Coconut Sugar...low glycemic index sugar that is great for baking!

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This is coconut sugar pictured above.  I have been baking with this sugar since before Christmas and it is now one of my favorites!  This makes wonderful muffins, cakes, and desserts and it has lots of vitamins and minerals and is low on the glycemic index.  It does not in any way have the taste of a coconut just FYI.  Dr. Oz just did a little segment on this and I posted that below....

What Is Coconut Sugar?

 Coconut sugar is made from the sugar blossoms of fresh coconuts found in the tropics. It is harvested by slicing the bud of the coconut tree flower to release the sap or coconut nectar. This nectar is then boiled into a thick caramel and dried into crystals. Nothing is removed during this process. It is often then it is ground up into very fine crystals that are known as being the coconut sap sugar, coconut palm sugar, or just organic coconut sugar  are all names for this sugar.  It comes in crystal form, solid form, and a liquid form.  I personally like the crystals that look like sugar.  There is dark and blonde..both work well with baking..it is amazing.  Coconut sugar is similar in texture and taste to brown sugar but far outweighs its nutritional profile

Health Benefits of Coconut Sugar

1.   Coconut Sugar is safe for diabetics and great for dieters...it has a glycemic index of 35 as compared to table sugar which is about 50-65.  So what does that even mean??  The glycemic index ranks foods and beverages based on how they affect your blood sugar level. Foods are scored on a scale of 0 to 100. Only foods and beverages that contain carbs are ranked, since they have the biggest effect on blood sugar. This tells how fast the sugar hits the bloodstream and is absorbed.  So the higher the number the quicker it goes in and the faster it goes out causing that quick rise and fall of your blood sugar.  This fast spike and low is what causes the problems with blood sugar levels which lead to irritability, craving more sugar, weight gain, inflammation in the body and much more.  Coconut sugar has a low glycemic index which does not cause the rise and fall of blood sugar.
2.  It is full of vitamins and minerals our body needs.  Coconut sugar contains the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese, phosphorus and boron.  Coconut sugar also contains 12 of the B vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, nicotinic acid, biotin, pyridoxal and inositol. It is especially high in the vitamin inositol, which is necessary for nerve transmission, metabolism of cholesterol and the redistribution of fat within the body. In addition, inositol has been used to treat diabetes, depression and panic attacks.
3. It is an all natural whole foods sweetener that has not been processed or refined.
4. Coconut sap sugar is made coconut sap, which has 16 of the 20 amino acids.
5. Glutamine amino acid is heavily found in the coconut sap, and is known as being one of the most powerful brain food there is.  In addition, ironically enough, Glutamine is very helpful in decreasing people’s cravings for sugar.

Let me just say one little thing here, though..while it is a better choice for sugar...it still has the same number of calories as table sugar..BUT the glycemic index is lower and so the calories are not processed the same.  Not all calories are equal...an apple with 150 calories is not processed in the body the same of a 150 calorie pack of M&M's.  So while it is a better alternative than table sugar..it does still contain calories and should be used in moderation.  We all like to bake and have special treats from time to time...using this is a much better alternative to table sugar!

Locally, the place I get this is Earthfare..but it is available online everywhere.

Dr. Oz video coconut sugar

I will be baking a couple of his recipes from the show and trying them on my pregnant sister and then I will post them :D