Of Sugar, Sweetness and Sweet Nothings!

I've never been a fan of in-your-face sugary treats. And it has nothing to do with my career background as a former dentist or public health practitioner. Right from when I was young, as the daughter of a professional baker, I had an unexplained aversion to consuming sugar-coated donuts and any other treats with visible sugar.

At birthday celebrations, while other kids were gobbling up the royal icing from birthday cakes, I would scrape off the icing on my piece and dig into the cake by itself. The icing never got wasted, there was always one little child doing the opposite, digging into the sugary icing while eschewing the cake, and we could exchange cake parts!

Don't get me wrong, I do consume sugar, I just like it subtle and not thrown at me, or to put it it another way, poured into my bloodstream. So it is not surprising to those who know me to see that my venture is a low-sweetness brand. Here at The Good Blondie, we have combined minimal added sugar with tons of fiber in a wholegrain treat that our diabetic friends have told us does not really have any impact on their blood sugar levels after consumption.

We have resisted the urgings to be branded as a no-sugar added bakery because that would mean depending on artificial sweeteners to make our treats taste, well, good. Some artificial sweeteners like Erythrol, Stevia and Monk Fruit have been found to have deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system of consumers, even the otherwise healthy ones. Why take out the sugar and then be prone to cardiovascular incidents because of zero-calorie sweeteners? Talk about sweet nothings!

Instead we have introduced fiber in every way we can, mainly soluble fiber from the oats and fruits as well as insoluble fiber from the nuts. Organic chia seed powder is also a constant in our products. A high fiber content is said to reduce the net carbs of any food item, although the jury is still out on the accuracy of calculating that. What is certain is that fiber slows down absorption of sugar into the blood and increases insulin sensitivity, in addition to a host of other benefits like making one feel full longer thus aiding weight loss, controlling cholesterol, keeping the bowels healthy and bowel movements regular, etcetera.

So we would rather have a little of the real thing, organic brown sugar and milk, and all of the natural sweetness of fruits and nuts. We feel validated and elated when clients repeatedly tell us that our products are not too sweet, yet delicious. We feel even more validated when diabetics and pre-diabetics leave reviews affirming that the treats did not affect their blood sugar levels noticeably, (The power of fiber!!!). Even at that we will be the first to tell you to freeze your goodies so that you are not tempted to consume them at one go! After all, life is about moderation in everything, even the good things!

Enjoy the rest of your (sweet) summer...

Christine (aka Blondiebob)

Note: Our oats shortbread cookies contain a minimal amount of the Brown sugar/Splenda blend. Splenda is not listed among the class of sweeteners that can affect the cardiovascular system.

Resources: https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/08/health/erythritol-blood-clotting-wellness/index.html

https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-erythritol

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/erythritol

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/ATVBAHA.124.321019