Clean Juice is launching a brand-new, fresh-pressed juice, “The Rosey & Bright One” for a limited time. The juice is crafted with the beauty enhancing flower powers of rose water, orange juice, apple juice, lemon and beets. Grab your galentine or your sweetheart to receive a free fresh-pressed juice with purchase of The Rosey & Bright One on Feb. 13th – 14th. Rose water has been cherished for centuries in beauty and wellness routines, while orange juice offers vitamin C, apple juice brings a touch of sweetness, lemon adds a zing of freshness, and beets contribute an earthy richness and pop of color!
Celebrate love, health, and beauty with Clean Juice this Valentine’s season! This new offer highlights Clean Juice’s dedication to delivering innovative and organic beverages to help guests achieve their health goals. Don’t miss out on this innovative and delicious limited time offer, we’ll see you in stores!
Now… it would be difficult to imagine a Valentines celebration without a little bit of sugar and sweetness, right? That’s why our wellnes sblog topic this month is:
Natural Sugar for The Sweet Tooth!
Here at Clean Juice, we recognize that most people have a sweet tooth… How can you not?
Ice cream or lemonade on a hot summers day, cookies at Christmas time, chocolates galore on Valentines Day, and fresh baked bakery items on Sunday mornings are just some of the most enjoyed sweets out there.
If only there was a way to enjoy sweetness without the negative impacts of excess refined sugar!
Well, Luckily… there are natural sweeteners readily available to help you get your sweet fix! Like fruit, aka, nature’s candy, and other sweeteners such as dates, honey, and maple syrup!
Here at Clean Juice we offer two delicious and naturally sweet Dessert Smoothies!
- The Banana Bread One: Almond milk, banana, cinnamon, vanilla, walnuts
- The Birthday Cake One: Almond milk, banana, vanilla, maple syrup
Fruits and natural sweeteners are incredibly versatile when it comes to creating flavor profiles. By combining natural and nutritious ingredients, we created these smoothies to hit the sweet spot. This is an excellent way to treat yourself, nourish yourself, and avoid any refined sugars or artificial sweeteners in the process.
All About Fruit Sugar, or Fructose:
Fruit contains natural sugars, which are a mix of sucrose, fructose and glucose. Eating whole fruits as opposed to foods with high-fructose corn syrup or refined sugars, is a better way to satisfy your sweet tooth (1). The excess sugar consumption that we should consider avoiding comes from foods and drinks that contain what are called “free sugars.” Free sugars include these same sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose), but they have been removed from their naturally occurring source rather than being eaten as natural parts of fruits, dairy products, and some vegetables and grains (1). “Free sugars” would include sugar that is added to food and drinks by food manufacturers, cooks, or even consumers at home, like when you add sugar to your morning coffee.
Natural sweeteners such as maple syrup and honey are naturally occurring and therefore are not removed from their natural source. They also contain a lower glycemic index than refined sugar. Foods with a lower glycemic index typically cause a smaller increase in blood sugar levels, while foods with a higher glycemic index may cause spikes in blood sugar levels (2).
Here are some of our favorite tips for sugar swapping!
- Plain dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate or candy
- Fruit instead of cookies and desserts
- Granola and Oats instead of cereal
- Sparkling flavored water and stevia sweetened drinks instead of full-sugar sodas
- Honey, maple syrup, or stevia to sweeten coffee and tea
- Bananas, applesauce, dates, honey, and maple syrup to sweeten baked goods
About 15% of the calories in the standard diet of someone living in the United States come from “free” added sugars, about 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day. Sugar-sweetened beverages like soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks are some of the leading sources of added sugars in the American diet, with packaged sweets and candy coming in second (3).
The WHO and FDA recommend decreasing “free” sugar consumption to no more than 10% of daily calories, or about 12 teaspoons of added sugar a day. Functional medicine principles and the American Heart Association recommend decreasing this even further to about 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men (4).
One reason it may feel difficult to get a sweet tooth under control is because of cravings! Cravings for sweets and refined carbohydrates may increase during times of stress or heightened emotions. Sugar cravings can also be a message in disguise asking the body for more energy, or as a possible symptom of certain nutritional deficiencies. By decreasing refined carbohydrates and free sugars, and replacing them with fruits, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein, sugar cravings may reduce. Exercise and stress management may also be helpful! A study of 47 overweight sugary snack consumers found that a 15-minute brisk walk, when exposed to stress or sudden sugar cravings, may significantly reduce them both (5).
Here are some of our favorite tips for kicking sugar cravings!
- Brisk walks
- Gentle movement and deep breathing
- Increase protein and fiber at each meals
- Snack on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds
- Increase water intake
- Improve sleep hygiene and quality
Life is meant to be sweet! Reducing refined sugar doesn’t have to mean saying goodbye to your sweet cravings. By opting for alternatives like naturally sweet fruits, dark chocolate, or sugar-free treats made with wholesome ingredients, you can satisfy your sweet tooth and honor your body. It’s all about balance—choosing nourishing options that still bring you joy while supporting your health goals. With the right swaps, intentions, you can enjoy sweetness! Next time you’re craving something sweet and naturally delicious, don’t forget to stop into your local Clean Juice for a dessert smoothie!
Wishing you a sweet Valentines Day,
The Clean Juice Family 😃
Disclaimer: These Statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. The information provided is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Clean Juice products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please consult a qualified healthcare practitioner to determine your personal needs.
Sources:
- Stanhope KL, Schwarz JM, Havel PJ. Adverse metabolic effects of dietary fructose: results from the recent epidemiological, clinical, and mechanistic studies. Curr Opin Lipidol. 2013 Jun;24(3):198-206. doi: 10.1097/MOL.0b013e3283613bca. PMID: 23594708; PMCID: PMC4251462.
- Brouns F. Saccharide Characteristics and Their Potential Health Effects in Perspective. Front Nutr. 2020 Jul 6;7:75. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2020.00075. PMID: 32733909; PMCID: PMC7357269.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2024, June 17). Sweet stuff. National Institutes of Health. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2014/10/sweet-stuff
- Added sugar. The Nutrition Source. (2024, November 7).
- Ledochowski L, Ruedl G, Taylor AH, Kopp M. Acute effects of brisk walking on sugary snack cravings in overweight people, affect and responses to a manipulated stress situation and to a sugary snack cue: a crossover study. PLoS One. 2015 Mar 11;10(3):e0119278. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119278. PMID: 25760042; PMCID: PMC4356559.