After voluminous research we've concluded that high-fructose sweeteners (like corn syrup, agave nectar, & honey) can be harmful, especially if they are cooked at high temperatures. (source). Scientific research indicates fructose has a lower immediate effect on blood sugar level as the majority of it is first processed by the liver...but in high amounts it may eventually damage the liver (and lead to fatty liver disease), contribute to glucose intolerance, and help cancer cells metastasize. Research indicates glucose can also have damaging effects upon your body; it can contribute to the initiation of various forms of cancer and type II diabetes.
Ultimately it appears that sugar in excess is just plain hard on our bodies. Therefore in tune with our holistic approach to mind- and body wellness, we here at Happy Food Living aim to indulge in low amounts of sugar (most of which are derived from fruits), exercise regularly (which is believed to be associated with a variety of health benefits including blood sugar moderation and mitigation of cancer development), and generally adhere to a low-carbohydrate, grain-free diet (grain-based diets are believed to be associated with type II diabetes and cancer as well).
Therefore it seems the best approach to meet our goals of sustained health and well-being is a low-sugar, low carb diet (link to perfect diet discussion, ie create another post on this blog). With this, however, we acknowledge that as long as we're going to be baking we need to use some sugar, so why not choose the cheapest, most environmentally sustainable kind? We found Florida Crystals cane sugar to be a high-quality product, produced sustainably using energy from sugar cane biomass. Florida Crystals sugar is also Fair Trade certified.
NOTE: You may find this sugar reasonably priced at Walmart.
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