Navigating Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, and Your Health

My pro/con list on how healthy artificial sweeteners (including replay of the live class). PLUS, get the Healthy Holiday Sugar Guide 🍪🎄

Sugar gets a bad reputation—often lumped into one big, ominous category.

I talked about this last week on Instagram while sharing 12 proven and realistic ways to regulate blood sugar, and it’s a conversation worth continuing.

This oversimplification leads to the idea that all sugar is bad, which isn’t entirely accurate.

The food industry has capitalized on this narrative, flooding the market with products labeled “zero sweeteners” or “sugar-free,” often sweetened with artificial alternatives. These substitutes are not just cheaper to produce but also feed into the idea that avoiding sugar in all forms is the healthiest choice.

Let me clarify something:

Excess sugar is a problem—there’s no denying that. But I fear that in my recent posts and podcast episodes, I might have swung too far in the other direction, promoting sugar to a degree it would lead to excess.

Don’t get me wrong; I stand behind the idea that sugar can and should be part of a healthy diet when consumed in the right quantities and from natural, unprocessed sources.

Here’s why I believe this:

If glucose were truly bad, why does your body produce it, even when you don’t consume it?

Your body does nothing without reason. If your body can produce it when you don’t consume it, there is a reason for this. Highlighting that glucose serves an essential purpose.

Unfortunately, most sugar in the modern diet comes from processed and artificial sources rather than whole, nutrient-dense options like fruit, starchy vegetables, honey, or maple syrup. Within this lies the problem.

What qualifies as artificial sugar?

Artificial sweeteners aren’t limited to zero-calorie options like aspartame or sucralose. Many overly processed, chemically altered sugars—such as high fructose corn syrup and maltodextrin—fall into this category.

These sugars may originate from food products, but they require significant processing to become the sweeteners we see on labels. And with over 56 different names for sugar—many of which don’t even include the word “sugar” (e.g., dextrin)—it’s easy to consume excess amounts without realizing it.

Here’s the truth:

The only way to get these sugars is through processed foods. Limiting processed foods is the simplest way to reduce your intake of hidden sugars.

But what about artificial sweeteners with zero calories?

Many people turn to these non-nutritive sweeteners to manage blood sugar levels. But are they really a good replacement?

Spoiler: While I can acknowledge a few surprising benefits, artificial sweeteners didn’t make my list of best practices for managing blood glucose. And that’s important because blood sugar management is the primary reason most people use them.

Artificial sweeteners are not a good way to deal with blood glucose response.

You’ll understand why when you understand the biological response to artificial sweeteners. Again, this all points to the big idea that health is not simply micromanaging what you consume. It’s always about how your body responds. And your body doesn’t respond the way one would think with zero-calorie sweeteners.

But first!

Members of The Overflow get access to my Healthy Holiday Sugar Guide, where I share:

• The list of sugars I use.

• The perfect equation to cut back on sugar in recipes without compromising taste or structure.

• My absolute favorite cookie and holiday recipes.

Understanding sugar doesn’t have to be overwhelming. This guide is your step-by-step resource for navigating the holiday season with confidence.