4. Natural Sweeteners
Natural sweeteners are probably better than white sugar, but agave nectar, honey, and maple syrup can have just as many carbs as white table sugar. These so-called natural sugars can spike your blood sugar really bad. There was one study that showed that people with pre-diabetes experienced similar spikes in blood sugar, inflammatory markers, and insulin as those who consumed table sugar.
So, you can throw out those “natural” sugars right now. Your best bet is to avoid sugar altogether and to opt for low-carb sweeteners like stevia, xylitol, erythritol, and yacon syrup instead. You might’ve thought it was as easy as substituting out sugar for honey, but that’s not based on science. If you really want to do your body right, you’re going to have to go out to the health food store and get some of these less well-known low-carb sweeteners.