[Greysard]

I can't find many soft drinks sweetened with real cane sugar. Most of what I find is sweetened with HFCS. [...] Lately, I've been making my own beverages

If you don't like plain water, make tea and coffee with Saccharin:

Saccharin is believed to be an important discovery, especially for diabetics, as it goes directly through the human digestive system without being digested.

It is sold in large pink boxes pretty much everywhere, and it is dirt cheap. It does not react with your body in any way; its only effect is that its molecule fits into the taste receptors for sugars and fools the body into believing that the food is sweet. In fact it is not.

Your body does not require sugars in food. The sugar that it does need is called Glycogen; it is produced internally from fat and stored primarily in the liver.

With regard to baking, the sugar that you add into the mix is consumed by the yeast and reworked into CO₂ that rises the dough. So when the bread is ready there isn't that much sugar left in it. Salt, however, remains (it is added as an inhibitor of yeast.)

[HoneysuckleTN]

If you don't like plain water, make tea and coffee with Saccharin:

No, thank you. Haven't had saccharin in decades and I still remember the ghastly aftertaste. *shudder* I'll stick with real raw sugar or local raw honey as a sweetener. Or do without, if it's a choice between saccharine and nothing.

I do drink plain water (filtered or bottled), but sometimes I like to sip on something with flavor.

Your body does not require sugars in food.

But it sure makes some things taste better!