Serenity and Fire with Krista

Sweeteners Made Simple: What Helps, What Hurts & What to Choose Instead

• Krista Guagenti

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Sweeteners are one of the most confusing, and misleading, parts of nutrition.

In the third episode of this Sugar Series, I’m breaking down what actually happens in your body when you consume sugar, fruit, juice, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, and the “natural” options everyone argues about online.

For years, I thought I was making healthy choices, choosing honey over sugar, juice over soda, “clean” sweeteners over artificial ones. What I didn’t realize was how many of these options were still triggering hunger, cravings, insulin spikes, and fat storage beneath the surface.

In this episode, I explain:

  • Why whole fruit behaves completely differently than fruit juice
  • What really happens when fructose floods the liver
  • Why many “natural” sweeteners still spike insulin
  • Which sweeteners quietly worsen cravings and gut health
  • Which options are actually the most metabolically gentle
  • How to think about sweeteners without fear, obsession, or restriction

By the end of this conversation, you’ll understand sweeteners better than most health professionals were ever taught and you’ll feel confident making choices that support your energy, hunger, cravings, and long-term metabolic health.

This episode isn’t about perfection. It’s about clarity.

When you understand how sweeteners behave in the body, you stop blaming yourself — and start making decisions that actually work with your physiology instead of against it.

✨ Coming up next:
In the next episode of the Sugar Series, I’m sharing my personal fasting experience, what my blood work revealed about metabolic flexibility, and how ketosis, fat burning, and GLUT4 activation actually work in real life.

If this episode helped you see food differently, please share it with someone you love. And if you want to experience this work beyond the podcast, you can explore our metabolic-supportive treatments and biohacking therapies at Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique.

Krista:

Welcome to Serenity and Fire, the podcast where wellness meets grit. I'm your host, Krista Guadenti, founder of Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique. Join me as we dive into the intriguing world of biohacking, clean living, cutting-edge spa trends, and the hustle, grind, and grit of entrepreneurship. From my personal battles with weight management, infertility, and the 30-year journey to create and launch my dream business, to building a sanctuary for those who have been touched by cancer, I'm here to share real talk, inspire big dreams, and spark a passion for holistic living inside each and every one of you. So let's dive in. Welcome back to Serenity and Fire. Today, in this third part of our sugar series, we're diving into sweeteners, a topic that causes more confusion than almost anything else in nutrition, and also a really important one specifically this week because Christmas is just a few days away. And I'm sure that we've all been diving into all of those yummy sugar cookies, sweets, buckeyes, all the things that come around the holidays. So let's talk about which ones help when we're talking about sweeteners, which ones hurt, which ones lie, and which ones pretend to be healthy but behave exactly like sugar inside the body. And what about fruit? Why does a whole apple behave differently than apple juice? And what the heck is sugar alcohol? And how can things like lacuma, monk fruit, stevia, and the many other sugars and sweeteners in our foods act differently from all these other sweeteners that I just mentioned? By the end of today's episode, you're gonna understand sweeteners better than most health professionals. And you're going to feel so much more confident when you're making food decisions that support your body, your hunger, your cravings, and your energy. And let's start by setting the record straight on one of the biggest misconceptions in nutrition. And that is that whole fruit and fruit juice are not the same thing, despite what you may have heard. They're not the same in your mouth, your stomach, your bloodstream, and they're also not the same in the way that they work physiologically in our bodies. And here's why. Whole fruit contains fiber in its pulp and in its skin where juice does not. And that fiber allows the glucose absorption to slow down, which means that you're gonna have smaller glucose spikes and smaller insulin spikes. You see, the fiber in whole fruit creates kind of a lattice or gel-like substance in the digestive system that slows down the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream. This leads to a more gradual release of glucose and insulin, preventing sharp spikes and subsequent crashes. Also, when we chew solid food, including whole fruit, this stimulates hormones that signal fullness. It also prepares the gut for digestion, leading to greater satiety or that full feeling. Juice bypasses this process though, making it less filling and potentially leading to overconsumption or hunger shortly after drinking. So eating whole fruit versus drinking fruit juice helps minimize hormonal chaos. Plus, juice is highly concentrated. You would never sit down and eat four oranges or four apples or a whole half of a pineapple, but that's what it would take to make a glass of juice of any of those fruits. And in that glass of juice, you have a much more concentrated source of sugar and calories than you would in a single piece of fruit. And you also don't then have the balancing fiber that you would have when you do eat that fruit. So your body experiences a glucose event similar to what it goes through when you drink a soda when you're having a glass of juice. And when you remove that fiber, as we do with juice, you're essentially drinking fructose, glucose, and water. This is basically just sugar in liquid form, which hits the bloodstream super fast, which is why juice spikes hunger, not satisfaction. And because the sugar in juice is absorbed quickly, it delivers a large load of fructose to the liver rapidly. Without getting too technical, this is important because when large amounts of fructose hit the liver all at once, which happens when you drink those sugary juices and drinks, a few things happen. First, the liver uses up a lot of its own energy quickly to process that fructose, creating a waste product called uric acid. And this can cause health problems like gout. Second, because the liver can't use all of that fructose for energy immediately, it rapidly converts the excess directly into fat. So this process is very efficient, but obviously undesirable. And it can lead to fatty liver disease, which is a buildup of fat in your liver that can lead to serious liver diseases. The liver also pushes this new fat into your bloodstream as triglycerides, which can raise your risk for heart disease. And it can also lead to insulin problems because it makes your body less able to handle sugar properly, which is a major contributor towards type 2 diabetes. In layman's term, a flood of fructose into your liver essentially tells your liver to go into emergency fat-making mode, which is bad for your long-term health. And put simply, the slower absorption from whole fruit is easier for the body to handle metabolically than it is from juice. So let's talk about the sweeteners that people think are healthier. But first, what actually is sugar? Sugar is basically carbohydrates broken down into glucose, which is the body's universal fuel. But there's a few categories. First, we have monosaccharides or single sugars. These are simple sugars and the most basic unit of carbohydrates. They require no further breakdown to be absorbed by the body, and they include things like glucose, which is your body's preferred sugar, but it raises blood sugar quickly. And also fructose, this is a fruit sugar, and it's metabolized in the liver. And then you have galactose, which is found in dairy. Then we have disaccharides, or two sugars. These are double sugars formed when two monosaccharides bond together in a process called dehydration synthesis, where a water molecule is removed. When these disaccharides are consumed, the body uses specific enzymes like sucrase, lactase, and maltase in the small intestine to break them back down into their component monosaccharides so that they can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. Some disaccharides include sucrose, which is a combination of glucose and fructose, commonly known as table sugar. This is found in sugarcane, sugar beets, and many fruits and vegetables. And then you have lactose, which is a combination of glucose and galactose, or also known as milk sugar. This is the primary sugar found naturally in milk and dairy products. And then there's maltose, which is a combination of two glucose units. It's also known as malt sugar. This one is produced during the breakdown of starch, for example, in germinating grains like barley, and also during the digestion of starches in the human body. And then finally, we have complex carbohydrates or starches and fibers, which break into glucose more slowly. As a refresh, here's what sugar does in the body when it enters the bloodstream. Blood glucose rises, the pancreas increases insulin, insulin tells your cells to open the door and take in the glucose, and then the excess goes to liver and muscle storage or to fat storage. Chronically elevated insulin and glucose can lead to inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, cravings, and fag gain. So now that we have some sugar basics out of the way, let's talk about something called the glycemic index, which is a rating system that measures how quickly a specific carbohydrate-containing food raises your blood sugar or your glucose levels after you eat it. Foods are ranked on a scale from zero to 100 compared to the effect of pure glucose, which has a glycemic index of 100. The glycemic index scale is divided into three categories. The first category is a low glycemic index, which is usually 55 or less. These foods are digested and absorbed slowly, causing a gradual and sustained rise in blood sugar levels. Examples include most vegetables, whole fruits like apples and cherries, beans and lentils. And then you have a medium glycemic index, which is from 56 to 69. These foods cause moderate rises in blood sugar, and examples would include whole wheat bread, brown rice, and pineapple. And then you have glycemic indexes that are high, and those are going to fall in the ranges of 70 or higher. These foods are going to be rapidly digested and absorbed, leading to a swift and sharp spike in blood sugar levels. Examples would include white bread, potatoes, processed cereals, and sugary drinks. Foods high in fiber, protein, or fat generally have a lower glycemic index because these nutrients slow down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. More processed foods tend to have a higher glycemic index. For instance, when we look at instant oatmeal versus steel-cut oats, your instant oatmeal is going to have a higher glycemic index because of the way that the oats are processed. Also, longer cooked foods have a higher glycemic index. For example, when we look at aldente pasta versus pasta that's more mushy and cooked longer, the aldente pasta is gonna have a lower glycemic index of around 45 to 50 because the starch structure remains more intact. But when we look at that more mushy and overcooked pasta, that glycemic index is gonna potentially be over 60. The difference is because when the pasta is cooked longer, the heat and the water break down the starch granules more thoroughly, making the carbohydrates easier and faster for your digestive enzymes to access and convert into glucose. The resulting glucose is absorbed into your bloodstream more quickly, leading to a faster, higher blood sugar spike compared to the al dente pasta. When we look at all of the different kinds of sugars and sweeteners available to us, the glycemic index really does matter. So let's unwrap some of these sweets and first look at cane sugar or table sugar. It's also known as sucrose. This is a 50% glucose and 50% fructose product. It has a high insulin response and a high glycemic index of about 65%. Overconsumption, as we know, can lead to inflammation, glycation, which is skin aging. It can also lead to metabolic dysfunction and other health conditions. It's natural and it's simple and it has no chemical residue, but it spikes insulin strongly. It's easy to overconsume and it has no nutritional value. So that's going to be your cane and table sugars. Now let's look at honey. And honey is one of those sweeteners that I always thought, like, oh, it's honey and it's natural, like it must be good for you. It does contain antioxidants and phytonutrients, and it is natural and has a cleaner inflammatory profile than that table sugar, but its glycemic index is only slightly lower, and it's typically around 50 to 60. But metabolically, it's still a sugar, it still spikes glucose, it still spikes insulin, and those honeys that are infused with things like CBD or lavender, they're great for flavor and they do provide some impactful health benefits. For example, CBD is great for inflammation, lavender is great for calming, adaptogens can do various things like boost immunity and minimize brain fog. But the sugar impact in these products is identical to the regular sugar. It's still basically a sugar. And while these additives make the honey functional, they do not slow the glucose spike. So the honey that I thought was so great for me actually is not really any better than regular cane sugar. And then we have maple syrup, which contains trace minerals of things like manganese and zinc. It has a slightly lower glycemic impact when compared to sugar cane, and it's less processed, but it also is still sugar. It still spikes insulin and it's easy to overpour, so that makes it even more dangerous. And then next we have coconut sugar. This one has a lower glycemic index of typically around 35 to 54 versus regular sugar, which I said is typically around 60 to 65, but it still raises your glucose significantly. Coconut sugar also contains inulin, which is a fiber that slows glucose absorption and it can help prevent sharp blood sugar spikes. So people tend to misuse this sugar the most because they think it is healthy. And while coconut sugar is a less refined sweetener made from coconut palm sap, and it's seen as a cleaner option than white sugar due to its minimal processing and its trace minerals like zinc, iron, and potassium, it's still a sugar. So it should be used in moderation because it offers minimal nutritional benefit over its caloric content. And then next I want to talk about raw cane sugar or turbinado or sugar in the raw. You've probably seen all of those online or in the supermarkets. These are definitely going to be less processed, but they're nutritionally identical to that table sugar. They behave almost exactly the same as sucrose. And because they say natural does not mean that they're metabolically neutral. So don't fall into that trap. And then we have whole fruit. And as I mentioned earlier, this is a combination of fructose, fiber, and antioxidants. And again, the whole fruit is going to behave completely differently from that fruit juice, which is like a sugar bomb for your body. The fiber in the whole fruit is going to help buffer those insulin spikes. The polyphenols are going to help improve gut health, but over-consuming fruit, especially when you look at things like smoothies and fruit juices, that can lead to fructose overload and consequently to that liver fat accumulation. So now let's get into the sweeteners that everyone loves to argue about. And the first one I want to talk about is sucralose, or also known as Splenda. This is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. A lot of the times, white people like it because they feel like they have to use less. It also has zero calories, it's zero sugar, it doesn't directly spike our blood glucose, but it does still stimulate something called cephalic insulin release in some people. So what does that mean? Basically, what this means is that your brain tastes the sweet, it assumes calories are coming, and then signals your pancreas to release insulin before glucose even arrives. This can worsen cravings, it can worsen hunger, and it can worsen fat storage. It's kind of like metabolic clickbait if you think about it. And we also know that sucralose can alter the gut microbiome negatively. Then there's also the chlorine issue. When sucralose is heated, it forms chlorinated byproducts that are linked to gut irritation and oxidative stress. And these byproducts are also potentially toxic and possibly carcinogenic in high concentrations. So we definitely want to stay away from them for that reason. And then you have aspartame, which is typically found in diet sodas or in the equal packets. This product breaks into amino acids and methanol. It's mostly neutral for glucose and caloric impact, but it can trigger headaches and migraines and sensitive people. There's mixed data on its metabolic impact. Some studies suggest increased glucose intolerance via gut microbiome changes, which means it can potentially cause cravings. For me, not only does it taste icky, but the biggest issue for me is that it's classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Cancer Research Arm of the World Health Organization as possibly carcinogenic to humans. So for that reason, that's a product that I definitely always stay away from. Then we have saccharin. Saccharin's a zero-calorie artificial sweetener that's been around for a long time. It was actually discovered in 1879, believe it or not. And it's known for being 300 to 700 times sweeter than sugar. It's used in diet foods, drinks, and tabletop packets like sweet and low, and remains a popular, heavily tested sugar substitute with a long history, though some find that it leaves a bitter aftertaste. I personally do not like sweet and loe at all. It's way, way, way too sweet for me. Plus, lab studies show that saccharin can act as an antimicrobial agent at high concentrations, inhibiting the growth of both beneficial and pathogenic bacteria and disrupting their cell structures and biofilm formation. This suggests a potential to disrupt the delicate balance of the gut microbiome if consumed in large enough quantities to reach those concentrations in the gut. In the 1970s, studies linked high doses of sacharin to bladder cancer in laboratory rats, leading to mandatory warning labels on products in the U.S. Further research determined that the mechanism causing cancer in rats is species-specific and not relevant to humans, so that's good. And the warning label requirement was removed in 2000. And saccharin was delisted from the U.S. National Toxicology Program's list of potential carcinogens. So while they're saying it's not carcinogenic anymore, it can still have some of those effects on your gut microbiome. And then there's something called ACE K, which is acosulfame potassium. This product is often paired with aspartame or sucralose, and therefore it's hidden in those sugar-free and zero sugar products. It has a strong insulin-stimulating effect and has a negative impact on our gut microbiome. It's commonly found in diet sodas, protein shakes and powders, flavored electrolyte powders, zero sugar sports drinks, chewing gum, sugar-free candies, and even some yogurts and keto desserts. Ace K can also increase those cravings in some people for the same reasons that we talked about earlier. So now let's talk about something called sugar alcohols. These are gonna be low-calorie sweeteners that end in all or like OL. These get confusing. So here's the clean version about these products. The first one we're gonna talk about is erythritol. This one has almost zero calories, it has a zero glycemic impact, it's very well tolerated, it's good for keto and fasting, and it passes through the body mostly unchanged. It can cause bloating in some people when used in large doses. It's usually made from fermenting glucose from corn, birch, or sometimes even sugar cane. And clean brands are gonna typically use non-GMO corn fermentation, which for someone like me, that's important because I do have a corn sensitivity. So something to look out for. Unclean brands that use erythritol are gonna blend them with sugar alcohols or additives and other fillers. The other sugar alcohol that we know about is called xylitol. This one also has minimal glucose impact, but it's dangerous and toxic for dogs. It's fine for humans. And you're probably asking, well, if it's toxic for dogs, why wouldn't it be toxic for humans too? Well, that's because their pancreas releases insulin aggressively when xylitol is present, which leads to a fatal drop in blood sugar. Humans do not respond in this way. So that's why it's fine for humans, but not for dogs. This product can also cause digestive upset when consumed in large amounts. And then the next sugar alcohol is sorbitol or malatol. This one can cause more gastrointestinal irritation, and you often find it in gum and sugar-free candies. And most things that I've read in research say that it should be avoided, especially if you have gut issues. And then the last one is called allulose. This is one of the best sugar alcohol alternatives available. It has a very low glycemic impact. It tastes close to sugar, and it's very well tolerated by the body. And then here's where we get into the natural sweeteners that many of our wellness enthusiasts have been raving about. The first one that you're probably very familiar with is stevia. This one is a plant extract. It's very sweet, typically like two to three hundred times sweeter than sugar. It has zero calories and zero glycemic impact. It's good for fasting and it also won't break your fast for most people. For me, as you know, I recently did that four-day fast. And one of the things that was a lifesaver for me were my electrolyte drinks, which had a little bit of stevia in them. And thankfully that didn't break my fast. So I was allowed to have a couple of those throughout the day, which kind of seemed like a treat when you're basically starving yourself. But if you flip the label and you see inulin, maltodextrin, dextrose, erythritol, or natural flavors, then that means it's a blended stevia and not the pure leaf extract. Pure stevia will say organic stevia extract, organic liquid stevia, or stevia leaf extract and nothing else. And then there's monk fruit or luau han gua. I think I'm saying that right, but this is one of the cleanest sweeteners available. Sweet because of compounds extracted from monk fruit called mugrocides. They are not sugar, they have zero glycemic impact, they do not stimulate insulin, they also have antioxidant properties and no gut microbiome disruption. So they're good for fasting. But again, many versions can contain erythritol fillers. So you want to look for monk fruit extract on your labels and nothing more. And then there's lacuma. And this is one you've probably never heard of. It's actually one that I never knew about until recently when I noticed it on the ingredient label of the coconut sugar from my mushroom coffee supplier. So of course I had to dive into it and found it to be pretty interesting. It has a low glycemic Peruvian fruit sweetener with a mild caram flavor. Its benefits include lower glucose impact, it contains fiber, it's rich in antioxidants, and it adds sweetness without spiking your insulin. It's not a glycemic zero, but it's far gentler than sugar, honey, or maple syrup. And it's perfect for smoothies, baked goods, yogurt, and of course coffee. So if you like that subtle caramel note, this is the sweetener for you. It's one of the better sweeteners that you can select. So as we wrap up for today, let's talk about your sweetener hierarchy. What should you choose? The best choices, which are going to be the ones that are the most metabolically gentle, and those include monk fruit extract, stevia extract, lacuma, and allulose. The ones you want to use more sparingly are going to be honey, maple sugar, coconut sugar, raw cane sugar, sugar in the raw, and agave. And then you want to be really cautious with sucralose, ace K, saccharin, and blends with maltodextrone. And then you want to avoid entirely, if possible, fruit juices, sodas, sweetened coffee drinks, energy drinks, and smoothies with those concentrated sweeteners in them. And this brings episode three of the sugar series to a conclusion. In our next episode, we're diving into ketosis, fat burning, glute four activation, my own fasting experience, and what my blood work reveals about metabolic flexibility or the lack of it. If you found this episode helpful, please definitely share it with someone you love. And please also remember that everything we share on Serenity and Fire is meant for general information and inspiration purposes only. The topics we discuss are not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace personalized medical care. So please always consult with your healthcare provider before trying anything we talk about on the show. Your health is unique and your care should be too. Thank you so much for listening to Serenity and Fire. And as always, please support the show by following us, leaving a review, and connecting with me on social at Serenity and Fire. Until next time, keep balancing Serenity with Fire. I'm Krista Guigeny, and I'll talk with you in our next episode. 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