Agave rates quite low on the Glycemic Index, because eating it does not cause the blood glucose levels to spike or rise too high. This was great news for consumers, because it is both versatile and tasty.
Agave Nectar, because of it's high percentage of glucose, causes fatty deposits to form in the liver, contributing to non-alcoholic fatty liver. Therefore, it is wise to avoid even when it is labeled as completely raw.
100% raw honey is a much better choice. Choose your honey from a manufacturer or local honey source that has never heated or cooked the honey. Unfiltered is best, as well. Eating this type of honey ensures that the enzymes, minerals, and nutrients are still in tact and available for absorption. These enzymes and nutrients slow down the absorption of the sugar molecules, thus slowing insulin spikes in the blood stream. A word of caution, our ancestors consumed very small amounts of honey over the course of a year, and definitely no refined sugars. Therefore, our bodies have adapted to metabolizing sugars from whole foods such as fruit, which have fiber, enzymes, and loads of other nutrients. Eat your honey sparingly and focus more on whole foods that touch on all of the tastes: bitter, sour, pungent, savory, and sweet. Balance of the tastes is key to health.
Here is a good visual example of unheated, raw honey:
Love the information. Where can I find the honey you mention in this blog.
ReplyDelete- Debbie
P.S. Jason's Mom
You can find raw, unfiltered, non-heat treated honey at places like Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods, and many local farmers markets in the valley. arizonafarmersmarkets.com has the lists of our local farmers markets and the vendors you can find there. Sometimes it is a hit or miss. But the grocery stores I mentioned definitely carry the honey.
ReplyDeleteAnother great sweetener is "coconut nectar" which can be found at Sprouts or Whole Foods. I myself have not used it yet, but I hear great things about it from those who do use it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information. I'll start hunting for the honey right away.
DeleteDebbie