GT1; L (a-b-); (se); PROP-T; NN Sa Bon Nim Admin & Columnist
Posts: 49,369
Gender: Female
Location: ''eternal spring'' Cuernavaca - Mex.
Age: 56
right
''Just follow the book, don't look for magic fixes to get you off the hook. Do the work.'' Dr.D.'98 DNA mt/Haplo H; Y-chrom/J2(M172);ISTJ The harder you are on yourself, the easier life will be on you!
I've been putting stevia in my oatmeal and such. That seems to not feed it either. If I eat too much honey, I feel like it feeds candida. So I use it sparingly. Because I know it has some other beneficial qualities and is a superfood on my list. But I didn't realize that Agave didn't feed yeast. I also have used it sparingly in the past. I did use it in my son's Birthday cake and I felt fine after eating a piece of it. Which was nice. Because in the past, when I eat your normal run of the mill store cake, I feel yucky. So....... 99 bottles of agave on the wall, 99 bottles of agave, take one down, pass it around......
The poster formerly known as "ABNOWAY"
"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." - Phillipians 4:8
Fructose cannot cause any significant insulin spikes since fructose does not require insulin for its absorption and metabolism. Agave is a source of fructose (as are blueberries) but the main reason it is generally considered a 'neutral' as compared to other sweeteners is that it seems to produce almost no bacteria overgrowth (as opposed to hfcs, which does) and does not provoke major immune/ gut related reactions, which hfcs also does (probably because it is corn derived; I've seen this same thing with 'ascorbic acid' vitamin C versus rose hip and acerola derived vitamin C -- most commercial ascorbic acid is derived from corn syrup).
Beware of the 'fructose is bad' mantra. If you took that to it's logical extreme, you'd never eat a fruit. It's the hfcs we are being deluged with that is the problem.
Aaaaaaand: STICKY!
This one is a keeper.
edited to add: oooops. Guess it already was stuck and I just unstuck it. Now I stuck it again.
Oh, the humanity. Anyway, Dr. D.'s post is good info to keep around for reference re agave, HFCS, fructose, etc.
"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right." - moi -
Agave is the only sweetener available to me. It's listed as neutral.
I'm going to carry on using it. One tablespoon in a week's batch of flax-meal bread is still going to be better for me than any available alternative.
Perspective people, perspective.
I almost never have sweeteners in my house except around Thanksgiving when I make my cranberry relish, and for that one I really do prefer good old cane sugar crystals. I just made my FABU cranberry relish for Thanksgiving and, when that was accomplished, I gave the rest of the organic brown sugar away to a co-worker. I do not want it in my house. That said, if I were to buy a sweetener, it would for sure be agave, for just the reason you stated: it is the one that is compliant for me. Plus, just personally, I consider it to be the purest, healthiest of the sweeteners except for honey, which I also dig, but am not allowed to have, per Dr. D. (he is soooooooooo strict ).
For making homemade sodas and smoothies, I went through a phase of buying 100% fruit syrups/concentrates, which are AWESOME, too. They have all kinds, such as blueberry, black cherry, elderberry. Tree of Life is a great brand, and for the elderberry, I like the brand Natural Sources. You can make fabulous homemade sodas with seltzer water, beneficial/superfood juices, and/or fruit syrups. Ummmmmm.
Anyway, as added sweeteners go, I prefer, in order (though the order of my preference changes based on what I want to use them for, but in GENERAL, this is the order I prefer):
1. 100% fruit syrups/concentrates 2. Agave nectar 3. Honey 4. Pure cane sugar
Since I don't bake and I'm not a dessert person, I virtually never have any of the above except for #1, for the aforementioned sodas and smoothies, and usually I don't have those, either (I usually just drink plain seltzer water, or sometimes I add lemon or lime...the most likely fruit syrup for me to have occasionally is elderberry, for sodas and for if I feel I'm coming down with something, although in recent times I have switched to Proberry Caps for the latter).
edited to add: not a fan of Stevia, although I've never tried it. But Steve Shapiro, years ago, said that he tried it and realized it was "not his friend", plus I can never find a brand without suspect ingredients added, so the heck with trying it. Who needs it? Not I.
"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right." - moi -
I am a fan of stevia....it has no calories, no sugar action at all, and contains inulin, a kind of soluble fiber, I believe, and some say....is anticandida....maybe just because it isn't hospitable to it...? Anyway...get a good brand and try it...yes brands vary...I like NuStevia, but whatever. It's flavor has a slight bitterness that is easily hidden in tea, anything acidic, like cooked berries, delish! I use it in oatmeal now, though I had to get used to it. I pour on the cinnamon, dash of evoo, and stevia!!!!
GT1; L (a-b-); (se); PROP-T; NN Sa Bon Nim Admin & Columnist
Posts: 49,369
Gender: Female
Location: ''eternal spring'' Cuernavaca - Mex.
Age: 56
needs to have every ingredient specified......some do contain added corn syrup
like PT said......certified is best
''Just follow the book, don't look for magic fixes to get you off the hook. Do the work.'' Dr.D.'98 DNA mt/Haplo H; Y-chrom/J2(M172);ISTJ The harder you are on yourself, the easier life will be on you!
SwamiX Explorer A2+; L(a-b+); MN,INFP, T/ R1b-M343 Ee Dan
Posts: 3,488
Gender: Female
Location: Sunny Coast,��QLD, Australia
Age: 61
That one is certified USDA organic, made purely from the juice of the agave, no additives and preservaties (quoting their label). So that should be enough to trust?
GT1; L (a-b-); (se); PROP-T; NN Sa Bon Nim Admin & Columnist
Posts: 49,369
Gender: Female
Location: ''eternal spring'' Cuernavaca - Mex.
Age: 56
sounds like a great source!
''Just follow the book, don't look for magic fixes to get you off the hook. Do the work.'' Dr.D.'98 DNA mt/Haplo H; Y-chrom/J2(M172);ISTJ The harder you are on yourself, the easier life will be on you!
Rh+ GT 4.....E/INTP ....prop.=non-taster.. Kyosha Nim Columnists and Bloggers
Posts: 15,311
Gender: Female
Location: CH-Benglen Kanton Z�rich
tried once stevia and it was awful...then I looked into lr4yt and it was marked in minuscule letters nada para A2B nonnies... next in Swami GT5 it is neutral.. yiiikes... nada para me either ........
tried once stevia and it was awful...then I looked into lr4yt and it was marked in minuscule letters nada para A2B nonnies... next in Swami GT5 it is neutral.. yiiikes... nada para me either ........
Great turn of phrase and emoticons! It's like you're saying to stevia "talk to the hand"
INFJ ex-Ghee Whiz, GTD Explorer Sept_09 - SWAMI Mar_10
Family - O+ DH and DD (both hunter-ish) IBS, Fibro, Hashimotos, Adenomyosis, Oral Lichen Planus, Breast Cancer, Terminal case of Optimism
....it has no calories, no sugar action at all, and contains inulin, a kind of soluble fiber, I believe, ...
I am not sure of all the chemical compounds stevia contains (the sweetness comes from stevioside and rebaudioside). But stevia used to sweeten is derived from the leaves and inulin is normally derived from root tubers.
Some products that contain stevia also contain inulin, but ordinarily inulin is added to these products and I am not aware of any of the inulin coming from the stevia.
MIfHIÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â I follow a SWAMI diet.
Exogenous, which literally means 'outside the body' may also be referred to as "dietary" or "pre-formed." Exogenous glycations and Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) are typically formed when sugars are cooked with proteins or fats. Temperatures over over 120°C (~248°F) greatly accelerate the reactions, but lower temperatures with longer cooking times also promote their formation.
My emphasis.
Sorry if this was repeated elsewhere. I am just connecting the dots .....
My weight loss goal: 220 lbs.  A 6'4" dyslexic oddball: the size of a line-backer, the silhouette of Winnie-the-Pooh.
Expluntherer... It means I'm just an O Autumn: Harvest, success.
Posts: 262
Gender: Female
My experience is agave still feeds candida. Stevia and xylitol and glycerin do not.
I have a "stevia sugar" which is stevia and inulin (inulin is a pre-biotic). If I'm doing baking, I like to use 1/2 cup xylitol and 1/4 cup stevia sugar in place of one cup of sugar. I used to find stevia absoultely disgusting, but "diluting" it with inulin makes it MUCH more bearable. I'm not a fan of glycerin...
And my diabetic mother has found that while agave doesn't spike her sugar, if she has agave with any other kind of carb, then her sugar spikes significantly.
For past two to three weeks I've been using the certified agave thing. My bloodwork, done a few days ago, shows elevated AST and ALT, I have itchiness in all the (blank) places, suggesting candida flare-up, despite the fact that I am taking intrinsa and am basically eating superfoods, diamonds, and GH-foods.
And my A1C is below range; I don't know how or if it relates to above.
For me, agave is no different than any sweetener, in that it fuels my sugar cravings. So I have stopped using it in my cookies. I now use the unpleasant vegetable glycerine.
It is very possible that I am in a hypothyroid state, I will know as soon as those labs come in within the next few days. If I am in a hypothyroid state this might account for some of the above results, though not sure.
SwamiX Explorer A2+; L(a-b+); MN,INFP, T/ R1b-M343 Ee Dan
Posts: 3,488
Gender: Female
Location: Sunny Coast,��QLD, Australia
Age: 61
Diffy, I had elevated liver enzymes at my previous test 3 months ago, but they came perfect on my latest blood tests a few days ago! You will find further details in my Swami Xpress thread. All I was doing in between is be very compliant to my type (which pendulum between Teacher and Warrior), drink and drink a lot of water. I had no vitamins or supps except for the occasional warrior sups in the last few weeks. But, looking back I did not eat any biscuits and my sugar cravings were satisfied by sweetening my coffee with Agave to start with, mapple syrup or barley malt lately. I also used these to sweeten my peanut butter or almond butter on my rice cakes. All of these choices were part of my superfoods and diamonds!!
I am an A and Secretor, but my point is that this diet has helped me improve my blood results. You can beat this and you will beat this with the right choice of food for you!!!
Those other results you are waiting for, will help you further define your diet. Something I do use in my cooking is lots of turmeric, red onions, curry, oregano, I look at those spices and condiment lists and I squeeze the diamond out of them!! But then I tend to do that with all my lists too! Keep on doing that too and we will soon see your glowing reports in this forum!! keep us in touch!
When I met Dr. D. in October my AST, ALT was perfectly low. I've been doing the BTD prior to meeting with him, but not fully compliant. Then after our appt. I started the SWAMI-GT2 thing and haven't veered from the path, save for the two weeks of agave. I am totally sugar free and honey free and sweetener free whereas before the SWAMI I had been cheating on sugar here and there. I take some supps. the doc recommended. Bottom line for me, the agave doesn't agree with me, as well as fruits. Anything sweet doesn't agree with me just yet.
SwamiX Explorer A2+; L(a-b+); MN,INFP, T/ R1b-M343 Ee Dan
Posts: 3,488
Gender: Female
Location: Sunny Coast,��QLD, Australia
Age: 61
have you been losing much weight lately? I read somewhere that losing weigh too fast strains the liver and causes the liver enzymes (ALT and AST) to raise above normal. Rapid weigh changes either way does that.
When I met Dr. D. in October my AST, ALT was perfectly low. I've been doing the BTD prior to meeting with him, but not fully compliant. Then after our appt. I started the SWAMI-GT2 thing and haven't veered from the path, save for the two weeks of agave. I am totally sugar free and honey free and sweetener free whereas before the SWAMI I had been cheating on sugar here and there. I take some supps. the doc recommended. Bottom line for me, the agave doesn't agree with me, as well as fruits. Anything sweet doesn't agree with me just yet.
Diffy,
I am the same way. I'm an Explorer with the classical liver issues, and my liver enzymes are always a little weird on blood tests. I don't do too well with lots of fructose (agave, apples, pears)...because my liver enzymes become abnormally high. The natural sugar in 1-2 fruits is enough for me to take per day, and I need to balance it with vegetables .
Not to worry; as soon as my thyroid levels go up to normal my AST and ALT will go down. And when my thyroid meds are optimized I will be able to tolerate some fruits. And agave. I know I will!
I have a "stevia sugar" which is stevia and inulin (inulin is a pre-biotic). If I'm doing baking, I like to use 1/2 cup xylitol and 1/4 cup stevia sugar in place of one cup of sugar. I used to find stevia absoultely disgusting, but "diluting" it with inulin makes it MUCH more bearable. I'm not a fan of glycerin....
very interesting...where do you find inulin and what ratio do you use w/ the stevia for your stevia sugar? thanks!
Print Thread
Report to Moderator
Female
Logged
Private message
YIM
Male
Site
).
..... 
It's like you're saying to stevia "talk to the hand" 
.