I read up a lot on sweeteners, and the different arguements as to what is better, and who it is better for. The general consensus among nutritionists seems to be that if you have a family history of diabetes, or are or could be pre-diabetic yourself, then you should steer towards fake sugars (Splenda, Stevia, Agave Nectar). If you do not have a family history of it, and do not stuggle with it yourself, than pure sugars (honey, molasses, raw cane sugars) are the best. The raw food community encourages you to eat raw unfiltered honey, or raw agave, and some of them endorse Stevia. My husband's family has a history of Diabetes, and I go back and forth between trying to eat raw, or just more natural foods, so I feel like we have every type of sweetener in our house!
However with all the talk of cutting down on sugar (Hello South Beach Diet! another one followed in our house:) I don't think I have ever heard someone talk about the benefits of sweeteners. I just thought this paragraph was interesting, from an article on MSN. You can click here to view the entire article.
There are tiny differences in the minerals in some sweeteners; the less processed, the more trace minerals, says Blatner. (Honey, for example, has some magnesium and calcium.) And there is some evidence that the levels of antioxidants in sweeteners can vary. One study, published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, found that among sweeteners, dark and blackstrap molasses had the most antioxidant activity. Maple syrup, brown sugar, and honey had a bit less, and refined sugar, corn syrup, and agave nectar had the least.
One thing I do know about honey, is that some doctors encourage people with allergies to eat 1-3 tablespoons a day, (depending on who you talk to) of LOCAL honey. It will help ease your seasonal allergies. This can be hard to find. You may just have to read the labels at your natural food store, or head to your nearest farmer's market and stock up on it.
Interesting stuff!
This is what I'm making to bring to a BBQ (recipe below). I was eyeing this on Epicurious, but sometimes I think they think too little about calories, and I hit up Cookinglight.com to see if they have something comparable. Peaches and Blackberries are in season, and are a steal at the store right now. I bought a ton so I can freeze them too. yum!
Honey Peach and Blackberry Cobbler
Lorrie Hulston Corvin, Cooking Light, JULY 2003
A sprinkling of coarse turbinado sugar gives this deep-dish dessert a crunchy golden top.
Yield 12 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup cobbler and 1 biscuit)
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
8 cups chopped peeled peaches (about 4 pounds)
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3 cups blackberries
Cooking spray
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
Combine 1/4 cup flour, peaches, honey, juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; toss gently. Let stand 15 minutes. Fold in blackberries. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Combine 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, granulated sugar, rind, and baking powder in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, and stir just until moist.
Drop dough onto peach mixture to form 12 mounds. Sprinkle mounds with turbinado sugar. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 283 (20% from fat)
Fat: 6.3g (sat 3.8g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.3g)
Protein: 4.3g
Carbohydrate: 56.5g
Fiber: 4.7g
Cholesterol: 17mg
Iron: 1.5mg
Sodium: 267mg
Calcium: 63mg
2 comments:
...you should steer towards fake sugars (Splenda, Stevia, Agave Nectar).Splenda is a "fake" sugar. It is produced by chlorinating sugar. It is a CHEMICAL substance. There is, however, nothing "fake" about Stevia or Agave. Both are plants.
Here's a wonderful article on Sweetness Without Sugar Spikes: Low-Glycemic Raw Foods that you might find interesting.
What I meant was "Sugar Substitute". Stevia also goes through a chemical process to become a powder, so there is debate about that too. I try to use Agave Nectar or Raw Honey personally as much as I can.
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