sweeteners

If you don't know much about the glycemic index (GI), it could be affecting your health. The GI ranks specific carbohydrates from zero to 100, based on how they affect your blood sugar levels after eating them. Typically, eating foods that have a high GI (such as white bread and soda) causes a spike in blood sugar levels. When you consume these foods, you may feel a surge of get-up-and-go at first, but will have an energy crash soon afterward. High GI foods have also been linked to an increased risk for cancer, type 2 diabetes, acne, Alzheimer's, and weight gain. Foods that are low on the GI have been associated with feeling full, which can prevent you from overeating.

Sweeteners are a type of carbohydrate that are tough to avoid since many people crave sweet foods such as chocolate, cookies, candy, and ice cream. All these treats are made with different types of sweeteners, so when cooking or choosing foods, it's good to know how they compare. To see where different types of sweeteners fall on the glycemic scale, read more

Have you ever heard of the miracle berry? This exotic West African fruit, has the astonishing ability to make bitter and sour foods taste sweet. The berry contains an active molecule that binds to the tongue's taste buds causing certain foods — like limes or lemons — to seem sweet. Although the fruit is not a sweetener, it does have the ability to turn non sweet foods into sweet foods without any additives! In the 1970s, an American entrepreneur, realized the potential the miracle berry could have on the food industry and went to great lengths to mass produce the plant. However, his plan was suspiciously and abruptly ended. A recent article from BBC News states:

In 1974, the FDA changed its mind about the Miracle Berry product on the very eve of the product launch in drug stores across the whole of the Eastern seaboard. In the most brutal way, the FDA ordered all the products to be withdrawn at once.

Thus, the sweetening powers of the miracle berry were never fully realized. I find the story incredibly interesting and would love to get my hands on the berries. Have you ever tasted the miracle berry? What would today's world be like if junk food without the junk existed?

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Since Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow, I wanted to tell you that the agave plant produces more than just tequila. It kind of seems like it is a super plant and practically every part of the plant can be eaten - the blossoms and even the stalks. The part that interests me, though, is the nectar that is sweeter than honey, but less viscous. In fact it is so sweet that when baking with it you use 1/3 cup agave to one cup sugar. If you are going to bake with agave nectar reduce the amount of liquids in the recipe by the amount of agave added since it is a liquid. It does seem pretty straight forward, and I am going to try baking with it. The caloric load of agave is similar to sugar, about 25 calories per teaspoon, but since it is sweeter you use less and thereby decrease your overall calories.

I have tried it in a drink, you can use it in place of simple syrup when making a margarita - like this one from PartySugar. You can also use it to sweeten tea.

I am curious if any of you have baked with agave? If you have any tips, please share them in the comments below.

Looking to buy some? DVO Enterprises sells 24 oz. bottles for $10.95.

Stevia is perhaps one of the most controversial herbs since, well herb.

Stevia is reportedly to be 250-300 times sweeter than sugar and contributes no calories to the diet. How great is that?

Problem is that the FDA has not yet approved Stevia to be used as a sweetener (or food additive) or to be GRAS (generally recognized as safe) and so no-one is technically allowed to use Stevia unless it is specifically labeled and used as a dietary supplement. In fact the FDA has had an alert out since 1996 stating that if it is found to be labeled as a sweetener, search and seizure are to follow. In Japan and other countries, Stevia has been known as "nature's natural sweetener" and used by millions of people for those purposes for over 25 years.

Whoa, right?! Where does that leave us then when it comes to Stevia? Many people believe that the government is trying to protect the booming sweetener economy in the USA and that by allowing a cheap, noncaloric herb in, the competition will be crushed.

All politics aside, while we wait for the FDA to figure this wonderful little herb out, you can still use it and buy it as a 'dietary supplement.' It comes in the same forms as sugar would (powders and liquids).

Fit's Tip: I usually buy it in a liquid form and use it as I would honey in my coffee or tea to... um 'dietary supplement' it. 2-3 drops is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar.