[Sca-cooks] Agave syrup

[Elaine Koogler]

I'm a type 2 diabetic, and my diabetes is not that severe...I'm not on
insulin but rather a drug called glipizide.  I know I can do just fine with
Splenda and other artificial sweeteners, as well as stevia (brand name that
we find is "Truvia").  I do have to watch carbs in general (white flour,
white rice, etc.) as well as certain fruits and veggies (corn, pineapple,
bananas and most dried fruit) because of the high amount of sugar they
contain.  So I may find some agave syrup and see how that works.

Thanks for all of your help...

Kiri

On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 11:07 AM, Deborah Hammons
<mistressaldyth at gmail.com>wrote:

> One of the favorite buzz words for diabetics is the glycemic index.  Gotta
> see where everything  ranks to see if it is ok to eat. Makes my head hurt.
>  Each diabetic is really a unique case.  If you work closely with your
> doctor, dietician and educator, there are many foods you think would be
> taboo that you can eat.  A good quick scan of the product label for total
> carbohydrates and sugars will give you an idea.  If the carbohydrate number
> and the sugar number are almost the same, probably not good for a diabetic
> if it is over 25.
> The agave products I have seen don't have the label information yet.
>  Supplements don't have to.  Although it does tout the glycemic index of
> 27.
> With honey at 83 and sugar at 137, it seems pretty low.
>
> Something I have found is that stevia makes strawberries juice.  Like sugar
> when making strawberry shortcake.  Splenda and the other artificial
> sweeteners don't.  Stevia is pricey at best now that the FDA regulates it.
> Might make a good research project to use "herbal" sweeteners, artificial
> sweeteners, and sugar in the same dish to see what they do.
>
> Long time diabetics get to know what sets them off, up or down.  My other
> half bottoms out if he eats pork or lamb.  I would say do a left handed
> trial.  If your doctor says it is ok, use something with agave in it early
> in the day, testing before, and 30 minutes after.  Then 2 hours after. And
> I
> mean just substituting it for the sweet you would normally use. If your
> numbers don't change appreciably, you body probably tolerates it.
>
> Aldyth
>
> On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 8:28 AM, Judith Epstein <judith at ipstenu.org> wrote:
>
> >  I'm not qualified to say what's safe (period, end of thought) for a
> > diabetic, either by academic credentials or by life experience -- that
> is,
> > I'm not a medical doctor, nor a diabetic, nor familiar with your exact
> form
> > and severity of diabetes. I've heard from a handful of diabetic relatives
> > and friends that they use agave syrup because it's sweeter than sugar and
> > safer for them, but you'll want to consult with your physician to make
> > certain of the details as they apply to you in particular. Given a
> medical
> > need for it, I'd go with Splenda or another artificial sweetener (with
> > physician approval) entirely, rather than risk a diabetic episode. Health
> > reasons supersede every other consideration when it comes to choosing
> Period
> > or non-Period food ingredients.
> >
> > Judith / no SCA name yet
> >
> > On Aug 7, 2009, at 9:22 AM, Elaine Koogler wrote:
> >
> >  So...is [agave syrup] safe for diabetics to use?  If so, that would be
> >> terrific.  I'm
> >> actually not concerned about whether or not it's period.  Usually I try
> to
> >> cook some vegetarian dishes, but other than that, I feel that my
> >> obligations
> >> to food allergies/preferences is to publish a listing of ingredients.
> >> However, if this is something that would allow me to use a syrup that's
> >> safe
> >> for diabetics, I'd love it as I am diabetic.
> >>
> >> Kiri
> >>
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