Agave Nectar is a Nutritious, Natural Sweetner
It will help you control your appetite naturally!
Photo by Zest-pk
You will love agave nectar! It has a sweet but delicate taste. Agave syrup is actually sweeter than honey. This natural sweetner comes from the agave plant. The agave is native to the Southwestern U.S. and Northern & Central Mexico. It is not a cactus but a succulent like the aloe vera plant. Agave plants have been used for hundreds of years by the native populations of Mexico and the Southwest as a food additive. It has also been used for medicinal purposes. The ancient Aztecs poured agave syrup combined with salt into wounds to cleanse them and to aid healing. Agave nectar (sometimes misspelled as agave necter) has a low glycemic index. If you are diabetic you may be able to use agave as a sugar substitute. Agave syrup is low in calories and mixes well with foods and liquids both.
Benefits of Agave
We have listed below some of the additional benefits to using agave as a natural sweetner:
- It decreases appetite
- Agave blocks the creation of fat
- Increases absorption of nutrients
- Helps reduce inflammation
- Lowers cholesterol
- No sugar rush
- No blood sugar spike
Additional Helpful Hints
We are including some additional facts about agave nectar that you may find helpful if you chose to use agave in your cooking:
- Use 1/4 to 1/3 of the sugar called for in a recipe
- Reduce over temperature by 25 degrees
- One tablespoon weighs 21 grams and contains 16 grams of carbohydrates
- One serving or tablespoon contains 68 calories
- Glycemic index is 32
- It has a light viscosity and a high level of solubility
Researchers have discovered that agave contains fructans which are helpful in delivering drugs to the colon to treat colon disorders. Fructans are not affected by stomach acids.
In addition, agave has been shown to be effective against pyogenic bacteria on the skin. It also kills enteric bacteria in the intestines.
Free Agave Recipe
Agave Lime Chicken
- 1 whole chicken
- 1-3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon celtic sea salt
- 3 limes
- 2 onions
- 1 head garlic
- dash cumin
- dash chili powder
Instructions:- 1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry
- 2. Place chicken in a 9 x 13-inch oven proof baking dish breast side down
- 3. Drizzle with olive oil and agave, then sprinkle with salt, cumin and chili powder
- 4. Stuff one lime into the cavity of the bird
- 5. Cut the other 2 limes and place in the pan
- 6. Cut the onions in half and place in the pan
- 7. Leaving the skin on the garlic, break the head apart and scatter the cloves around the pan
- 8. Bake at 350° for 45+ minutes until the skin starts to brown
- 9. Remove chicken from oven and raise heat to 450°
- 10. Turn the chicken over so that breast side is now up
- 11. Bake for an additional 15 to 25 minutes or until thigh temperature (taken with an instant read meat thermometer) is 170°-180°
- 12. Remove chicken from oven
- 13. Carve chicken and drizzle with pan juices before serving
Serves 4
We hope you have benefited from this information on agave! For those of you who are monitoring your sugar intake or who just want a more healthy sweetner, agave nectar may be a good alternative choice for you and your family.
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