Last week I linked to an article on The Huffington Post that was pretty negative regarding agave nectar and presented a bunch of info to back a claim on how it is worse for you than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Well, Andy over at Small Bites has another opinion on the matter. And honestly, his opinions have been ones I’ve come to respect and trust… and he really does back up what he talks about.
Since I started Small Bites, I have always said that, as far as I am concerned, “sugar is sugar is sugar”. All sweeteners offer 4 grams of sugar (16 calories) per teaspoon. The best thing you can do is limit all added sugars — whether it’s white sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or agave.
That said, I don’t see the need to demonize agave, which brings us to this post.
Honestly, I was hesitant to present the original article because I do have reservations about The Huffington Post in general… but it seemed a worthy enough article that I figured I would move past my own prejudice and share it. Do I regret doing so? No, not really, but I think you are doing yourself a grave disservice if you don’t also read Andy’s article as well.
You Ask, I Answer: Agave Is The New Enemy? [Small Bites]
Thanks to Darya over at Summer Tomato for the link to this Huffington Post article by Dr. Joseph Mercola that gives some frank info on agave nectar and comes to conclusion that it’s probably not any better, and maybe worse for you than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Unfortunately, masterful marketing has resulted in the astronomical popularity of agave syrup among people who believe they are doing their health a favor by avoiding refined sugars like high fructose corn syrup, and dangerous artificial sweeteners.
And if you’re diabetic, you’ve been especially targeted and told this is simply the best thing for you since locally grown organic lettuce, that it’s “diabetic friendly,” has a “low glycemic index” and doesn’t spike your blood sugar.
While agave syrup does have a low-glycemic index, so does antifreeze — that doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
Most agave syrup has a higher fructose content than any commercial sweetener — ranging from 55 to 97 percent, depending on the brand, which is FAR HIGHER than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which averages 55 percent.
This makes agave actually WORSE than HFCS.
I hear voices in my head.
Our bodies generally know how they’re supposed to be, how they’re supposed to operate, and when something isn’t quite right with them… they tell us.
We just need to be willing to listen.
Ok, fine… they’re not literal voices like when we think to ourselves, but everything from a twinge of pain when we lift something wrong to that constant pain in our knee because we’re carrying around a couple hundred extra pounds are messages from our body that something just ain’t right.
As a WLSer, we are given a tool to help us lose weight. Along with that tool our surgeons give us a set of guidelines on how to maximize the effective use of that tool in our lives. If you follow those guidelines, you are all but guaranteed that your surgery will work, and you will not only lose weight but keep it off.
There’s just one problem. We’re human.
For many of us, rules are meant to be broken. We get complacent. We get lazy. We get… Whatever it is, there’s going to come a time where we “break the rules”.
And ya know what? That’s ok.
