Agave Nectar

[Jacqueline in KY]

I did not bake anything but I did use my Agave Nectar today. I fixed fried sweet potatoes for my dad and I baked about 1/4 of a small one for me, I always put brown sugar and butter on them when I bake them, today I mixed the Agave with the butter and it was wondeful. Used less butter, too so I saved in two different ways. I had no spike at all in my blood sugar after dinner.

Jacqueline

[PaulaG]

Thank you Jacqueline for giving it a try and reporting back.

[Jacqueline in KY]

Paula I know I did not use it in the way you wanted me to, but I just can't bring myself to bake any goodies for fear I will eat them. I have something to take to the mail box on Monday for you.

Jacqueline

[PaulaG]

All I really wanted was for us to become more familiar with a different tool for diabetics namely the Glycemic Index. Agave Nectar can be substituted for a wide range of sweeteners and how you choose to use it is up to you. Thanks

[Rainbow - Chef 536866]

Very interesting and informative thread. Thanks to all who shared their research!

[FloridaNative]

Interesting subject....just dropping in to throw out my 2 cents...

I always used Splenda as a sugar substitute for my coffee, tea, and baking, but since going organic in 2007, changed to Stevia, raw honey and raw agave nectar.

Stevia makes my blood sugars spike terribly, which really surprised me since it is touted as having no effect on BS. I rarely use it, though I do keep the packets handy for traveling...

Raw honey also spikes my BS, but I LOVE honey, so I use it sparingly, or use it in dressings and dishes where it's mixed with other things rather than in my drinks ~ this seems to keep the spiking effect to a minimum.

Agave nectar DOES NOT spike my BS, and I use it in my coffee everyday as a sweetener. I've also used it in baking and in granola making. I really like it, and as has been mentioned, it IS very sweet, so a little goes a long way.

Of course everybody is different, so I think it 's best that each person try what they want and monitor BS. That's the only thing that has worked for me ~ I'm not typical when it comes to treating my diabetes, it's been several years of trial and error to find what really works for me...and what works for me certainly may not work for the next person...

See yas,
FN

[PaulaG]

FN, thank you much for providing your input. As you stated we are all different. Learning to find what works best for each individual is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

[Dissie]

And for those of you who have read my journey with the low glycemic diet, it has worked wonders for me. I have lost weight using it and have been able to enjoy fruit. I won't bore you with the details, but it has helped me and my blood sugar levels are almost normal now that weight is going and my doc thinks I might be able to stop meds soon, she has already cut me down on metformin and my BS levels are staying way down, sometimes I have to eat when not hungry, just to bring them up. (type 2) Not sure about the nectar but my low glycemic diet list doesn't list it as acceptable, so I won't partake until doc takes me off the meds.

[PaulaG]

Dissie that is wonderful news. Keep up the good work.

[pinky kookie]

I found this interesting info about Agave Nectar that was posted in this topic thread:

DIABETIC SUCCHINI BREAD - LOW SUGAR, LOW CALORIE, LOW FAT -
ORGANIC BLUE AGAVE SUBSTITUE FOR SPLENDA BROWN SUGAR -
http://www.food.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=381493

Dommy1956 - Mon Oct 01, 2012 10:37 am - Newbie "Fry Cook" Poster
Diabetic Zucchini Bread (Low Sugar, Low Calorie, Low Fat )
Can I substitute organic blue agave for the splenda brown sugar and regular brown sugar, if yes how much? Thank you!

pinky kookie - Mon Oct 01, 2012 2:22 pm - Food.com Groupie
Here is this interesting info related to your questions and hope it can be useful to you:

HOW TO REPLACE WHITE & BROWN SUGAR WITH BLUE AGAVE IN BAKING -
http://www.livestrong.com/article/131116-replace-sugar-agave-baking/
Aug 11, 2011 | By Marie Mulrooney

pinky kookie - Mon Oct 01, 2012 6:28 pm - Food.com Groupie
Here is other intresting info about agave and the glycemic index for diabetics:

AGAVE NECTAR AND THE GLYCEMIC INDEX -
http://www.allaboutagave.com/agave-nectar-and-the-glycemic-index.php

WHAT IS THE GLYCEMIC INDEX?
The glycemic index is a way of measuring the relative impact of foods on blood sugar levels. Foods with a high glycemic index have carbohydrates that the body can quickly convert to sugar, which makes them more likely to cause a quick rise in blood sugar. Many popular diets (Atkins and South Beach, for example) include food choices based on the glycemic index.

WHAT IS GLYCEMIC LOAD?
Like the glycemic index, the glycemic load of a food is used to characterize its potential effect on blood sugar. A food may have a high glycemic index, meaning the carbohydrate it contains will quickly convert to sugar, but if that food does not contain much carbohydrate per average serving, there will not be much impact on the blood sugar.

WHAT MAKES A FOOD LOW GLYCEMIC?
Foods with few to no carbohydrates, like meats, cheeses and fats, will likely result in a glycemic index close to zero. The fewer easily-digested sugars and starches a food contains, the less likely it is to create a spike in blood sugar. Dietary fiber, while classified as a carbohydrate, passes through the system undigested, so it has no impact on blood sugar. In fact, fiber works to help slow the absorption of digestible carbohydrates.

To calculate the glycemic load of a food, multiply its glycemic index by the number of digestible (non-fiber) carbohydrates in a single serving, then divide by 100. That number may be interpreted as follows:

20 and above = high glycemic load
10 to 19 = medium glycemic load
less than 10 = low glycemic load

HOW DOES AGAVE NECTAR COMPARE?
food carbohydrates x glycemic index ÷ 100 = glycemic load
12 oz. regular cola: 40.5 x 90 ÷ 100 = 36.4
fresh apple (medium) 21 x 54 ÷ 100 = 11.3
2 Tbsp. agave nectar 32 x 30 ÷ 100 = 9.6

Once can see that even though the apple has fewer carbohydrates, the glycemic load of the agave nectar is actually lower.

[Mia in Germany]

Hi pinky kookie
Thanks for the interesting info! Great to have that here for looking up

[Andi of Longmeadow Farm]

Wow! Pinkie, this is great information! Thanks for finding it and reposting!!

[PaulaG]

Yes Pinky, thanks much for posting this helpful info.

[pinky kookie]

Hi Ladies
Thanks to the three of you for your responses and for having this interesting Diabetic Cooking Forum.
Also glad to know that this info is useful here and if I found more updated info will be post it, too.

[Mia in Germany]

Yes, please, do that! Agave nectar is quite a controversial subject, so the more info, the better