There’s a lot of buzz around sugar. It’s easy to jump on the “sugar free” train, but should you? I have been interested in sugar’s villainization for a few years now, but I have finally found the evidence that has convinced me of sugar’s dangers. I am a proponent of making dietary choices based how your body responds to foods and how you feel, but sugar’s addictive nature can be deceiving.

The same brain reward pathway that lights up in addiction to drugs lights up in response to sugar. This parallel is disturbing and shows that those “sugar cravings” is not due to weakness of any kind–it’s a function of biology. Additionally, sugar is pro-inflammatory in the body. It increases inflammation in the body; this inflammation contributes to a spectrum of diseases: autoimmune disorders, allergies, obesity, depression, diabetes, heart disease, and numerous others.

The evidence is powerful, and I personally feel better when limiting sugar in my diet. Luckily, there are some great products out there that make this easy. I recently was lucky enough to sample Yummy Snack Bars, a healthy candy alternative, and I fell in love!

These bars are way lower in sugar and incorporate healthy resistant fiber that helps feed healthy gut bacteria. Additionally, these bars include Omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory (opposed to Omega-6 fatty acids that are pro-inflammatory and common in processed foods). My personal favorite was the peppermint chocolate bar–it tasted even better than a York Peppermint Patty!

A close second would have to be the chocolate bar flavor. It had a great hint of coconut and hardly tasted like a “healthy” alternative. If you can’t go without your candy bars, definitely give these a try!