A sweet secret

Shhhh…. I have a sweet secret.  It’s called Agave Nectar.  Ok, so I might have given that one away too quickly.  But not many people have heard about this wonderful little sweetener and I want to make it more popular.

Even before my allergies forced me to eat a more natural diet, I was cautious about sweeteners.  I did the whole “diet” sugar thing and used artificial sweeteners in my coffee.  But after a while, it bothered me.  I barely even looked at the research that claims artificial sweeteners cause cancer and other health risks; I just didn’t like the idea of putting so many chemicals in my body.  Artificial sweeteners don’t taste natural because they aren’t.  It was a conscious decision to not use artificial sweeteners anymore if I could avoid it.  No more Equal.  No more soda.  More reading labels.

I didn’t notice an obvious benefit to my health, I just felt better that I wasn’t putting chemicals in my body.  So, I turned to sugar.  Sugar does have calories, but I was willing to take the extra calories if it meant I was chemical free.  But even sugar isn’t that great.  It is bleached and processed, and has a high glycemic index.  This high glycemic index means that it raises your blood sugar really quickly and can cause a “sugar crash”  and make you even more hungry.  So now what?

Agave Nectar!  My mom told me about this sweet secret and I decided to give it a whirl.  I bought some and used it in my coffee.  Sweet!  It looks like honey, and has a dense sweet flavor.  It does have calories, but you really don’t need that much because it is so sweet.  It is also all natural.  The ingredients are literally “agave nectar” which has not been processed.  And it has a low glycemic index.  (Sugar has a glycemic index of over 60, and agave nectar’s is under 30.)  So, it is processed in your bloodstream more consistently.  Think of its possibilities…. coffee, oatmeal, smoothies, cocktails, baking… anywhere you normally use sugar.  Here is more information about agave nectar. I hope you try it and feel good about what you are putting into your body!  I do.

Here is a mojito recipe using agave nectar.  (My arm really had to be twisted to try this out 🙂 )

In a bowl, crush together a handful of mint leaves, 1 tbsp. of agave nectar, and the juice of one lime and blend the flavors.  In a cocktail glass, add  1 or 2 shots of citrus rum, two cups of club soda, and the mint/agave/lime juice mixture.  Add a few ice cubes, stir, and enjoy!