What's the deal with Agave Nectar?

[rawdanig]

I honestly don't understand it's recent fad. It sounds like another stevia gimmick to make people buy something they think is good for them but really isn't? What's wrong with just using plain old raw honey? I get my honey from whole foods and it comes in a jar it's solid and it comes from the wildflower. I know you can get other specific flowers honey for certain taste but i figure that was good enough and it's the best honey i've ever had. It doesn't take a lot of it to sweeten anything it's got an awesome consistency(solid smooth and easy to scoop)...i don't know i just feel like honey is always trying to be pushed to the curb when it comes to natural sweetners and all i can think is how more natural can you get? Please enlighten me on Agave nectar as i just don't know much about it.:confused:

[bananaberrie]

On this forum you get mixed feeling about honey, due to the fact that it takes bees to make, therefore some people do not feel like it is vegan.

However, we are not to debate honey, if it is or is not vegan, on this forum.

Agave is lower on the glycemic index and therefore diabetics can use it, but it is not truely a raw food even if it sates "raw" on the bottle.

Personally, I use a bit of both, but try not to use too much of either. My I lean more towards honey. I buy mine locally and it just feels more natural to me, but that's just my opinion. :)

[MyRedPanda]

I have read that Agave is equivalent to high fructose corn syrup and should be avoided. I mean, it doesn't matter where it falls on the glycemic index if it is still really high in sugars. Plus its like 90% fructose so really it is just high fructose corn syrup in disguise. That being said, I think it tastes really yummy and I occasionally put it in my tea and coffee. But stevia is really better because it has no calories and agave has 60 calories a teaspoon!

Besides, I do not think it is raw because the extraction process involves heating. Although Wikipedia says there is an alternative extraction process, but I have never seen any agave labeled as raw. Anyway, just google "the truth about agave" and you will find out that it really is all hype, its not healthy. But that being said, it does taste good, and I am a firm believer in everything in moderation.

http://jonnybowdenblog.com/the-truth-about-agave-nectar-it%E2%80%99s-all-hype/

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-agave

[rawdanig]

OOHhhh i see thanks for clearing that up! I understand now. I was just reading the blurb of a raw vegan cook book where she was stating that some vegans don't use honey since it comes from an animal and the whole thing is to aoid all animal by product. I guess that's cool but i agree honey feels more natural to me. I've never used agave nectar but i know some recipes call for it but i figure i could use honey as a substitute. Can't wait for my Alissa Book/dvd to come so i can get started on my 30 day challenge!!

[Revvell]

... I have never seen any agave labeled as raw.

I have. Check Amazon.

[bananaberrie]

Oh, another thing, agave is suppose to be twice as sweet as sugar so if you do use it you should only have to use half the amount.

[MyRedPanda]

OOHhhh i see thanks for clearing that up! I understand now. I was just reading the blurb of a raw vegan cook book where she was stating that some vegans don't use honey since it comes from an animal and the whole thing is to aoid all animal by product. I guess that's cool but i agree honey feels more natural to me. I've never used agave nectar but i know some recipes call for it but i figure i could use honey as a substitute. Can't wait for my Alissa Book/dvd to come so i can get started on my 30 day challenge!!

Yeah, that is a personal preference really. I mean, you have to draw the line somewhere, and if you really think about it, that line is arbitrary. Just draw it where you feel comfortable. I know if you do decide to use honey you can find we bee honey or some other apiary that does not smoke the bees. It will say it on the jar. If you can find a local apiary or bee farmer who doesn't smoke that is a good route as well. Personally I really prefer stevia mixed with erythritol, and just a drop or two of agave or honey. No need to go crazy :excited:

[Eva]

I'm totally fine with raw agave -- but cannot use things like nutritional yeast -- and am pretty sensitive to a lot of the not-really-raw stuff used in raw food recipes. Yet I do prefer coconut nectar for a liquid sweetener so don't have much agave anyways.

:heart

[Raw Angel Mom]

I used to use it as my main sweetener now i use it in moderation because this is a fructose. You need to have something to balance the fructose, it is why, it is far better to eat a whole fruit because it is balance already.

I use mainly raw honey (my friend produce it and his honey is very healing for me). I sometime even use maple syrup (not raw but at least it isn't a fructose)

More and more, i don't use sweetener for me. Date seems like a great sweetener.

What is important is that you don't worry too much about things like this and you find this place of comfort and this place that you will enjoy your food. Your mind has to be the first one to be train. Naturally, you will make change to your raw life style.

Since i have done a raw detox, my sweet tooth drop dramatically. I can taste the sweet from a red sweet pepper or cucumber. Which before it would taste plain to me.

Anyway, do what feels right to you and what you resonate with and don't worry about fear base thought.

All is well!

[rawdanig]

More and more, i don't use sweetener for me. Date seems like a great sweetener.

What is important is that you don't worry too much about things like this and you find this place of comfort and this place that you will enjoy your food. Your mind has to be the first one to be train. Naturally, you will make change to your raw life style.

Since i have done a raw detox, my sweet tooth drop dramatically. I can taste the sweet from a red sweet pepper or cucumber. Which before it would taste plain to me.

Anyway, do what feels right to you and what you resonate with and don't worry about fear base thought.

All is well!

Thanks for your comment! I totally agree even though i've been raw for a few days my sweet tooth has greatly decreased to the point i barely crave fruits and when i made another "dessert" last night i used dates and it was yummy amazing! I love dates now as an alternative sweetner. I like soaking them in water to use the water in recipes later that might need a hint of sweetness.

You're right about doing what feels right i guess when you come from a yo-yo SAD world it's hard to know whats "right" but as i've been learning as long as its raw and whole food and good for me i can't go wrong. Listening to my body is key :throwhearts:

[sidrah]

coconut nectar????mmmmm. gonna have to go research that. I have been using coconut for everything lately. If young cocnuts were cheaper or I lived someplace where they grew near me, I would probably eat/drink that all day

[Eva]

coconut nectar????mmmmm. gonna have to go research that. I have been using coconut for everything lately. If young cocnuts were cheaper or I lived someplace where they grew near me, I would probably eat/drink that all day

A company called Coconut Secret makes it -- it's such good stuff!!