Just Date was founded by Dr. Sylvie Royston. Her passion for food and healing has been lifelong, rooted in her family kitchen where Indian meals were steeped in healing, Ayurvedic tradition. Having a diabetic parent, she saw firsthand the struggles that come along with the chronic disease.
Through her work at University of California, San Francisco and understanding of refined sugar’s (i.e. honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar) negative impact on public health, she shifted her focus to create a production that is actually beneficial to health. As she noted, refined sugar leads to a blood sugar spike and then resulting crash. Given the high fructose in agave, and the intense processing of artificial sweeteners such as Stevia, Royston found a much better option to sweeten foods – by incorporating organic dates.
Royston’s Just Date brand has a handful of products that have minimal ingredients but offer incredible flavor.
It seems as though there is often a misconception about dates. So I want to clear that up, offering Royston’s expertise.
What is the most underrepresented fact about dates?
“Dates have a naturally low glycemic index, due to the fact that they are full of fiber and micronutrients, which slows down the glycemic response,” Royston said.
What is the biggest misconception about dates?
“Many people mistakenly think that dates are dangerous for blood sugar because they have a high sugar content, but the whole package of fiber and micronutrients has been shown to be quite beneficial,” she said.
What have the studies shown in regards to consumption of dates and health?
“Several studies have shown that consumption of dates has led to no worsening of HbA1C or fasting glucose in Type 2 diabetics, that lipid biomarkers (LDL, Triglycerides, and total cholesterol) improved, and that there is no evidence of weight gain with date consumption,” Royston said.
Just Date products are incredible and all organic. Let me tell you how impressed I have been trying her organic Just Date sugar, organic Just Date syrup, and Just Date organic mini dark chocolate chips. I am constantly folding these ingredients in to my family’s meals. They are delicious and I feel good about them. That’s what matters.
If you think you wouldn’t care for the taste of dates, I hope you will give them an opportunity!
“Dates have a rich, caramel taste that people can often start enjoying when swapping out maple syrup or honey for lower glycemic date syrup. In date sugar and date-sweetened chocolate chips, you can barely taste the date flavor – it just registers as a subtle sweet with a touch of bright fruitiness. When used in recipes, dates bring a background of caramel flavor versus tasting like a date,” she said.
A favorite recipe of Royston’s with Just Date mini organic dark chocolate chips?
“My favorite recipe with the mini organic dark chocolate chips is our banana bread,” she said.
Ingredients:
400g (4 large) ripe bananas
150g almond flour (1.5 cups)
2 eggs
1/2 cup (75g coconut oil or melted butter)
1 cup date sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup organic mini date-sweetened chocolate chips
Directions:
Mash the bananas, add eggs, vanilla extract, and coconut oil (or butter) until you have a smooth consistency. In a separate bowl, mix almond flour, date sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in batches, incorporating fully after each batch. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spoiler alert, I made this recipe and it gets a 10/10 from my family too!
Just Date chocolate chips are a delicious sweet treat that is so versatile in baking, day to day recipes, and more that help not harm your health.
I’d love to see more products hit the shelves that were created by doctors. The depth of knowledge doctors have, coupled with a passion for our populations’ health, is a win-win all around.
This website does not provide medical advice. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It is for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a medical professional or other qualified health care provider on any health matter or question.