Agave Beware!

Several friends recently mentioned to me they use Agave Nectar as a natural sweetener.  It comes from the Blue Agave plant.  It is very sweet and delicious.  I use it sometimes too, but very sparingly.  I did some more digging on Agave and here's what I uncovered:  Although Agave is lower on the glycemic index scale, many brands of Agave Nectar are highly refined, containing almost 100 percent fructose, which is a higher percentage than that found in high fructose corn syrup! Ugh!  Fructose is a sweetener known to raise triglycerides, promote belly fat, and contribute to fatty liver, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Another thing to note is that some distributors of Agave Nectar have been labeling HFCS as Agave Nectar.  What!?  Is that legal?  The FDA recommends looking for labels that say "hydrolyzed insulin syrup," which means it's real Agave.  I try to stick with Organic Brown Rice Syrup or Pure Maple Syrup as much as possible. 

A kind and heartfelt reminder on HFCS:

How Sweet is your Oatmeal?

This is not quite a recipe for oatmeal.  You know how to make oatmeal.  And you know that it is super healthy for you.  Oats are full of vitamins, minerals, protein and a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.  Insoluble fiber's cancer-fighting properties are due to the fact that it attacks certain bile acids, reducing their toxicity.  Soluble fiber may reduce LDL cholesterol (bad) without lowering HDL cholesterol (good). Oatmeal lowers blood cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease.  It is another food I think of as a superfood.  So why on earth are we ruining it with so much sugar?  Read below for healthy ideas and tips for your oatmeal.

*Try buying just plain old Quaker Oats, you get way more for your money.  Buying prepackaged, instant oatmeal means extra salt and sugar your blood-sugar level does not need.  White table sugar is high on the glycemic index scale and causes your blood sugar to spike and then lower too quickly.  When THAT happens, the glucose gets digested too fast and then we are hungry again 5 minutes later.  White sugar is like CRACK. It's addictive.  Try Brown Rice Syrup.  It is lower on the G.I. than white table sugar.  It digests slower, leaving you satisfied and fuller longer.  It is thick like honey and has a slight vanilla flavor.  I even use it to replace white sugar in some baking recipes. Stevia is another sugar alternative that is zero on the G.I. scale.  Look here for a great article on the different kinds of sugar.

*In my oatmeal:  pinch of sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon of Organic Brown Rice Syrup, and topped with fruit!

Note: Brown Rice Syrup is sold in most grocery stores now.  Check the baking aisle next to all the sugars.