Coconut Secret – Raw Coconut Nectar

In the day I got so excited about the new natural alternative to sugar called agave and often used it in my recipes where I needed a liquid sweetener.  I must tell you my husband was not a fan of this sweet syrup.  Of coarse dag nab it HE (my husband) was right as research soon came out to prove it was not as wonderful as portrayed.  In fact even WebMD said it was not nutritionally and functionally any better than white sugar and is similar to high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose (Karo) syrup!  If there is one thing I hope you will avoid in your diet that is high-fructose corn syrup (wait and GMO’s too please).  Also some agave syrups contain 90% fructose and we now know this can contribute to obesity, liver disorders, and diabetes.

Coconut Secret’s raw coconut nectar is low on the glycemic scale coming in at only 35.  Bleached white table sugar has an index of 64!  To understand how the GI scale works it starts at zero and goes to 100.  According to the University of Wisconsin Center for Integrative Medicine, foods that rate between zero and 49 have a low glycemic index, foods between 50 and 70 have a moderate glycemic index and foods that rate over 70 have a high glycemic index.

High GI foods have also been linked to an increased risk for cancer, type 2 diabetes, acne, Alzheimer’s and weight gain.  Did you also know that foods that are low on the GI can have an effect of feeling full, which can prevent you from overeating.  This nutritious choice is minimally processed to assure it is enzymatically alive and contains an abundance of mineral like 17 amino acids, vitamin C, B vitamins, and has a nearly neutral pH!  How is that for a sweet deal!

To taste this low glycemic sweetener in its glory try my Almond Coconut Joy Cups (click her for recipe) or check out my Creamy Limalicious Bars (click here for recipe).