipation, ulcer, acidity, and Crohn’s disease and protect the organs it interacts with.
As a sugar substitute, Erythritol has some amazing properties that are very helpful to our bodies which is the reason why it is unmistakably why it’s gotten so famous.
- Non-acidic and Gut-Friendly
Since Erythritol is a type of tiny four-carbon molecule, and it easily gets digested in your gut. In addition to this, due to its extremely low glycemic index, it can be slowly digested and almost completely.
Unlike with xylitol, sorbitol, sucralose, or mannitol, whose remnants can be found in the digestive organs, about 90% of erythritol gets absorbed.
This is the reason why you have lesser flatulence and acidity when you take around 50 g/kg of erythritol, while different sugars cause nausea, watery stools, and diarrhea for about 20-30 g/kg consumption.
Here are some Erythritol Recipes to try:
Chocolate Pound Cake and Chocolate French Toast (12 Servings)
Ingredients:
Chocolate Pound Cake:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2/3 cup Sweet Best Erythritol
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup Coconut flour
- 1/3 cup unflavoured whey protein powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Stevia Extract
- 1 and 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
- 2/3 cup almond milk
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
Chocolate French Toast:
- 1 recipe Chocolate Pound Cake
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tbsp whipping cream
- Butter or oil for pan
Directions:
Choco Pound Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325F and apply oil in a 9×5 pan well.
- Get a medium bowl and whisk together the cocoa powder, coconut flour, almond flour, whey protein, salt, baking powder, instant coffee granules, and xanthan gum.
- In a big bowl, beat the butter and Sweet Best Erythritol it until it is well-combined. Beat in eggs, stevia, and vanilla.
- Beat in the almond flour mixture in a couple of batches, and alternating it with almond milk, until it is well-combined.
- Spread the butter in the pan and make sure to smoothen the top.
- Bake the mixture in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until it is set and a tester that is placed in the center comes out clean.
- Let the pan sit for 15 minutes, and afterward, flip out onto a wire rack to cool it completely.
French Toast
- Cut the chocolate pound cake into 16 equal parts and place it on a baking rack to dry out overnight. Another option is by using the oven, preheat at 200F, and put the sliced cake in the oven to let it dry out for around 60 minutes.
- In a big and deep bowl, beat the eggs and whipping cream until it is well-mixed.
- Add a couple of teaspoons of butter or oil to a big skillet and place it on medium heat.
- Dip the sliced cakes into an egg mixture, Soak it for 10 to 15 seconds on each side. Add the sliced cakes into the pan and cook until it becomes golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes for every side. You will most likely just be able to fit 4 to 6 cuts in the pan.
- Repeat the procedure with the other remaining slices of cake.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream – Low Carbohydrate and Gluten Free (10 Servings)
Ingredients:
Ice Cream:
- 2 1/2 cups cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup Sweet Best Erythritol
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp liquid stevia extract
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
Cookie Dough:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Sweet Best Erythritol
- 3.5 oz. 65% cacao chocolate finely chopped OR Sweet Best Chocolate (chopped)
Directions:
- For the ice cream, set the bowl over an ice bath and put it aside.
- Combine the almond milk, cream, and erythritol in a medium pan over medium heat. Mix it until erythritol is fully dissolved and the mixture reached the 175F temperature on the instant-read thermometer.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl then gradually add around 1 cup of the hot cream mixture, while continuously whisking, to temper the yolks. And slowly whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the cream.
- Cook until it reaches 180F on the instant-read thermometer.
- Transfer the mixture into a bowl set over an ice bath and wait for it to cool in about 10 minutes. Wrap the mixture tightly in a plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours.
- Then, prepare the cookie dough**. Line in a big baking sheet with waxed paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour and salt.
- In a huge bowl, beat together the butter and swerve. Beat in the vanilla extract and egg, then mix in the chopped chocolate.
- Spoon about half of the cookie batter into little chunks on the prepared sheet and freeze it until firm. (Freeze the excess cookie batter for another use, or you may also bake it into cookies**).
- Once the cream mixture becomes chilled, mix in the vanilla extract, and Sweet Best Erythritol extract.
- Sprinkle it with xanthan gum and whisk it vigorously to properly combine.
- Pour in the custard into the canister of an ice cream maker and churn it based on the manufacturer’s direction of usage.
- Once churned, transfer half of the mixture to a huge, airtight container. Mix in half of the frozen cookie chunks, and top it with the remaining ice cream and the remaining frozen cookie dough until it is well combined.
- Freeze it until firm but not solid hard for around 2 hours.
* * This makes a lot of cookie mixture for the actual ice cream. You will just use a portion of it. Don’t hesitate to freeze the rest of the cookie dough, to actually make treats by forming into 1 inch balls and pushing down to 1/4 inch thickness. And then bake it at 325F for about 8 to 12 minutes.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Scones
Ingredients:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup Sweet Best Erythritol
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup macadamia nuts lightly toasted and chopped
- 1/4 cup low carb white chocolate pieces chopped (recipe below)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 tbsp. heavy cream
Directions:
- Line in a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven with a temperature of 325F.
- Whisk together the baking powder, salt, almond flour, erythritol, and baking soda in a huge bowl. Mix in the chopped nuts and sliced white chocolate.
- Add the butter, vanilla, egg, cream, and vanilla, and mix it until the dough has come together.
- Place the mixture onto the lined baking sheet and shape by hand into a rough circle with a diameter of 7 or 8 inches. With the use of a sharp knife, slice the dough into 8 equal wedges and separate it carefully, then space it evenly on the baking sheet.
- Bake it for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until scones become firm and light brown. Watch out for the bottoms part of the scone to make sure that it doesn’t get burnt.
- Remove the scone from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool down.
White Chocolate Buttons
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces edible cocoa butter
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup Sweet Best Erythritol
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered milk
Directions:
- Place the cocoa butter in a microwave-safe bowl and set it on high for a minute. And then heat it at a high temperature for 30-second increments until it is completely melted. This will take longer to melt compared to other fats and oils since the cocoa butter is completely solid at room temperature.
- Mix in the Sweet Best Erythritol and powdered milk until fully dissolved.
- Mix in the vanilla concentrate and salt.
- Spoon blend into whatever candy mold you prefer. Place the molds inside the fridge for about an hour until the white chocolate becomes solid.
- To remove the sweets from the molds, simply flip them upside down and push them on top of each mold to release.
Erythritol is a very healthy and safe product for our daily consumption. This type of carbohydrate that is oftentimes called sugar alcohol or polyol. It contains zero calories which makes it helpful for weight loss management. For those who are trying to shed some weight, using Erythritol is an alternative to regular sugar and can still satisfy the sweet tooth.
One of the best things about Sweet Best Erythritol, is it does not impact the blood glucose or insulin secretion which contributes to our overall health, just like Sweet Best Erythritol. This brand has all the benefits of Erythritol and is now available at 200 partner grocery stores nationwide. If you want to know more about this product, you may visit their official Facebook page for more information. www.facebook.com/sweetbestph.