(NaturalNews) Over the last two years, we've witnessed a mass exodus away from agave nectar and a search for more natural sweeteners that are both low on the glycemic index and high in nutrient density. Several candidates have emerged, but my all-out favorite has become
coconut sugar, which is really more like a
coconut caramel sap.
This sweetener is fast becoming extremely popular among raw foodies, vegans and vegetarians. Many have switched from agave nectar to coconut sugar for all the reasons I'm covering here.
The
coconut sugar (sap) I've been using is a 100% pure organic crystallized coconut sap from Thailand. It's harvested from the sap of unopened coconut blossoms, then boiled under controlled heat to drive off the
water and condense the liquid to a dark brown sap. There are no additives used, no bleaching, and absolutely no stripping of
minerals or other nutrients. It's not a
raw food, however. Cooking the sap is a necessary part of concentrating it, just like with
maple syrup, which is really a concentration of the watery maple sap.
The result is a thick, liquid "caramel" sap that's brown in color and extremely sweet.
It tastes almost like fudge, and some people even eat it like fudge. (Intense sweetness!) I use it in
smoothies, where I've found it to offer the most
full-spectrum sweetness taste from any
natural sweetener I've ever tried. Agave nectar was great, but coconut
sugar is so much better -- it actually reminds me of the richness of
raw cane sugar juice that I used to drink in South America.
Works in smoothies, recipes and hot beverages
This caramelized coconut sugar is also very handy in its sap format: It melts easily in hot beverages, it mixes easily in
recipes, and it blends easily in smoothies. Amazingly, it's only 12% sugar, and it's high in potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. It's also high in several key B vitamins, so eating it is not just delicious; it's also
healthy! (My theory is that the presence of certain trace minerals enhances the sweetness and richness of the flavor without needing high sugar content like you'll find in refined sugar...)
This is my new
sweetener of choice, and it's so good that we shipped in a few thousand units and put it on sale so that
NaturalNews readers can try it at a
29% discount off regular pricing.
Click here to check out our 3 lb. Thai Coconut Sugar at the NaturalNews Store.When you buy a 3-pack (three pails) of our Thai Coconut Sugar (9 lbs total), the discount is increased to
36% off. We're doing this at such a great discount to help introduce you to this amazing product so you can try it yourself.
We also have the same product available in smaller jars at up to 36% off, too. However, it's a far better value to purchase in the larger pails, where the final price is less than $6 / pound based on the 3-pack discount.
You will be amazed by the
taste of this Thai coconut sugar. There's nothing like it in the world of
natural sweeteners. I encourage you to actually try it straight! It's an intense, fudge-like taste with an amazing texture that just melts in your mouth. Drop it into smoothies or recipes to give them a taste of heaven.
The claimed
glycemic index (GI) of this food is 35 -- which is extraordinarily low for a sweetener. Over the years, however, I've gained a fair amount of skepticism about the GI numbers that sweetener companies claim. However, I've been using it regularly and have had no
blood sugar issues at all -- and I used to be hypoglycemic and borderline diabetic, so I'm extremely sensitive to my own
blood sugar fluctuations. Try it yourself and I think you'll be surprised at the minimal impact this has on blood sugar (which is probably due in part to the high trace mineral content it contains).
Click here to view Thai Coconut Sugar at the NaturalNews Store.Enjoy!
About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In mid 2010, Adams produced NaturalNews.TV, a natural health video sharing website offering user-generated videos on nutrition, green living, fitness and more. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a noted pioneer in the email marketing software industry, having been the first to launch an HTML email newsletter technology that has grown to become a standard in the industry. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, martial arts and organic gardening. He's also author a large number of health books offered by Truth Publishing and is the creator of numerous reference website including NaturalPedia.com and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. His websites also include the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the innate healing ability of the human body.
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Wednesday, June 29, 2011
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