
It is recommended that you use ¾ cup of agave for every cup of sugar and cut the liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup. Agave is slightly sweeter than sugar, but very low on the glycemic index. Here are some 'better for you' sugar alternatives.Īgave nectar - This is a syrup made from the sap of the blue agave plant. Keep in mind, this also means it is bound to be pretty high in calories, as well.Īs a general rule, stay away from anything that says high fructose corn syrup (or just corn syrup) on the label, not only is it extremely sweet but it is nutritionally depleted and has a very high glycemic index, meaning it quickly and significantly increases blood sugar. This is why label reading is so important, anything that lists corn syrup, sugar, sucrose or a similar "_ose" in the first 3 ingredients, is going to be very high in sugar. These sugars are commonly in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The highest source, by far is Pop (Soda), followed closely by sports drinks, fruit juice, prepared or ready-made foods, ketchup, peanut butter, breakfast cereals and virtually anything that is advertised as low fat. In this sense, a high sugar diet will lead to weight gain and most likely cardiovascular issues down the road.Ī lot of sugar can be hidden in products that there is simply no need for sugar to be. Regular ingestion of foods that are high in sugar or cause an extremely quick or high rise in blood sugar will lead to more triglycerides being produced than the body can ever manage to use. What we do not use immediately gets stored as fat or triglycerides. Foods high in sugar/glucose force the body to release insulin in high amounts in order to get glucose into the cells to use for energy. We have come to understand over the past decade that this may have much more to do with sugar than it does with fat. There is also a growing concern in today's society about obesity and maybe most concerning, childhood obesity.
#Coconut secret nectar full#
If you are someone that enjoys a little sweet with all of their meals or snacks, your immune system could actually never be working at its full capacity!!! What I find even more concerning is that at 5 hours, although better, this suppression is still noticeable. The impact that sugar has on the immune system is the most profound at approximately 2 hours after ingestion, when immune cells are at their lowest. Growth hormone, as the name implies is responsible for normal growth and development and without it, growth deficiencies develop. Glucose also leads to increased insulin release, which prevents the synthesis and release of growth hormone. Research has clearly shown that sugar slows the immune response. Among one of the most concerning side effects, in my opinion, is sugar's effect on the immune system. It's really all about the amount of sugar we are eating. After you have gone sugar-free for a couple weeks, you will notice that you crave less and your taste buds will become much more sensitive to sweet – meaning once you have sugar again, it takes very little to do the trick.
#Coconut secret nectar free#
There really are a number of reasons why making your home a sugar free one has enormous health benefits for adults and children alike.Īnd for all of you skeptics out there, it really is do-able.
