Mindful Nutrition & Natural Sweeteners—with Thom King – EP112

Sugar is addictive. It triggers the same pleasure zones in your brain as cocaine and causes insulin levels to spike. So, what are the natural alternatives to sugar that don’t have these adverse effects? How do they impact the body differently? And how do natural sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit differ from artificial ones like Sucrose or Aspartame?   

 

 

 

Thom King is the founder of Steviva, a consumer food brand that produces all-natural sweeteners, and Icon Foods, an ingredients company dedicated to supplying the natural health foods industry with natural alternatives to sugar. Thom’s latest food science venture is Guy Gone Keto, a new consumer line of keto condiments. He is also the author of Guy Gone Keto: How to Lose Weight, Feel Great, and Achieve Lifelong Fitness.

Today, Thom joins us to explain how his own struggle with weight inspired his business ventures in natural sweeteners. He offers insight around how the mind-body-spirit connection applies to food and shares his philosophy of doing good in order to do well. Thom also discusses how adopting a keto diet curbed his addiction to sugar, why people don’t get addicted to natural sweeteners, and what to watch out for on ingredient statements. Listen in for Thom’s advice on using your pain as leverage to make lifestyle change and learn how natural sugar alternatives can support your health and fitness journey!

Topics Covered

[1:42] Thom’s health and fitness journey

• Struggle with weight, self-worth in early 30’s
• Commit to make keto lifestyle (not just diet)

[4:15] How the body-mind-spirit connection applies to food

• Mindless munching epidemic (addiction vs. sustenance)
• Stay present, get involved in process + honor food

[8:18] Thom’s ‘do good to do well’ philosophy

• Focus on money unhealthy for you, world at large
• Leave legacy (i.e.: drive down metabolic disease)

[10:02] What inspired Thom to start his business

• Personal struggle with weight + interest in nutrition
• Introduced to stevia plant, idea for natural sweetener

[11:29] How Thom curbed his addiction to sugar

• ‘Metabolic wreck’ in high school and college
• Cravings declined six months into keto diet

[13:13] Why there is still a market for natural sweeteners

• Childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes continue to rise

[14:21] Thom’s go-to natural sweetener

• KetoseSweet+ (stevia, monk fruit and allulose)
• Depressed blood sugar and raised ketones

[16:30] The variety of constituents in the stevia plant

• 13 different steviol glycosides in leaves
• Stevioside and rebaudioside A most pronounced

[17:59] Thom’s insight on stevia ingredient statements

• 300X sweeter than sugar (blends most appropriate)
• Watch out for blends with starches, other sugars

[19:39] The potential detrimental effects of natural sweeteners

• Small number of people have allergic reaction
• Still studying long-term effects of allulose

[23:54] Why people don’t get addicted to natural sweeteners

• Don’t trigger same pleasure zones in brain as sugar
• Exist in nature, don’t cause spike in insulin

[27:31] The inspiration for Thom’s condiment line

• Missed ketchup, BBQ sauce on keto diet
• Make without sugar + include healthy fats

[32:55] What Thom does for exercise and movement

• Up by 5am for Hour of Power (journal + exercise)
• Run, cycle, row, TRX, dumbbells, boxing and yoga

[34:23] Thom’s take the future of consumer foods

• Legacy brands get into paleo, keto categories
• Big companies buy out smaller (integrity critical)

[37:32] Thom’s advice for people struggling with weight

• Use pain as leverage
• Develop discipline/routine

Learn More About Thom King

Steviva Natural Sweeteners

Icon Foods

Guy Gone Keto

Guy Gone Keto: How to Lose Weight, Feel Great, and Achieve Lifelong Fitness by Thom King

Resources

Wisdom Natural Brands

KetoseSweet+

FitCon

Primal Kitchen