This edition of May’s “My Favorite Things” series will be short & sweet. Literally. Today I wanted to share some sweet treat alternatives that I genuinely love. Specifically, chocolate peanut/almond butter cup alternatives. I even prefer these now over their popular chemical-laden inspired treat they’re derived from.
Unfortunately for me, my sweet tooth is relentless. I keep finding that as much as I need to cut back on sugar the more I deprive myself the more I go overboard when a sweet treat opportunity presents itself. So, I have to find better alternatives to keep myself satisfied and my chemical consumption low.
In the wellness world, there’s a lot of emphasis on how food is medicine and it’s the chemicals that are the killers. And as I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been trying to make healthy swaps in order to lessen my chemical consumption. The more I become chemically conscious and limit my chemical exposure, the more I can feel the negative effects of when I am exposed to those toxic chemicals. That being said, my stance still stands that I don’t think fully cutting things out of your life is the best answer. My solution instead is to find a better for you alternative.
Why It Matters
A Quick Recap on Toxic Chemicals
In the previous “My Favorite Things” article I wrote about how toxic chemicals overburden our liver. These days we have an insane amount of chemical exposure our livers aren’t accustomed to and as a result our livers can’t keep up with processing required for all of the chemical exposure. As a result our systems can get backed up and the toxic chemicals can accumulate in our body and manifest in disease. One of the best ways to help out and do our liver a favor is to reduce the amount of chemicals we expose to our liver.
We’re Trying to Understand the Detriment of Sugar
Lately, to my dismay, in the world of wellness there’s a plethora of research being done on the detrimental effects of sugar. If you’re unaware, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. As an example, this Healthline article gives an overview of some of the main Reasons Sugar is Bad for You to get you up to speed.
Meanwhile, I’m desperately clinging onto and holding out for articles (like one from my guy Dr. William Li agreeing with the assertion that over-consumption of calories being the bigger concern than sugar consumption) and studies (like this one that point to excessive calories versus the actual molecular composition and effect of sugar that point to the detrimental effects on our health) to give my sweet tooth permission to continue on.
Yet, I know that I need to be mindful of my sugar consumption because there are negative health effects to excess sugar consumption. However, I also know that the more I restrict myself the more I overindulge when presented with an opportunity, so for me the solution is to find a “healthy balance”.
Thus, I give you a few of my favorite things that allow me to satisfy my sweet tooth that are also better alternatives to traditional chemical-laden sweets.
My Favorite Things
Okay, now onto the stars of the show that satisfy my candy kryptonite: the Chocolate Peanut (or Almond) Butter Cup. Thankfully I’ve never been much of a candy girl, except for Reese’s. Reese’s are probably my only candy kryptonite.
Goodsam
I came across these Goodsam at Thrive Market and they’re tinier than Unreal peanut butter cups, but genuinely scrumptious morsels. Besides chocolates they also have coffee, nuts, and baking products to offer.
As you know, I’m also a huge fan of any brand that supports my personal mantra of products that are not only “better for me, but better for the environment” so the sustainability and regenerative agriculture practices of GoodSam keep them at the top of my list as far as go-to sweet alternatives.
Unreal
I love these Unreal Cups because each cup is typically individually packaged so I can just enjoy one to satisfy my sweet tooth. They are actually delicious and don’t taste “healthy” but you can tell they’re definitely healthier and not as chemical-laden as my the original Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup. However, they’re low calorie and low chemical enough that I sometimes indulge in multiple at a time. These were the first “better for you” candy alternatives I found thanks to Thrive Market, but you can get them at supermarkets and convenience stores.
A Quick Fix
Admittedly, the real problem might be my sweet tooth and these healthy alternatives are nothing more than a quick fix for a deeper dilemma. But, I’ve tried deprivation & it is for the birds. We still need to enjoy this life. And so in the meantime and in between time while I’m still learning the science and discovering what works for me, I will be enjoying and indulging with “better for me” options that both satisfy my sweet tooth and my chocolate peanut butter cup kryptonite with an alternative that my body seems to appreciate as well.