Salt and pepper doesn’t sound like an interesting topic, does it? We didn’t think so either until we opened a box from Sustainable Sourcing LLC and spread their products across our counter. Once we read the enclosed information we found salt and pepper could be very interesting, especially when the company that brings these organic, gourmet products to market is downright inspirational.

HimalaSalt is hand harvested from the Himalayan Mountains. It is pure, pristine sea salt created 250 million years ago from an ancient ocean. Its lovely pink color is due to its high content of essential minerals (it’s high in magnesium, calcium, and iron and contains more than 80 essential trace minerals). It is never heat treated. It is stone ground, all natural, unrefined, and additive free. Its taste is full-bodied and rich. When you taste it, you’ll realize this is how salt is supposed to taste!

HimalaSalt is actually good for you. Its essential minerals replenish vital electrolytes. It alkalizes the body, allowing vital nutrients to be absorbed more efficiently, while aiding the body in releasing acidic waste.

It comes in a surprising variety which includes a 7oz. box of coarse crystals, 4 oz. and 2.8 oz. refillable salt grinders, a 6 oz. fine grain shaker, and a one pound Zen Cube that comes with a stainless steel Inox Italian grater. The Zen Cube looks like a big chunk of rose quartz. It’s unique, beautiful, and fun to use. Sustainable Sourcing also offers organic garlic salt in a shaker.

Sustainable Sourcing’s Organic Heirloom Peppercorn ™ line is equally appealing. Sold in refillable pepper grinders and spice jars, the variety includes Cubeb Pepper grown in the Monsoon Forests of Indonesia, Heirloom Long Pepper from Bali, pink peppercorns from Brazil, green peppercorns from India, white peppercorns from Indonesia, and the Rainbow Blend—black, white, pink, and green peppercorns. Each delivers a distinctive flavor.

Melissa Kushi, the founder and president of Sustainable Sourcing, is a former whole foods cooking teacher, a macrobiotic educator, and a successful organic commodities trader who has devoted much of her life’s work to sustainable foods farming, alternative health, and ethical business models. Her integrity and morality provide the foundation for Sustainable Sourcing, a company that puts health, well-being, and the environment first and insists on ethical sourcing, artisan harvesting and production methods, natural packaging, and a carbon-neutral, zero-landfill footprint. Check out www.himalasalt.com.

The Department of Agriculture clearly defines “natural” when applied to labeling. For meat and poultry, it means minimal processing, no artificial or synthetic ingredients, and no added hormones.

But the Food and Drug Administration says it has no plans to define natural or to restrict its use in labeling.

With no clear definition, confusion and controversy have been generated. Consumer groups are urging the FDA to restrict use of the word “natural” and they demand that food manufacturers stop freely using it until the government acts. This spring, one organization threatened legal action against a popular soft drink, “100% Natural” 7UP.

“Natural means nothing,” said Urvashi Rangan, a toxicologist and a senior scientist at Consumer Reports , which has urged government action. “You have to flip the box over and examine the ingredient list. You’ve got to do your homework. But there’s no requirement for what the ingredients have to be, to be considered natural.”

Courtesy of The Organic Consumers Association.

Keep in mind, while it’s very important to read ingredient labels, it’s even more important to consume whole, raw, fresh vegetables and fruits which, provided they are organic, are as “all natural” as it gets.

No Sweeteners for You, and that Includes Agave!

We get asked about every new sweetener put out by the purveyors of unhealthy sweetness. Agave nectar or syrup is the most recent. Put a gun to our heads and we’ll tell you not to eat it. Actually, we’ll do that without the pistol and dramatics. We’re quite consistent that way.

Whole foods have fiber, vitamins, and nutrients that enrich the body and in some cases slow down the sugar hit that comes from glucose and fructose. When a naturally sugary food like an apple or a generous hunk of agave cactus is processed into a syrup or nectar, everything good about the whole food is lost in the production vat.

In the specific case of agave, the debate comes down to whether glucose or fructose is more harmful to the body. Natural agave, the plant from which tequila is derived, is approximately half and half glucose to fructose. The nectar or syrup appears primarily to be all fructose, according to published statistics from agave distributors.

Now, is fructose better for you than glucose or sucrose? If you listen to the fructose manufacturers and some diabetes experts, then yes, fructose is better for you. Fructose doesn’t raise glucose levels in the bloodstream, which means there is less of an insulin response and a consequent benefit to diabetics because insulin Agave Plant management is the name of the game.

But is spiking up on fructose any better for anyone whether diabetic or not? We say No! And we’re not alone. Fructose has been linked to raised triglycerides, fatty liver disease, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and more belly fat, which can all be collected together as Metabolic Syndrome.

Agave seems to have other drawbacks as well. The first one that sets our teeth on edge is the fact that agave nectar you buy might not actually be agave nectar.

According to the Chicago Tribune, products labeled as being from the blue agave plant …may in fact be mostly corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup. may, in fact, be mostly corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup. Tequila manufacturers get first call on the expensive blue agave cactus that grows in Mexico. There are strict requirements for tequila to come from the blue agave in the same way the German Beer Purity Law says beer must be made from wheat or barley, hops, water, and fermenting yeast. So, when supply did not meet demand, some nectar producers cut what agave they had with similar corn-based fructose.

“Agave is really chemically refined hydrolyzed high-fructose syrup and not from the blue agave plant, organic or raw, asclaimed,” says Russ Bianchi, a food and beverage formulator.

So far the Food and Drug Administration sees no reason to regulate agave for any safety concerns, but admits that agave products may have been “economically adulterated and misbranded by adding corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup.”

The Chicago Tribune also reports some less well-documented effects of agave nectar consumption that may be a concern. Apparently, some agave products and other sweeteners may have botulism spores and thus shouldn’t be given to small children. There are assertions that agave may cause miscarriages and/or other harm to pregnant or lactating mothers, and agave, like many other sugary products, has also been linked to increased acne.

Agave does have some possible health benefits touted by its proponents. As stated, glucose levels aren’t raised. Agave is loaded with inulin, a complex sub-variant of fructose, which is broken down by friendly bacteria to make fatty acids that may fight colon cancer. Additionally, agave may have some anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. But, these effects are hotly debated.

“It’s almost all fructose, highly processed sugar with great marketing,” says Dr. Ingrid Kohlstadt of the American College of Nutrition and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. “Fructose interferes with healthy metabolism when taken at higher doses. Many people have fructose intolerance like lactose intolerance. They get acne or worse diabetes symptoms even though blood glucose is OK.”

Even some agave proponents like Dave Grotto, a Registered Dietician and author of101 Foods that Could Save Your Life, will admit that “excess consumption of any sweetener is not wise. But, honey and agave are value-added sweeteners, if used moderately.”

If the best the pro-agave people can come up with for their product is “use in moderation,” we should translate that statement into “avoid as much as possible.” If sugar, fructose, honey, agave, and other sweeteners can lead to addiction, then how is the average person to know what in moderation actually means? How much is too much before a small dose of agave that may help with cancer and inflammation becomes a mainline hit of fructose to the bloodstream and liver?

Limit yourself to less than two teaspoons a day for any refined sweetener to avoid the many related health effects. We live in the same world you do, and we understand about occasionally falling off the wagon. But remember that any sweetener removed from its natural state is a refined sweetener that should be avoided as much as possible. Agave is no different. Now you know.

Unjustly maligned for decades, coconut oil is reemerging as a miracle fat that boosts energy, burns fat, is antibiotic, and helps with thyroid problems. In the past, poorly done, misleading studies were used to discredit the saturated fats in coconut oil in order to displace it in our diet with soybean oil. Now that soybean oil has caused an epidemic of health problems, healthy coconut oil is being reintroduced. After a yearlong study of coconut oil, I recently approved a superior product and added it to my own diet.

Coconut oil has been safely used for thousands of years. Natives in tropical climates who consume lots of coconut oil don’t suffer from the heart disease, cancer, colon problems, and other health challenges that we do. Because it is highly saturated, coconut oil is very stable, stores well, and is suitable for cooking. But don’t let the saturation bother you. These saturated fats are different. The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are easy to absorb, digest, transport, and metabolize in the body. Unlike other saturated fats, the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil speed up the body’s metabolism and are used by the body to produce energy rather than being stored as fat. Coconut oil does a body good. Let’s have a look at the reasons why:

Heart Healthy

Population studies show that coconut oil lowers cholesterol, and reduces risk of heart disease. Americans consistently have higher cholesterol levels than coconut eating cultures.

Weight Control

Coconut oil helps you to lose, maintain, or gain weight depending on your body’s need. It contributes to weight loss by speeding metabolism and being used as fuel rather than stored as fat. For underweight people, coconut oil helps to gain weight, especially useful to those suffering from AIDS or cancer.

Infection Fighting

The medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides found in coconut oil are the same as those in human mother’s milk, and they have extraordinary antimicrobial properties. By disrupting the lipid structures of microbes, they inactivate them. About half of coconut oil consists of lauric acid. Lauric acid, its metabolite monolaurin, and other fatty acids in coconut oil are known to protect against infection from bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi, and parasites. While not having any negative effect on beneficial gut bacteria, coconut oil inactivates undesirable microbes such as H-pylori, Candida albicans, and Giardia. Natives in Southeast Asia who drink filthy water, loaded with bacteria and parasites, are nonetheless healthy, mostly due to the protective effect of the coconut oil in their diets.

Thyroid Support

Coconut oil helps people with low thyroid function. Regular oils such as soybean, canola, safflower and corn suppress thyroid function. The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil stimulate metabolism, boost energy, and promote weight loss. While not a cure, some people have been able to reduce and even eliminate their thyroid medications.

Cancer Protective

Coconut oil appears to protect against cancer and not to promote cancer. Animal studies have shown that when animals are fed carcinogens and a variety of oils, the animals that do not develop cancer are those on coconut oil.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Coconut oil appears to have anti-inflammatory effects. For the past 20 years it has been known that coconut oil has been beneficial to patients with inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease. Coconut oil appears to have a direct effect in suppressing inflammation and repairing tissue, and it may also contribute by inhibiting harmful intestinal microorganisms that cause chronic inflammation.

Good for the Skin

Coconut oil rejuvenates skin and wrinkles and slows the aging and wrinkling of skin. Used as a lotion, it protects against sun damage and strengthens underlying tissues. It moisturizes, heals sores and injuries, and prevents production of “liver spots,” (oxidized oils). When liver spots occur, this same oxidative damage is also happening in other tissues such as the brain, heart, eyes, and blood vessels.

Among other properties, coconut oil:

• Does not require refrigeration, and is stable at room temperature from one to five years.
• Increases lung function by increasing the fluidity of cell surfaces.
• Regulates blood sugar and prevents hypoglycemia by providing a supply of fuel not affected by insulin.
• Boosts energy in chronic fatigue and suppresses herpes and Epstein-Barr viruses.
• Doesn’t oxidize easily, thereby protecting the body from lipid peroxidation.

Selecting a healthy, high-quality coconut oil was no easy task. Obtaining reliable information about production techniques and quality was difficult. These products come from far away third-world countries, and from small producers who may speak poor English and have difficulty answering technical questions. I found that even some usually reliable sources in the U.S. were not offering the best oil because they ran up against the same problems, didn’t do their homework, and made poor choices.

The virgin coconut oil I have approved is the least processed oil on the market. This extraordinary oil is not heated above normal air temperature, and it is made form freshly harvested coconuts. Most oils are made from copra (dried coconut), which can be contaminated with mold. Coconut oil is a sensible addition to anyone’s diet, and the purity, flavor, texture and quality of the oil I have selected is truly superior. A therapeutic dose is three tablespoons a day.

Raymond Francis is an M.I.T.-trained scientist, a registered nutrition consultant, author of Never Be Sick Again, Never Be Fat Again, Never Fear Cancer Again, and an internationally recognized leader in the field of optimal health maintenance.

Reprinted with permission from Beyond Health® News
Copyright 2005, Beyond Health

Recommended Supplements:

• Coconut Oil 

William Duffy’s bestselling book, Sugar Blues, published more than 30 years ago, raised America’s awareness about sugar addiction and its prevalence in our diet. Duffy pointed out the connection between physical and mental illnesses and sugar consumption. He also taught his followers to read labels, to discover that sugar was added to our canned fruits and vegetables, drinks, crackers, bread, soups, and to nearly every processed food. But Duffy wasn’t the first. The hazards of refined sugar have been known since the late 1700s.

Refined table sugar comes from two sources: sugar cane or sugar beets. Sugar cane is crushed to extract its juice. The juice is boiled until it thickens into syrup. The syrup goes through multiple processes that purify it and separate the sugar crystals. It may be treated with phosphoric acid and/or calcium hydroxide and carbon dioxide, and filtered through activated carbon or bone char. The final result leaves pure sucrose crystals void of color.

Beets are washed, sliced, and soaked in hot water to remove their juice. The juice then goes through several steps for purification, much like cane juice, until it too is reduced to sucrose crystals.

Refined sugar is void of all nutrition. All of the vitamins and minerals once present in the sugar cane or sugar beet have been removed. In order for our bodies to digest and detoxify from sugar ingestion and regain proper ph (refined sugar is acid forming), the body must pull vitamins and minerals from the bones, teeth, and organs. The reason excessive sugar intake leads to tooth decay is because it leaches calcium from the teeth and bones. It also kills off the symbiotic bacteria in our intestines which produce B vitamins.

Nancy Appleton, PhD, author of Lick the Sugar Habit explains why sugar is linked to allergies. “Sugar suppresses the immune system – but first it depletes minerals. Minerals become deficient and we can’t digest food because every enzyme needs minerals to work. Some of this food that can’t be digested gets into the bloodstream. The body reacts to this putrefied spoiled food and decides this is the problem and becomes allergic to the proteins in this food just because it could not be properly digested.”

Sugar cane and sugar beets in their natural state do contain vitamins and minerals. Sugarcane juice is the least processed product of the sugar cane.

It contains protein, iron, phosphorus, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, and C, calcium, and chromium. In Asian countries and India it is poured over ice and sold as a drink. For use
as a sweetener it is pressed from the cane and heated with lime to remove impurities.

The first two times sugar cane juiceis boiled the by-product is a light sweet molasses known as fancy or sulfured molasses. The third boiling produces blackstrap molasses, a very dark dense molasses rich in vitamins and minerals. One tablespoon contains 20% of the U.S. RDA of calcium, magnesium, and iron. The molasses from sugar cane is sold in all three varieties for human consumption. The molasses from sugar beets is not fit for human consumption; it is sold for animal feed.

Raw sugar is processed sugar. It may have minimal or no chemical processing, but generally is processed about half as much as refined sugar. It is dark in color because it still contains some molasses.

Brown sugar is white refined sugar coated with molasses syrup.

For many years the health food stance was “no sugar is a good sugar.” The recent organic movement has brought us “better sugar choices” from organic cane juice and raw organic sugar to organic agave nectar and organic honey. Is there a better sugar or should we avoid them all?

Common sense tells us that the more natural and unrefined the source, the more “whole” the source, the better we can digest and utilize its nutrients. This approach suggests cane juice is preferable to raw sugar and raw sugar preferable to refined sugar. But considering the fact that refined sugar is no better than a poison, is this saying much?

If you suffer from an overgrowth of Candida (yeast), it is best to avoid all sugars until you regain a proper balance of bacteria to yeast in your system. If you are acutely ill with a bacterial or viral infection, the same is true. Refined sugar promotes and feeds bacteria, candida, viruses, and parasites.

If you have cancer, realize that simple sugars feed cancer. In fact, Dr. Appleton reminds us that sugar feeds cancer so well it is used to diagnose tumors. Patients are given an injection of radioactively labeled glucose before a PET scan. This sugar injection helps to locate tumors because cancer cells absorb more sugar than normal body tissue cells.

While Doc Shillington agrees that the less processed the better, he also tells us that sugar shuts down the immune system. “Each time you eat sugar, the immune system takes a few days to recover and start working well again.”

While we can find a vast amount of research proving the link with refined sugar and disease, we are unable to find research to support the belief that eating cane juice,agave nectar, maple syrup, and other such products is harmless.

What we can suggest is a common sense approach. No refined sugar is good for you. It is poisonous to the body and leads to disease. Avoid it.

Once you eliminate processed foods and hidden sugars from your diet, the true taste of food shines through. For instance, rolled oats have a delicate nutty flavor. Real oatmeal is delicious. If you want to sweeten it, add raisons, dates, or other fruit.

When you use sweeteners, remember to choose nutrient dense sweeteners—sparingly. Strive to maintain even blood sugar levels. Every steep rise in blood sugar is followed by a crash. You’ll crave more sweets, no matter their source.

Remember, our goal is to eat a nutrient rich diet filled with whole vegetables and fruits. Raw, live, enzyme-laden food is best. Whether you call it poison, parasitic food, or dead, empty calories, there is no room in a healthy diet for processed sugar.

Understanding both healthy & not so healthy sugars with their Glycemic Index & Load

Is there such a thing as healthy sugar?

Our body needs sugar to survive. But what we don’t need is refined sugars. Anyone suffering from an overabundance of Candida should limit their fruits, choose them wisely, and forget about sweets in general until the Candida is under control. This goes for those suffering from diabetes and any fungal, viral, or bacterial infection as well. If you do suffer from Candida problems we recommend Thorne SF722. It kills Candida better than anything we know of. A good probiotic to help rebuild the healthy gut flora is recommended too.

(Click here to scroll to table)

In nature, we didn’t eat a lot of sugar, and none of it was refined. In fact, just to get an idea of how easy it is for us to ingest more sugar than we would have ever done in nature, consider the fact that our fruit has grown in size and has become sweeter and easier to eat. One good example is the banana. Just google “wild banana.” Check out the pictures.

Sugar is wrecking havoc on our bodies in a few different ways. It’s hard on the pancreas, the liver, and it feeds fungus, bacteria, viruses, and other parasites that stress the whole body. Consuming refined sugars radically lowers the body’s immune system and leads to allergies, both seasonal and food allergies.

Note: If you’ve been eating too much sugar (and this includes those known as “healthier sugars,” check out How to Kill Candida and Balance the Inner Ecosystem. For a better understanding of how sugar interacts with the body, check out Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases.

Many people consider themselves healthy but suffer from certain ailments due to their sugar intake. In many cases, these people do not realize that the alternative healthier sugar choices they make still contribute to health problems. Sugars like brown rice syrup, honey, coconut palm sugar, and apple juice are still refined sugars and should be used sparingly. Maple syrup and dates are other sweeteners that, depending on your definition are not necessarily refined, but still are sugars none the less and need to be limited as well. If you or someone you know suffers from seasonal allergies or chronic Candida overgrowth, give up the honey, the brown rice syrup, the agave, and any other sweetener, save stevia, completely for a week and see what happens. We bet the results will surprise you.

The reality is that junk food, whether made with healthier sugar substitutes or high fructose corn syrup is still junk food. Healthy foods are whole foods, and whole foods should be the foundation of anyone’s diet.

Glucose

Glucose is the simple sugar made by the body through digestion of carbohydrates. It is the body’s chief source of energy. Sometimes glucose is called dextrose.

Sucrose

Sucrose is what we commonly refer to as table sugar. It is made from highly processed sugar cane or sugar beets. The composition of sucrose is a combination of glucose and fructose, which separates during digestion. Pure sucrose is devoid of any nutrients.

Fructose

Fructose, commonly called fruit sugar, is a simple sugar found in honey, tree fruits, berries, and melons. But don’t be fooled into thinking fructose on a label means you are eating fruit sugar. Pure crystalline fructose comes from two sources: corn or sucrose (table sugar). Corn starch is processed to release fructose. Sucrose (table sugar) is enzymatically hydrolyzed to separate into glucose and fructose. Crystalline fructose is pure fructose from one of these two sources.

High Fructose Syrups

High Fructose Corn Syrup is made from starches like corn, wheat, and rice. High fructose syrups contain nearly equal amounts of glucose and fructose, a composition nearly identical to sucrose (table sugar). The reason high fructose corn syrup is so abundant in our processed food is simple-it’s cheaper than sugar. Because we highly subsidize corn and place tariffs on sugar imports, high fructose corn syrup is much less expensive.

Pure fructose is 1.2-1.8 times sweeter than sucrose so less is needed for the same level of sweetness. It is low on the glycemic index, therefore it does not lead to peaks and dips in the body’s glucose levels. But fructose is processed in the liver. When too much fructose enters the liver at once, the liver can’t process fructose as a sugar. Instead, the liver turns excess fructose into fats-triglycerides. When you incorporate these fats into our bodies cells (the cell membranes) triglycerides cause these cells to be insulin resistant. This is the reason that high fructose corn syrup leads to diabetes. Fructose is linked to significant increases of both cholesterol and triglycerides. And remember-fructose, like sucrose-is a highly refined processed sugar devoid of any nutrition.

Maltose

Maltose, also known as malt sugar, is half as sweet as sucrose (table sugar). It is produced from starch (barley, wheat, rice or other grains). It has been produced in China since 200 B.C. We use it in making beer and as an additive to some processed foods.

In our bodies, maltose is formed as the first step in digestion of starchy foods. It is then broken down into glucose.

Lactose

Lactose is the sugar found naturally in milk.

Date Sugar

Date sugar is 100% dehydrated dates ground into small pieces. It is a whole food, high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Date sugar can be substituted for granulated sugar or brown sugar cup for cup, but it does not dissolve in liquids. Most alternative health practitioners consider Date Sugar to be a healthy sugar alternative.

Sugar Alcohols or Polyols

Maltitol, maltitol syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, lakanto, erythritol, and isomalt are examples of sugar alcohols. They occur naturally in plants but are usually manufactured from sugars and starches. Sugar alcohols have fewer calories than sugars because they are not completely absorbed by the body. They can ferment in the intestines and cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea.

Information on Xylitol from Natural News:

Health Claims

It is obvious to me, as it might be to you, that xylitol, in addition to killing bacteria, will probably kill just about anything. This clearly explains why it is only recommended to be used in small doses. Yet if you go to a health food store, you will see larger sized bags of xylitol on the shelf, promoting its many health uses.

Health Concerns

In lab tests, xylitol will kill a rat 50% of the time in a dosage of 16.5 grams of xylitol for every 1000 grams of rat. Medium rats weigh 100-120 grams, or say .25 pounds. That means, to kill a 100-gram rat, you need only to get the rat to consume, 1.65 grams of xylitol.

A typical xylitol piece of gum contains .7 – 1 gram of xylitol. About half the amount needed to kill a rat. I read of a study stating that humans consumed up to 400 grams of xylitol per day without any ill health effects. I find that hard to believe that such a study is accurate in comparison to the lab tests done as indicated on the material safety data sheets. If 1.65 grams can kill a rat, consuming 400 grams would be highly toxic to humans.

Glycemic Index

When carbohydrates are digested, glucose is released into the bloodstream. The glycemic index is a comparative measurement of the amount of glucose released by a particular food over a two to three-hour period.

Foods that rapidly release glucose rate high on the glycemic index (GI). Foods that slowly release glucose are low on the glycemic index. Mixing high and low GI foods can result in a moderate glucose release.

But the GI rating alone does not give you all of the information you need to determine a food’s effect on your blood sugar. It only tells you how quickly the carbs in a food should turn into sugar in your blood. The glycemic load or GL tells you how much of that carb the food contains. And of course the amount you eat of that particular food is also a huge factor in the rise of your blood sugar.

Foods ranked low on the GI scale release glucose slowly and steadily without a sudden spike of glucose in the blood.  A spike in glucose results in a large insulin release, which is more likely to store glucose as fat rather than use it as fuel. Plus a high release of insulin often results in a rapid drop in blood sugar, causing hunger. So you eat candy. Your blood sugar spikes. Insulin is released. Your blood sugar drops. You eat more candy. The sugar rollercoaster ride begins.

It is important to remember that the GI scale is simply a comparative scale; it compares one food’s blood glucose response to another. There are many other factors to consider when choosing your food. Start with the basic question. Is this food dense with nutrients?

The Best Sugars

When baking, or for coffee and teas, honey would not be used since the heat destroys the natural benefits. Stevia does not bake well and it has a funny aftertaste to most people, but we love it in lemonade and cranberry juice, as well as many teas. If forced to a favorite, sugar cane juice, maple syrup, and coconut palm sugar are our top choices when used sparingly. While we are not a fan of agave, sugar alcohols, or using very much of any refined sugars, a mix of them can be a healthier choice for baking and other recipes that call for sweeteners. Using a little bit of agave, some lactitol, some stevia, and sugar cane juice or coconut palm sugar can be a great way to lessen the adverse effects of any one type of surer while still getting a very nice, well-rounded sweet taste.

Please note that the glycemic index numbers here are estimates. There are many variables that help determine how quickly a sugar is absorbed. These numbers represent an average of many different respected studies. In addition, it is very important to note that the glycemic index and the glycemic load do not define what is a healthy sugar and what is an unhealthy sugar. There are many other variables.

If you’ve been eating too much sugar (and this includes those known as “healthier sugars,” check out How to Kill Candida and Balance the Inner Ecosystem. For a better understanding of how sugar interacts with the body, check out Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases.

Recommended Reading:

• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste recipes included
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula
• Still Have Candida? How Mercury Fillings Cause Candida Overgrowth