Thursday, September 23, 2010

Nutritional Facts About Master Cleanse or Lemon Diet - Muscovado Sugar

All About Muscovado Sugar
a.k.a Barbados Sugar


Healthy Natural Unrefined Sugar • High in Mineral ContentProvides Energy • Great for Cooking, Baking and Sweetening Beverages



Muscovado Sugar

Muscovado sugar takes its name from the spanish 'mascabado' (meaning unrefined). Also known as Barbados sugar. This sugar is pure, wholesome, unrefined, natural cane sugar. It is also called 'poor man's sugar'. Muscovado sugar retains all of the natural ingredients of sugar cane, making it wholesome and healthy. High in nutitional value, comparable even to pure honey. Muscovado sugar is unrefined, with a high mineral content. Common in South America and south east Asia, but comparably more difficult to find in the USA.


Usage


It is used just like normal sugar. Excellent for baking, cooking, and as a coffee/tea sweetener.




Production Process


The production process is very traditional. The main ingredient is natural cane sugar, but some of the other ingredients are small lime (called kalamansi or calamondin, often described as a cross between a mandarin orange and a kumquat) and fresh coconut milk. The coconut milk is used in the heating process to prevent the sugar cane juice from foaming.

The heating process evaporates the water content and the cane juice will gradually thicken into a gooey liquid. This liquid is sun-dried. The hardened sugar will then be pounded to produce the natural, unrefined muscovado sugar.



Nutrient value

Compared to normal white sugar, muscovado sugar retains all the cane sugar nutrients. High in mineralspotassiumcalciumiron, it has more health benefits compared to normal white sugar, which has zero nutrients, as the refining process to produce white sugar has practically eliminated all traces of nutrients from it.


Carbs and Fiber in Muscovado Sugar

Food Item: Muscovado Sugar
Food Quantity: 1 tbsp
Carbs: 15g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Net Carbs: 15g



Muscovado Sugar and Diet

Sugars (like Muscovado Sugar) are typically 'empty-calorie' foods (calories without any nutrients) with no dietary fiber. Moreover, excepting fructose, carb sugars are high on the Glycemic Index, because they cause a rapid rise in blood-glucose levels, leading to excessive insulin production and a sudden drop in blood glucose. The longer-term health effects of high-GI foods and consequent unstable blood sugar levels, include periodic hyperglycemiahyperinsulimiaobesity and other symptoms, known collectively as insulin resistance syndrome. Increased risk of diabetes is another possibility. See also Diabesity and Insulin Resistance. Bottom line: if you want to lose weight and stay healthy, keep your intake of carbohydrate-sugar, like Muscovado Sugar, to a sensible minimum. This means reducing your intake of regular sodas, and other processed food.

Muscovado came from the Spanish word mascabado (which means unrefined). Muscovado is a type of unrefined sugar that still contains vitamins and minerals from sugar cane making it pure and healthy, unlike the refined (white) sugar which is stripped off its nutrient in the process of refinement. Muscovado has a very dark brown color and stickier than most brown sugar, it takes its flavor from its source, sugarcane juice. Muscovado has a reasonably long shelf life.
Muscovado sugar is known before as the poor peoples' sugar, but things have changed, today as more and more people (especially the rich) are becoming conscious of their health, they are now opting for a healthier food product. That is why muscovado is now considered one of the high-priced sweeteners in the market. Only a pure natural honey can compare to muscovado's nutritive value. One important reason why muscovado is becoming popular today is because, it's low calorie content as compared to white sugar.

Why refined sugar is not good?
  • The process of refinement not only remove the important vitamins and minerals out of the food, but it also makes the food product acidic and as we all know acid is one of the main causes of premature aging, weakening of the bone and development of some diseases.

  • Another reason why refined sugar is not good is, when we eat sugar, we lose B vitamins, minerals such as calcium, iron and other nutrients from our own healthy cells. As the alkaline minerals are depleted from our bodies, we become more and more acidic, making us susceptible to some diseases.
  • Lastly the more we eat sugar or sweet foods, the more we crave for it, the reason sugar gives us intense cravings is that our bodies are looking for the missing nutrients (because refined sugar has empty calories and provide absolutely no nutritional benefits). If the body continuously craves for sugar, it can result to diseases like obesity and diabetes.
Uses: As sweetener for coffee, chocolate drinks and other beverages. It is also use for baking and making whiskey.


To know more about Cayenne Pepper and its Nutritional as well as its Benefits, please click here.

To know more about Lemon and its Nutritional as well as its Benefits, please click here.


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