Great natural sweeteners exist!

Natural sweeteners that don’t raise blood glucose levels and are

suitable for diabetics and any of us who want a little sweetness

without the sugar rush.

All right!

Agave (uh-gah-vay) nectar is one.

Agave nectar comes from the cactus-like plant in Mexico.

A sweet sticky juice which is nearly 90% fructose,

is sweeter

(1.4 times sweeter)

than table sugar so less is needed,

and because it is a natural form of fructose,

doesn’t raise

blood glucose levels.

In historic Mexico, agave was considered a sacred plant.

The Indians believed the liquid from this plant purified

the body and soul.

When the Spaniards arrived,

they took the juices from the agave and fermented them,

leading to the drink we now call tequila which is

popular in Mexico.

Agave is awesome,

the lighter agave nectar is more mild.

It doesn’t alter the flavor of smoothies,

tea or coffee.

It looks like honey,

but without as much viscosity

thereby retaining moisture

which makes it great for baking also.

Stevia, comes from a leaf in Paraguay

and is 30 times sweeter than sugar.

I’ve grown stevia here in Minnesota

with great luck; tropical

heat is not necessary to grow

a successful looking stevia plant.

Native Indians of the Guarani Tribe in

Paraguay have used Stevia leaves as a sweetener

for over 500 years since pre-Columbian times.

The leaves of the stevia plant

are amazingly sweet

and, like

agave nectar, keep blood glucose

levels stable instead of spiking to oblivion.

Stevia has many excellent properties.

The body does not metabolize the sweet glycosides

from the stevia leaf or any of its processed forms so there

is no caloric intake.

Wow!

Stevia can be found in health food stores in bulk

as crushed green leaf,

in tincture form as a liquid,

or processed as a white

powder resembling powdered sugar.

Stevia can be used in baking,

to sweeten

tea, coffee or smoothies,

and is an excellent

all around alternative to sugar.

Agave nectar

and

stevia–

two ways to

find the sweet spot

in food and beverage

without the sugar high

and the sugar crash.

Yum!