SWITCHING OUT SUGAR 
Along with weight gain, sugar is associated with tooth decay, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease and chronic fatigue. Refined sugar’s been stripped of all vitamins, minerals and proteins so that we’re consuming 16.25 empty calories in every teaspoon. On average, adults eat upwards of 149 pounds of refined sugar per year, while teens eat about 93 pounds annually.

Replace refined sugar in favourite  recipes: experiment with sweeteners providing more nutrients. Raw sugars like demerara, muscovado, and turbinado contain minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, copper, iron and selenium. Maple syrup and honey also provide important nutrients, and are a healthier option than refined sugar. New organic maple flakes are made in Quebec by dehydrating syrup at low temperatures. With less than half the calories of refined sugar, they are great for marinades, salad dressing and baking.

Stevia is a calorie-free herbal sweetener found in markets and you can grow it in your backyard. It’s sweeter than sugar but with a negligible effect on blood glucose, so it’s a good natural choice for diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets. Also with a low impact on blood sugar, agave nectar comes from a succulent plant grown in Mexico. To give the impression of sweetness, add all-spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla or almond extract to recipes.

PASS THE SALT 
When it comes to healthy salt intake, quality beats quantity. Opt for natural sea salts, with naturally-occurring minerals: you’ll need much less for the same flavour. Enjoy anchovies, artichokes, beets, celery, chard, kale, and spinach as they are naturally high in sodium. Replace salt with herbs when cooking.

HEALTHY FATS

Forget oil altogether and use chicken broth to ’stir-fry’ vegetables. To reduce the amount of oil used for browning, buy a non-aerosol pump at a kitchen supply store and fill it with your favourite oil. You’ll use a spritz instead of tablespoons. For a virtually fat-free salad dressing, combine freshly-squeezed lemon or lime juice, a drop of sesame oil and a splash of sodium-reduced soya sauce.

MILK SUBSTITUTES 
If you’ve noticed painful breasts before your menstrual cycle or increased mucus production causing sinus congestion, it may be caused by too much dairy. Happily, a visit to the health products aisle in your grocery store will provide you with a smorgasbord of new ’milks‘ for cereal, in your tea or as a beverage. Enjoy calcium-fortified almond, rice and soy milks. Hemp milk tops dairy as a source of calcium.

An easier-to-digest, guilt-free alternative for sour cream is made with plain yogurt. Put one cup yogurt in a piece of cheese cloth and stand over a bowl in the refrigerator so the liquid drains out. After a day, it thickens to a lovely cream. Use it wherever you’d use mayonnaise – and add a dollop on your baked potato. To replace butter, try a slice of avocado on your toast.