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       Volume I - September 10, 2010

No More Blood Sugar Blues!
Agave for Diabetics

by Alice Osborne

Agave is a sweet syrup, like honey, but a little thinner in consistency. Because it has a low glycermic index and will not elevate blood sugar, it is a great honey replacement for diabetics and low-glycemic dieters.

Because there are over 200 varieties of agave, you can imagine the confusion regarding agave. There are a LOT of claims and unsubstantiated statements out there. I studied all of those and then took a look at agave for myself. What I learned is that all agaves are NOT alike.

This said, I sought the expertise of Debra Lynn Dadd, an author who brings over twenty years of research and real-life experience to her work as a consumer advocate for health and the environment. She’s been called the “Guru of Good and Healthy Cooking” and her website is one anyone with sugar issues ought to be studying (https://www.sweetsavvy.com/sweeteners/summary.php?id=Agave%20Nectar).

She has been especially interested in the difference between the fructose in agave nectar and the fructose in high fructose corn syrup. Suppliers of agave say that the fructose in agave is a slow release, and does not stimulate the insulin secretion that causes blood sugar rise. High fructose corn syrup does make blood sugar rise. So Debra and her husband decided to do a "science experiment”—to see how different agaves affect blood sugar, since it is being recommended for diabetics.

On the logic that a raw agave would be closer to its natural state than one processed at higher temperatures, she selected out the brands that advertise themselves to be raw. Three brands she eliminated because they do not state they are raw were Sweet Cactus Farms, Rawganique, and Volcanic. She found that some of the raw brands also sell agave processed at higher temperatures, so she says if you want raw, check the label carefully.

Overall, the light agaves had a greater blood sugar rise than the dark agaves. The first test they did was on the cooked Madhava brand. Her husband tested one teaspoon. There was NO change. So if you eat only one teaspoon, then a diabetic could eat agave. Even when they upped the test to one tablespoon, the rise was only 10 points, and this is within the error range of the blood sugar monitor. By contrast, some others elevated blood sugar by 20 to 30 points, which is significant.

Their overall conclusion was that there is a wide variation in how different agaves affect blood sugar and if this is a concern for you, you should test various agaves in your own body to see how it responds. Take a look at this table to see what she means:

AGAVE VARIETIES % FRUCTOSE BLOOD SUGAR RISE

Agave Variety

% Fructose

Blood Sugar Rise

   Americana + Mapisaga

   67 -69%

   +30

   Salmiana Organic Light

   70%

   +22

   Salmiana Dark

   70%

   +6

   Salmiana Light

  

   +19

   Salmiana Light Cooked

 

   +10

   Blue Dark

 

   +4



All of us here at the Cook’n headquarters were really jazzed about this information, because as you well know, we use, love, and sell the Blue Agave! This couldn’t have been better had we planned it (we didn’t—honest!). Here are a few of my favorite agave recipes, courtesy of Debra Lynn Dadd. If this is your first time tasting agave, prepare yourself. It’s simply wonderful—and what a gift to those of us with insulin issues!

Almond-Agave Salad Dressing
The taste of almond is a perfect complement to fruit. Add toasted chopped almonds to your salad for crunch and more almond flavor.

3/4 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
agave nectar to taste
pinch of salt

Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk or a fork. 2. Serve.

        
  Download this recipe.


Buttermilk Cornbread
Mmakes a 9x9-inch pan, or 9 three-inch servings

This is a sturdy, savory bread that holds up well when making stuffing for meat or poultry. It is dense enough to absorb all the delicious juices without falling apart, and is also delicious to eat.

1 cup flour
3/4 cup yellow stone-ground cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey, agave, or unrefined cane sugar (such as Sucanat or Rapadura)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons melted butter (or, traditionally, fresh bacon drippings)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 9x9-inch baking pan and put it in the oven empty. Mix together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and unrefined cane sugar (if using honey or agave, mix it in with the wet ingredients). In a separate bowl, combine and beat together buttermilk, eggs, butter, and honey or agave (if using instead of evaporated cane juice. Mix together wet and dry ingredients, just until dry ingredients are moistened. Remove the hot pan from the oven and pour the batter into the hot pan. Bake 25-30 minutes.

        
  Download this recipe.


Oatmeal Cake
Serves 8

Debra says this Quaker Oats recipe is one of her favorite cakes of all time. She switched out the sugar and white flour for whole grain flour and agave. It’s one of my favorites as well. Right out of the oven it's warm and soft and moist and rich with sweet spices. The house smells heavenly while it’s baking. It’s great just plain, but you can make it sweeter and fancier by covering it with German Chocolate Cake Topping or Cream Cheese Frosting. (Oh man—the cream cheese choice really wins!) This would be a delightfully different Thanksgiving dessert, served perhaps with pumpkin whipped cream (just mix some pumpkin puree with whipped cream and some spices ‘til the flavor pleases you).

5/8 cup boiling water (that's 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup oatmeal (quick cooking)
3/4 cup agave syrup
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour boiling water over oatmeal and butter. Let mixture stand for 20 minutes. Add agave and eggs, and mix well. Sift dry ingredients together, then add to wet ingredients and mix again. Pour into greased and floured 9" round or square cake pan. Bake at for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. For the topping, blend all ingredients together, and spread on top of cake as it comes out of the oven. Place cake back in oven and broil just until coconut browns. Serve warm or cold.

        

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