Healthiest Sugar Substitute? How These Sweeteners Are Helping Women Over 40 Drop Pounds Fast
The Sugar-Free Mom shares all-natural sweeteners that won't derail your health goals
For decades, we’ve heard mixed messages about using sugar substitutes to lose weight. But new research shows some of them really can help, if you know which ones to choose. Just look at the countless success stories from the Sugar-Free Mom movement, with over 2 million fans. We talked to founder Brenda Bennett about her best tips for going sugar-free and the healthiest sugar substitutes for weight loss. Keep reading for all the sweet insight.
Brenda Bennett’s journey: how going sugar-free changed her life
Years ago, Brenda Bennett used sugary snacks to cope with stress. But it only caused more problems: weight gain, pain and fatigue. When she cut out traditional refined sugar, her symptoms lifted. But then she got hooked on artificial sweeteners that spiked her blood sugar and fueled cravings. Once again, she fought to get control. What helped? Learning to bake with healthy, plant-based sugar alternatives.
“The ‘food noise’ disappeared,” says Brenda, who lost 25 pounds and launched her site with recipes, books and support. She has since inspired countless women to beat sugar addiction and lose weight.
Woman's World Answers
One fan, Jennie Walker, 53, ditched 51 pounds. “My body literally healed from the inside out,” she says. “If I could bottle up the energy I felt and sell it, I’d be a millionaire. Everything I learned from Brenda Bennett is priceless and changed both mine and my husband’s life. He lost 62 pounds!”
Why avoiding sugar (and using healthy substitutes) works
We know sugar can be a calorie bomb that hijacks the reward center in our brain, leading us to overeat. But many low-calorie artificial sugars also sabotage us: They can trigger fatigue, headaches and digestive woes. Plus, they weaken the gut and liver, fueling inflammation. (Discover the inflammation symptoms women should never ignore.)
“Cutting back on added sugar helps stabilize blood insulin and this reduces fat storage, making it easier to lose weight,” says neurologist and nutrition expert David Perlmutter, MD. “This simple change can reignite metabolism. It also curbs cravings and prevents energy crashes. And for women over 40, it can even help restore hormonal balance.”
The healthiest sugar substitutes for weight loss
To get the sweet taste without the side effects, Dr. Perlmutter says, “My go-to natural sugar substitutes are monk fruit and allulose.” He adds, “They make it easy to satisfy your sweet tooth without compromising your health.”
Brenda had the same answer. She trusts all-natural allulose (found in figs) and monk fruit (from a Chinese melon).
Why do these sugar substitutes work so well? Allulose is shown to boost appetite-suppressing GLP-1 hormones by as much as 25 percent within 15 to 60 minutes of eating. And monk fruit is believed to lower blood sugar levels and inflammation.
How to start a low-sugar diet plan for weight loss
Brenda recommends eating a low-carb diet rich in protein and healthy fats to keep hunger satisfied. (Try meals like salmon and eggs for breakfast, protein-rich salads for lunch and dinners like taco soup or cabbage lasagna.) Avoid added sugar and fake sugar substitutes found in many foods and drinks. When baking, use all-natural allulose or monk fruit. And try these expert tips:
Be patient
After coaching thousands of women, Brenda says, “It often takes time, about one or two weeks, to get sugar cravings under control.”
Don’t drink your sugar
“Cut out sugary drinks, even fruit juice. They are the biggest hidden source of added sugar,” says Dr. Perlmutter. (But you can add his healthy go-tos to coffee or tea.)
Read food labels
“Sugar hides under names like maltose, dextrose and syrup,” says Dr. Perlmutter. In fact, experts have found more than 262 names for sugar! And beware of erythritol, which is linked to stroke risk and sometimes packaged with monk fruit.
Have a plan
When a craving hits, have a fast fix that won’t harm you. Brenda says, “Whip up a single-serving chocolate mug cake or my fast fudge to take the edge off.”
Mix and match
Allulose and monk fruit come in different forms: liquid, granulated or confectionery. Brenda says, “I use a couple of different forms in the same recipe to balance out any aftertaste.” Try powdered monk fruit with a few drops of liquid allulose to sweeten foods like brownies.
Think ‘good, better, best’
Craving dessert at a party? Brenda suggests a tiered approach. The best choice may be to skip it. A better alternative is to bring a low-carb pie made with healthy sugar substitutes. And a “good enough” strategy is to give in, but set a boundary: Eat only one slice, tell an accountability partner or don’t take leftovers home.
Tabitha lost 108 lbs. by going sugar-free
Tabitha Blankenship, 41, loved roller coasters, but hadn’t been able to ride one in years due to her size. Instead, her health became a roller coaster ride: She plunged into prediabetes, watched her weight and blood pressure climb and couldn’t put the brakes on her sweet tooth. Then she tried Brenda’s 30-day sugar-free challenge.
It was hard at first, but Tabitha lost 25 pounds in 30 days. The weight melted off her belly. Her chronic hip pain lifted and she felt better all around.
Healthy sugar substitutes don’t have to cost a lot
Sticking with the approach, Tabitha learned to make healthy treats like donuts and cheesecake. “I used allulose and monk fruit a lot,” she says. “Baking this way kept me on track and taught me I could have something delicious and still be okay.”
That was a game-changer. “A lot of what held me back in the past was thinking I would have to pay for those weight-loss shots or really expensive meal memberships,” admits Tabitha. Then she tried a more affordable approach: cutting out sugar and baking treats with healthy swaps like allulose or monk fruit. She dropped one pant size the first month and ultimately traded her size 24s for 10s.
“I want women to know it’s possible to lose weight without spending a fortune,” she says. “This was so cost-effective. There’s free support and recipes online!”
Tabitha reversed her prediabetes, too
Now, 108 pounds slimmer, this Ohio empty nester is no longer prediabetic and no longer needs blood pressure meds. “I’m more confident.” And she recently rode roller coasters with her daughter at Kings Island park. “That was probably one of my happiest moments. I never thought I would experience that again in my life!”
5-minute fudge recipe using healthy sugar substitutes
There’s no FOMO (fear of missing out) with this delicious peanut butter fudge recipe, adapted from the Sugar-Free Mom. And get more sugar-free recipes in Brenda’s latest cookbook Good, Better, Best.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsweetened peanut butter
- 1 stick salted butter
- ½ cup maple-flavored Allulose syrup
- 2 tsp. caramel extract
- 1 tsp. low-carb sweetener like monk fruit powder
- Pinch of salt
Directions:
Line an 8″x5″ loaf pan with parchment paper. Soften peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat for 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the rest of the ingredients. Blend. Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week or freeze for up to three months. Serves: 12
This story originally appeared in the December 22, 2025, issue of Woman’s World
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
