White sugar better than agave nectar?

[qfmother]

Okay, so I know that agave nectar isn't ideal, I've read the reasons why, and I agree. I've included it in my raw diet so far, and I know I need to cut back on it and possibly eventually cut it out of my diet for optimal health.

But now my husband (who is still a SAD eater much of the time) has found information that makes him say that he wants us to start buying white sugar and using it instead of agave nectar because it's so much cheaper! I've been very proud of not consuming any white sugar for over a year now, and this suggestion really rubs me the wrong way. So is there any information that anyone can send to show that white sugar is NOT better than agave nectar?

Here is one of the articles he found tonight:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/07/02/Agave-A-Triumph-of-Marketing-over-Truth.aspx

[skier2]

Okay, so I know that agave nectar isn't ideal, I've read the reasons why, and I agree. I've included it in my raw diet so far, and I know I need to cut back on it and possibly eventually cut it out of my diet for optimal health.

But now my husband (who is still a SAD eater much of the time) has found information that makes him say that he wants us to start buying white sugar and using it instead of agave nectar because it's so much cheaper! I've been very proud of not consuming any white sugar for over a year now, and this suggestion really rubs me the wrong way. So is there any information that anyone can send to show that white sugar is NOT better than agave nectar?

Here is one of the articles he found tonight:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/07/02/Agave-A-Triumph-of-Marketing-over-Truth.aspx

DATES! FIGS! STEVIA! Maybe even maple syrup. All of these are much better understood than agave.

[JennaHoneyBear]

why would you go back to white sugar after going raw? :confused:

just use honey, dates or stevia :) problem solved
there are other syrups, too..yacon syrup to name one

also, if white sugar is crap, and agave(apparently) is crap...why would you still eat crap if you didn't want to eat crap?

[Aleesha Sattva]

i can't imagine adding that back into my diet.

here's some info for ya (i did a google search for you)

http://www.hps-online.com/foodprof1.htm

[rawviveyourself]

ugh. i can't imagine either wanting to eat processed white sugar or actually eating it and enjoying the taste or how i would feel after eating it. yuk.

i agree with the dates/figs/fruit as sweeteners.

146 reasons sugar is bad for you with sources cited:

http://www.rheumatic.org/sugar.htm

[Dimond]

If raw organic agave was toxic, I would be dead by now. :eek: Seriously. I have severe health issues and there's no way I could survive consuming anything toxic.

[GoingtoRAW]

If raw organic agave was toxic, I would be dead by now. :eek: Seriously. I have severe health issues and there's no way I could survive consuming anything toxic.

Dimond are you saying that you are using raw organic agave? I still use it - but I have only ever used it to make smoothies - never for anything else. I haven't had any problems. I've tried other types of sweetners in my smoothies but I get the best taste from the agave nectar. Sometimes I add in extra dark cherries because they're sweet and that helps. But the cherries get so expensive (and I am unfortunately unemployed right now), that I have to kind of ration the cherries...so I still use the agave. I am working on cutting down though.

Does anyone use raw honey in their smoothies??? How is the taste compared to raw agave?

[Dimond]

Yes, have been using agave for years. I don't use it as often as the beginning primarily because I don't need it and have simplified my diet greatly. From my research and own experience honey can be way more unhealthy for those that have sugar issues and just overall health. Honey can be beneficial for an illness and other healing and used occasionally otherwise. If someone has no health issues, honey may be fine for them. Taste-wise, I don't like using honey in most recipes as it doesn't work as well as agave. I can either taste the honey instead of the flavor it's suppose to be or it's not sweet enough. I'm not against honey, just giving my experience and health research.

Obviously using fresh dates or other food alternatives is better than agave whenever possible because fresh food is always best.

[GoingtoRAW]

Yeah, fresh is always best. Right now I am trying to use less agave - again I only use it in my smoothies, which I have 1 big one per day. I will continue to try to find an alternative for agave but since I only use it for my smoothies right now I don't see it as a problem for me.

[DopeRawAbundance]

I'd rather put agave, blackstrap molasses, raw honey and maple syrup all in one smoothie than use white sugar. Maybe I'll start!?

[GoingtoRAW]

I'd rather put agave, blackstrap molasses, raw honey and maple syrup all in one smoothie than use white sugar. Maybe I'll start!?

I agree. That stuff is definitely poisonous!:(

[rawlight]

. So is there any information that anyone can send to show that white sugar is NOT better than agave nectar?

Just let your husband eat what he wants. You do your sugar thing and let him do his. A battle of the 'facts' can damage a relationship, especially when it seems like one really wants to be right! Not saying that is true in your case, but if using agave is right for you, that's what YOU should use.

[qfmother]

Thanks for the links and suggestions for alternative sweeteners! I'm not considering eating white sugar (or brown sugar) for myself, but we have stopped keeping it in the house for several months now and for my children's sake I'd rather not have it here again. I would personally be willing to give up agave nectar, especially after re-reading some of the info about it on this forum - but since my husband likes the taste of it, I've kept it around and felt that it was a decent compromise. I do enjoy a good raw dessert now and then, I really like the cheesecakes from Cafe Gratitude's recipe book. But anyway, this post wasn't about me eating sugar again - that's not going to happen!

My husband has also suggested that we try stevia in place of agave nectar, so maybe we'll do that. I know it's not raw either, but if we can find an acceptable (in his eyes) substitute for white sugar, then I'm very willing! Again - this is also important to me because of the example we're both setting for our children.

[Dimond]

Make sure you use a true raw Stevia. Stevia isn't the best in terms of taste. Often foods take on that flavor and it's not always good. I usually don't mind it much, but most don't like it.

[JenniferSal]

Sorry for chiming in on an old thread here, but I had a question - how do you know if Stevia is truly raw? Is there something specific to look for with the powder or liquid forms found in stores? I got one in a health food store but am not sure about it. Looking on the internet isnt seeming to help either.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Jennifer S.

[christinajade]

Sorry, I just glanced through this post but remember that link to the raw coconut products. One of them was coconut nectar that would be able to replace agave!! Here's the link again:

http://www.coconutsecret.com/index.html

[joymar66]

I am very new to the raw food scene and have not heard of agave nectar. Can someone please explain to me what it is

[christinajade]

The nectar from a cactus.

[bootzey]

Sugar is one molecule away from heroin....

http://womenshealthacademy.typepad.com/articles/2008/09/sugar-the-legal.html
http://www.angryharry.com/esDidyouknowthatheroin.htm
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2008/12/12/2008-12-12_sugar_as_addictive_as_cocaine_heroin_stu.html

[CathyA.]

Sugar is one molecule away from heroin....

http://womenshealthacademy.typepad.com/articles/2008/09/sugar-the-legal.html
http://www.angryharry.com/esDidyouknowthatheroin.htm
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2008/12/12/2008-12-12_sugar_as_addictive_as_cocaine_heroin_stu.html

It is an evil little beastie.

[sjpersonal]

Sorry, I just glanced through this post but remember that link to the raw coconut products. One of them was coconut nectar that would be able to replace agave!! Here's the link again:

http://www.coconutsecret.com/index.html

I just got off of the phone with this company, they should have their online store open by the end of this month. I am excited I love coconuts. I use raw organic coconut oil on my skin. I really have no problem with Agave but if there is something that is completely raw and provides the sweetness that I want that would be great. I cannot use Stevia as it is extremely bitter and reminds me of sweet n low. That is just my opinion.

But thanks for the link it is much appreciated.

[sueko]

I use raw, organic agave nectar rather than dates and the like because I am trying to recover from diabetes and my body doesn't tolerate other sweeteners. I think it is the lesser of evils, if you will. I also grow my own stevia and either use it fresh or dehydrate and powder it. Remember, natural stevia is GREEN! All I've ever seen in the stores is white powder which should tell you something. It's true, it does sometimes have a nasty taste, depends how you use it, but surely your husband can reason that these are better than refined white non-raw, non-organic sugar:confused:.

[Diana Cda]

I use agave only for things that don't work well with other alternatives. First let me say that I've tried and tried and I can't stomach the aftertaste stevia leaves. I've tried everything I can think of. So if anyone balks at stevia I completely understand.

But there are really only a few instances where agave is the only thing that works. Every single time I need to add a sweetener, if it doesn't involve adding a piece of fruit to a recipe, I'll just use date paste. And it's so cheap! And easy.

I have a Magic Bullet which is probably another reason date paste is so easy for me. For years I used pitted raw cooking dates, as they're called in my health food stores. But for a couple of years now I've been using the king of dates, for me. I found a regular supply up organic pitted DEGLET dates that produce the creamiest most wonderful date paste I've ever made.

I dump nearly one package to fill up one of the Magic Bullet blender cups. I then fill up the cup with the dates with pure water and then screw on one of the covered blender lids.

When I'm in a hurry, I leave it out at room temperature for a few hours and then when the dates have thoroughly soaked, I just blend them up, re-cover, and then put in the fridge. When I'm not in a hurry, I just put it like that into the fridge. It takes longer for the dates to soften up in the fridge but the end result is the same.

This 9oz or so of date paste lasts me for several days. I use it whenever a sweetener is called for if the recipe doesn't already include a fruit to do the job.

Date paste is great in everything where the paste wouldn't stand out. So that rules out tea and drinks like lemonade, etc. Teas and drinks are the only time I use agave and since it's so expensive but requires little for clear beverages (i.e., not needed in smoothies, chocolate shakes [which means almond milk with carob <g>]), that makes it an ideal way to use it minimally yet still have sweet, clear drinks. Date paste just doesn't work well in these cases.

It actually took longer to type up how to make date paste than to actually "make" it. Since soaking dates is practically all there is to it, it's a breeze and the cheapest and best sweetener for a raw fooder that I know of. Since I _always_ have a jar on hand, it's super easy to sweeten dishes at any given moment.

[britnlind]

Newbie note:

Here is a link on making date paste and making it thin enough to use in place of honey
http://hi-rawkus.com/recipe/date-paste/

[babeak]

Try Navitas naturals...they have one that they say is raw. I have not bought it yet myself, but plan to.