Sunday, February 27, 2011

North County Home, Garden and Gourmet Expo



   We want to thank All of you who came out to visit our booth see our Whole Foods and Cooking Presentation at the North County Show. We truly enjoyed meeting all of you and encourage each of you to let us know what we can do to assist you in adopting a whole foods diet and making it taste fantastic!

We would like to thank Simply Clear Marketing for Producing and Promoting & Managing a successful event.

AND >>> We will look forward to seeing some of you at the Health and Fitness Expo at the Madonna Inn Expo Center on March 19th and 20th. We will be giving a presentation and cooking demonstration on, Whole Foods as Preventative Medicine. Our talk is scheduled from 11am-12pm on Saturday March 19th. Come on by and learn something new  & sample some of what we create:)

Blessing of Health and Goodness to you All.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Insulin and it's Metabolic Effects

  
Insulin and it's Metabolic Effects
by: Ron Rosedale M.D.

This is a powerful document linked to the Dr. Mercola Website and read by both of us some time back.
It is a synopsis of a lecture that Dr. Ron Rosedale gave back in August 1999. Simply click the link on the title above and read. Take your time, it is a long paper (32 pgs), but worth reading when you grasp it's relevance.

This document will change the way you view carbohydrates and sugars, providing you with insight rarely ever talked about and hardly understood. It sheds light on how insulin functions in the body, what happens when there is excess insulin, when we become insulin resistant, and also the harsh realities of what is happening in the bodies of most North Americans that eat refined carbohydrates (breads & pasta) as a staple. The striking reality is that you will read how excess insulin and insulin-resistance relates to just about every major disease you can think of, and is not just privy to diabetes.

We'd love to know what you think about this document and how we can help you to make the choice towards getting lower glycemic in your diet.

Friday, February 11, 2011

The Dangers of Refined Vegetable Oils.

 The Dangers of Polyunsaturated Vegetable Oils

From the pioneering research of Dr. Weston A. Price

The above title is a live link to an amazing article by Dr. Weston Price. Worth more then just a cursory read! Take a look and consider what oils you have been using in your kitchen add top that a deeper consideration of what you have been eating when out to breakfast, lunch or dinner!

As I searched for images for this post it dawned on me that the collective images of these refined vegetable oils just looked scary and unhealthy, suitable for burning in a modified diesel engine at best!


_______________________________________________________________________________


 

How to Hydrate Properly



Let’s take a look at some important ideas about water - some things I’ve been talking about for years, along with some startling new information I’ve come across. More and more doctors are recommending drinking more water, as doing so lowers cholesterol levels dramatically, reduces many allergy reactions by as much as 50%, and has many more benefits. Over time in our dehydrated culture, our internal organs begin to shrivel, literally. Most standard beverages in our modern world contain sugar or caffeine (or both!), or alcohol, all of which are dehydrating to the body. This, coupled with the fact that the packaged foods of most modern diets (breads, cookies, crackers, chips, fast food, etc.) contain little or no water compared to the whole foods diets (brown rice, beans, seasonal vegetables, etc.) of people living close to the earth. Most of us in the modern world are extremely dehydrated, and we don’t even know it because our thirst mechanism has been stunted since childhood. Here’s a tip that’s helped me: if it’s been a couple of hours since my last meal and my stomach gurgles (normal digestion), instead of asking myself if I am hungry for a snack, I ask myself if I’m thirsty. And, I find that the lemon-water going down my throat is exactly what my body was really asking for. My goal is to help you gently turn your sensitivity to thirst back up so you can live a longer, healthier life.
    So, how much water should we be drinking daily? I believe that each of us should hydrate with ½ our ideal body weight in ounces per day - a little less in the wintertime and a little more in the summertime. Some people think we should only drink when thirsty, but most modern people’s thirst mechanism has been stunted. When I started getting my 70 ounces of re-mineralized water daily (I weigh 140lb.), I began to feel SO MUCH BETTER! I had more energy & stamina, I craved fewer carbohydrates, my bowels became unconstipated, my headaches & acne reduced significantly, and I lost weight. By the way, all these things happened to an even further degree along with even more signs of increased vitality, a few years later when I decided to cut refined sugars out of my diet.
    It’s ideal to drink at times other than when we eat, so as not to inhibit digestion. Drinking more than 4 oz with a meal dilutes valuable stomach acids & enzymes. So ideally, you’ll want to hydrate with at least 16 - 24 oz of re-mineralized water, 4 times a day, between meals. Start out drinking less if that much at one time is difficult for you. As you begin to consciously re-hydrate yourself regularly, you’ll feel thirsty more often and be able to drink more at one time. Eventually you’ll be getting the right number of ounces for your body daily.
    And what do I mean by re-mineralizing? I mean adding trace minerals (aka: electrolytes) to your water because straight H2O doesn’t hydrate very efficiently. In fact, straight H2O can actually pull minerals from your body as it passes through. Think about it; water comes to us in nature in wells & streams where minerals are present. When water is void of minerals, your body can’t utilize it efficiently. By re-mineralizing your water, it’s like you’re making your own GatorAid - without the sugar!
Here’s several things you can add to your 16 oz glass of water to re-mineralize it:
1/16 tsp (pinch) of whole sea salt (Celtic, Himalayan, Portuguese, & Real Salt brand)
the juice from a lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit
1-2 tsp of raw apple cider vinegar
an ounce or so of any 100% fruit juice
2 - 3 oz. water leftover from soaking sea vegetables for cooking
    All of these contain trace minerals. I like lemon juice, as it takes my thirst away immediately and is gently cleansing to every organ. Raw apple cider vinegar is more strongly cleansing, alkalizing to the pH, aids digestion, helps prevent arthritis crystals from forming when taken regularly, and has many other benefits - those with weakened or sensitive kidneys use it sparingly. Whole sea salt is great to replace bodily electrolytes in the summer or when working out/sweating lots. 100% fruit juice is tasty, but may be too sugary for those with candida issues.
    Water Sources: Get your water from a good reverse osmosis filter, purifier, distiller, micro-filter, or from a good water store. Water vending machines outside grocery stores are okay, but less thorough at providing pure water, in my opinion. Always use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic bottles to store & carry it. By the way, I’ve found that most stainless steel water bottles for on the go eventually give the water a slight metallic taste, especially if you’re adding sea salt to re-mineralize it. I like 32 oz glass mason jars and 32 oz apple cider vinegar bottles best. 
     If you have to use polycarbonate bottles, get the new ones labled BPA-free. And NEVER buy or drink water sold in convenient, low-grade plastic bottles (labeled on bottlom as #7 or lower) because they leach toxic plasticides (toxic chemicals such as BPA and even synthetic estrogens) into the water - especially if the bottles get warm sitting around. I recently watched the movie “Tapped” and learned more about this, along with  the corporate agenda behind bottling & selling water to us - something that is our basic human right to have freely. And FYI, in case you didn’t know, tap water is swimming with both chlorine and flouride, both of which are very bad for nearly every system in the body, and toxic for infants and very young children.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The Great Health Debate

This is an amazing opportunity to hear some of the best in the world talk about their different perspectives, compare and contrast, state their case and share their experiences! Wonderful!
 http://www.renegadehealth.com/ghd/register6.html 
 Great Health Debate Lineup
    Charlotte Gerson - Gerson Institute for cancer recovery
    Donna Gates - author of The Body Ecology Diet
    Dr. Joseph Mercola - whole foods & nutritional typing
    Sally Fallon - author of Nourishing Traditions
    David Wolfe - raw diet & sun food nutrition
    T. Colin Campbell - author of The China Study & vegetarian advocate

Monday, February 7, 2011

February Newsletter 2011

1st CookWell Newsletter    Feb 2011
Intro Don, new classes & recipes
It’s finally here! The monthly CookWell newsletter you’ve been waiting for! I’m Courtney Coleman, and I’ve got an exciting announcement to share with you, as well as some important new information about both water and exactly why refined sugars are so detrimental to long term health. I’ve included an amazing cultured carrot cake recipe that’s sugar & gluten free, and listed our February specialty class schedule, for the specialty classes & dinners that Don & I will be offering on Thursday nights in our home in Los Osos.
So... that’s the exciting news! My husband Don and I have been tandemly giving talks, cooking demos and classes in kitchens all over SLO County for the past six months! And, we’ve been getting some terrific reviews (aren’t we cute?) because together we present a very well-rounded picture of whole foods diet, cooking & lifestyle. Don is a teacher, chef, knifemaker and Zen kitchen enthusiast. He offers life path counseling, sustenance training, deep listening, and meditation coaching. In cooking well, Don takes people gently by the hand, helping them identify their emotional attachments to particular foods & habits, and shows them how to embody joy and mindfulness in cooking and in practicing a whole foods lifestyle. His website’s are: www.gingerbuddha.com (click on "sustenance training" to see our collaborative course outline), and www.californiacustomknives.com.
Whether you want to have just me or both Don & I come to your kitchen for a private or small group CookWell session, or if you just want to show up to one of our specialty classes or dinners at our home on Sunny Hill, we look forward to meeting you and helping you incorporate the whole foods diet & lifestyle that works best for you.
Thursday Night Dinners & Specialty Classes We hope you can make it to our home one of these Thursday nights. Our classes will include a discussion (bring notebook & pen if you’d like to take notes), a cooking demonstration, and then dinner around 7:15. Our goal is that all your questions are answered.
Thursday night dinners are served around 6:30 and offer our community a warm, informal setting around great food & great conversation. We look forward to getting to know you better, and you’re welcome to bring your own wine or beer to both classes and dinners. Please RSVP to pre-pay and for directions to The Sunny Hill Residence. 528-8837 or courtney@cookwell.org
CLASS: Getting refined sugar out of the diet - strategies, personal stories & support Thursday, Feb 17, 6-8PM
cost for 1 hr class and dinner: $40 per person
serving: yam & portabella mushroom bake
seasonal vegetable stir-steam
green salad
gluten & sugar free ginger-orange-carrot spice cake
DINNER: Thursday night Dinner at Courtney & Don’s Thursday, Feb 24, 6-8PM
cost: $20 per person
serving: black eyed pea, shitake & seasonal vegetable stew
perfect brown rice
green salad with home-made lemon-tahini dressing
carob coconut cloud dessert
CLASS: Getting lower glycemic in your diet - strategies, personal stories & support Thursday, Mar 3, 6-8PM
cost: $40 per person
serving: curried lentils with millet & seasonal vegetables
bacon-wrapped jalepeno-sausage boats
green salad with home-made balsamic vinaigrette
stevia-sweetened almond & nutmeg amaranth cookies
Feb Newsletter topic:
The first two steps
For most people, the first two steps in beginning the path to healing & vitality with a whole foods diet & lifestyle are: 1) getting enough re-mineralized water daily, and 2) getting refined sugar out of the diet.
First, let’s take a look at some important ideas about water - some things I’ve been talking about for years, along with some startling new information I’ve come across. More and more doctors are recommending drinking more water, as doing so lowers cholesterol levels dramatically, reduces many allergy reactions by as much as 50%, and has many more benefits. Over time in our dehydrated culture, our internal organs begin to shrivel, literally. Most standard beverages in our modern world contain sugar or caffeine (or both!), or alcohol, all of which are dehydrating to the body. This, coupled with the fact that the packaged foods of most modern diets (breads, cookies, crackers, chips, fast food, etc.) contain little or no water compared to the whole foods diets (brown rice, beans, seasonal vegetables, etc.) of people living close to the earth. Most of us in the modern world are extremely dehydrated, and we don’t even know it because our thirst mechanism has been stunted since childhood. Here’s a tip that’s helped me: if it’s been a couple of hours since my last meal and my stomach gurgles (normal digestion), instead of asking myself if I am hungry for a snack, I ask myself if I’m thirsty. And, I find that the lemon-water going down my throat is exactly what my body was really asking for. My goal is to help you gently turn your sensitivity to thirst back up so you can live a longer, healthier life.
So, how much water should we be drinking daily? I believe that each of us should hydrate with ½ our ideal body weight in ounces per day - a little less in the wintertime and a little more in the summertime. Some people think we should only drink when thirsty, but most modern people’s thirst mechanism has been stunted. When I started getting my 70 ounces of re-mineralized water daily (I weigh 140lb.), I began to feel SO MUCH BETTER! I had more energy & stamina, I craved fewer carbohydrates, my bowels became unconstipated, my headaches & acne reduced significantly, and I lost weight. By the way, all these things happened to an even further degree along with even more signs of increased vitality, a few years later when I decided to cut refined sugars out of my diet.
It’s ideal to drink at times other than when we eat, so as not to inhibit digestion. Drinking more than 4 oz with a meal dilutes valuable stomach acids & enzymes. So ideally, you’ll want to hydrate with at least 16 - 24 oz of re-mineralized water, 4 times a day, between meals. Start out drinking less if that much at one time is difficult for you. As you begin to consciously re-hydrate yourself regularly, you’ll feel thirsty more often and be able to drink more at one time. Eventually you’ll be getting the right number of ounces for your body daily.
And what do I mean by re-mineralizing? I mean adding trace minerals (aka: electrolytes) to your water because straight H2O doesn’t hydrate very efficiently. In fact, straight H2O can actually pull minerals from your body as it passes through. Think about it; water comes to us in nature in wells & streams where minerals are present. When water is void of minerals, your body can’t utilize it efficiently. By re-mineralizing your water, it’s like you’re making your own GatorAid - without the sugar!
Here’s several things you can add to your 16 oz glass of water to re-mineralize it: 1/16 tsp (pinch) of whole sea salt (Celtic, Himalayan, Portuguese, & Real Salt brand)
the juice from a lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit
1-2 tsp of raw apple cider vinegar
an ounce or so of any 100% fruit juice
2 - 3 oz. water leftover from soaking sea vegetables for cooking
All of these contain trace minerals. I like lemon juice, as it takes my thirst away immediately and is gently cleansing to every organ. Raw apple cider vinegar is more strongly cleansing, alkalizing to the pH, aids digestion, helps prevent arthritis crystals from forming when taken regularly, and has many other benefits - those with weakened or sensitive kidneys use it sparingly. Whole sea salt is great to replace bodily electrolytes in the summer or when working out/sweating lots. 100% fruit juice is tasty, but may be too sugary for those with candida issues.
Water Sources: Get your water from a good reverse osmosis filter, purifier, distiller, micro-filter, or from a good water store. Water vending machines outside grocery stores are okay, but less thorough at providing pure water, in my opinion. Always use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic bottles to store & carry it. By the way, I’ve found that most stainless steel water bottles for on the go eventually give the water a slight metallic taste, especially if you’re adding sea salt to re-mineralize it. I like 32 oz glass mason jars and 32 oz apple cider vinegar bottles best.
If you have to use polycarbonate bottles, get the new ones labled BPA-free. And NEVER buy or drink water sold in convenient, low-grade plastic bottles (labeled on bottlom as #7 or lower) because they leach toxic plasticides (toxic chemicals such as BPA and even synthetic estrogens) into the water - especially if the bottles get warm sitting around. I recently watched the movie "Tapped" and learned more about this, along with the corporate agenda behind bottling & selling water to us - something that is our basic human right to have freely. And FYI, in case you didn’t know, tap water is swimming with both chlorine and flouride, both of which are very bad for nearly every system in the body, and toxic for infants and very young children.
Refined sugars Okay, now for my soapbox talk about refined sugars. Most people want to know why refined sugars and spiking our blood sugar is so bad for us. That’s when I say, "don’t get me started!" Refined sugars are considered toxins by most alternative health practitioners today. Once in our bodies, they rob us of valuable vitamins and minerals. Also, our hormones, body chemistry and brain chemistry are all directly affected by blood sugar. When we are spiking our blood sugar throughout the day, our hormones and body chemistry are jumping around to extreme ends of their spectrums too. Over time, this is disastrous for our health. No wonder so many of us are out of whack! We’re raised on processed foods and don’t even want to get off the roller coaster of spiking our blood sugar because it’s extremely addicting, and because we become only satisfied with the extreme flavors of refined sugars and MSG, etc.
There are different levels of food’s capacity to spike our blood sugar. Refined sugars push it the highest - way too high for good health. Studies of people who live close to the earth (indigenous people) have found that these people have far fewer diseases than modern Americans. They don’t eat processed foods which spike the blood sugar. They eat regionally, with whole grains, beans and vegetables as the basis of their diets. They use animal products when needed medicinally, for building strength and warmth. And, they soak & sprout or ferment their grains (more on these practices and why they benefit the body in future newsletters). The whole foods diets of indigenous people also means their bodies aren’t getting assaulted by the many other detrimental factors of processed foods like; rancid & refined vegetable oils, refined salt, the stripping away of the natural vitamin and fiber-rich bran of grains, the adding of nutrient void fillers, chemical preservatives, anti-caking agents, antibiotics, hormones, etc. Processed foods are a major road to sickness, it’s just a matter of how fast, as different people have different constitutions (more on this in future newsletters).
The various names for refined sugars which spike the blood sugar dangerously high are: white sugar, cane sugar, organic cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, high-fructose corn syrup, fructose, white grape or fruit juice concentrate, and commercial honey. Honey is refined by bees and spikes the blood sugar just as much as refined sugar, just not quite as fast. Pasturized honey which is sold at mainstream grocery stores is bad for the body, whereas raw honey (preferably from a local source) is beneficial for the body and easier to digest because of the minerals and live enzymes in it. But any honey is still very high-glycemic, so try to use no more than 1 teaspoon at a time. Agave syrup or agave nectar is now being found to be nearly as high-glycemic as refined sugar, and in many cases, has been found to be nothing more than corn syrup with a little bit of real agave for flavoring.
Okay. Here’s the list of unrefined (unprocessed) sugars which haven’t been stripped of natural minerals - minerals which slow the sugar’s absorption into the bloodstream and are lower on the glycemic index. "Sucanat" or "Rapidura" are granular (looks like sand) and can be used for baking. I’ve heard great things about Yacon powder & syrup, but haven’t tried it yet. The other unrefined sugars are barley malt syrup, brown rice syrup, small amounts of raw honey, grade B maple syrup and organic molasses. For those on candida diets (no kind of sugar whatsoever) stevia leaf extract is a natural, no-sugar, no-calorie sweetener (the best I’ve found with no bitter aftertaste is Nu Naturals brand liquid vanilla flavored stevia). Xylitol and Maltitol are made from sugar alcohol and are sugar substitutes which act like sugar in baking recipes, but which have a low-medium reading on the glycemic index - often used in "sugar-free" products like chocolate, etc.
Now for a cultured carrot cake recipe that’s sugar & gluten free! You thought it wasn’t possible, right? Wrong! This one has been a favorite of both Don and I lately on our low-glycemic path because it’s moist, rich and sweet, and it’s spiced just right. It’s an especially perfect follow-up to warm winter meal.
Gluten & Sugar Free Ginger-Orange-Carrot Spice Cake: combine 2 cups fresh ground millet, 1 cup fresh ground amaranth, and 1 cup fresh ground oat groats (a coffee grinder works great for this) with 1 cup plain, cultured yogurt and 1 cup water (or, 1tsp acidophilus powder or any live probiotics mixed with 2 cups water). Mix until just blended and let sit covered at room temperature for 24 hrs. You see, the yogurt cultures (probiotic bacteria) neutralize the phytic acid in the whole grain flour (so it can't bind with minerals in your intestines & inhibit their absorption) and they break down the complex carbohydrates which makes the grain's nutrients more assimilatable and much more digestible. Okay, the next day, in a saucepan combine 1 cup melted coconut oil or butter or ghee, 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1.5 tsp Nu Naturals liquid vanilla stevia, 2 tsp baking powder, 1.5 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp each allspice & pumpkin pie spice. Mix well and stir into cultured flour mixture. Next add 1 cup chopped fresh ginger root, ½ cup orange zest, 2 cups grated carrots, and 1 cup fresh walnuts if desired. Pour into a buttered pan or loaf size baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 40 -50 minutes until done in the middle. Adding a cup of dark chocolate chips (malt-sweetened chocolate chips available at Co Op in SLO) to this recipe will knock your socks off, but then it isn’t technically sugar free anymore, is it? Whatever you choose, you will not have to work hard to enjoy this one!
As always, Don and I welcome any questions you may have via phone or email. For more information on the ancient whole foods philosophies we teach about, see the "about the food" page of my website www.cookwell.org.
We hope to see you sometime soon. Maybe on a Thursday night to share lots of learning, laughter and incredible food.
Namaste ~
Courtney & Don
mailto:courtney@cookwell.org



Gluten and Sugar Free Ginger Carrot Cake



Well....it sounds pretty yummy and it is! We have been working on several ideas for sugar free deserts for months now. Add to that gluten-Free and you have a truly rare occasion, one that you do not get often, especially in the baked format. So this cake is something special and we would love to share some with you.

So Here is how to make it:

Gluten & Sugar Free Ginger-Orange-Carrot Spice Cake
Combine 2 cups fresh ground amaranth, 1 cup fresh ground millet, and 1 cup fresh ground oat groats (a coffee grinder works great for this if you do not have a grain mill) with 1 cup plain, cultured yogurt and 1.25 cup water (or, 1tsp acidophilus powder or any live probiotics mixed with 2 cups water works to culture the flour as a dairy-free alternative to yogurt). Mix until just blended and let sit covered at room temperature for 24 hrs.
    You see, the yogurt cultures (probiotic bacteria) neutralize the phytic acid in the whole grain flour (so it can't bind with minerals in your intestines & inhibit their absorption) and they break down the complex carbohydrates which makes the grain's nutrients more assimilate-able and much more digestible.
    Okay, the next day, in a saucepan combine 1 cup melted coconut oil, 2-T vanilla extract, 1.5 tsp. Nu Naturals liquid vanilla stevia, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. sea salt, 1/2 tsp. allspice,
1-heavy tsp. pumpkin pie spice.
Mix well and stir into cultured flour mixture. Next add 3 beaten eggs, 1.5 cups grated then lightly chopped carrot, 1 cup finely diced fresh ginger root, 1/2 cup orange zest, and 1.5-2 cup fresh walnuts, 1.5-3/4 cup small or chopped large organic raisins and Pour into a buttered cake, spring-form pan or loaf size baking dish. Place in a 425-degree oven, then turn down to 400-degrees and bake 50 minutes or until done in the middle. Sometimes this particular cake can take as much as an hour and 60 min to cook! These are dense grains, Be patient and check for doneness with a wooden skewer. ALSo this cake tastes amazing the next day. So if you decide to make it for an event, make it the day before and wow will you be happy you did.
We hope you all enjoy this amazing Gluten and Sugar Free Cake.
    Feel free to adjust the ginger and orange aspect as you wish. It originally started as a ginger bread with no carrot or raisins so this is where the full cup of fresh finely dices Ginger came from.
____________________________
And now for more then just a word about refined sugar:
Refined sugars
    Okay, now for my soapbox talk about refined sugars. Most people want to know why refined sugars and spiking our blood sugar is so bad for us. That’s when I say, “don’t get me started!” Refined sugars are considered toxins by most alternative health practitioners today. Once in our bodies, they rob us of valuable vitamins and minerals. Also, our hormones, body chemistry and brain chemistry are all directly affected by blood sugar. When we are spiking our blood sugar throughout the day, our hormones and body chemistry are jumping around to extreme ends of their spectrums too. Over time, this is disastrous for our health. No wonder so many of us are out of whack! We’re raised on processed foods and don’t even want to get off the roller coaster of spiking our blood sugar because it’s extremely addicting, and because we become only satisfied with the extreme flavors of refined sugars and MSG, etc.
    There are different levels of food’s capacity to spike our blood sugar. Refined sugars push it the highest - way too high for good health. Studies of people who live close to the earth (indigenous people) have found that these people have far fewer diseases than modern Americans. They don’t eat processed foods which spike the blood sugar. They eat regionally, with whole grains, beans and vegetables as the basis of their diets. They use animal products when needed medicinally, for building strength and warmth. And, they soak & sprout or ferment their grains (more on these practices and why they benefit the body in future newsletters). The whole foods diets of indigenous people also means their bodies aren’t getting assaulted by the many other detrimental factors of processed foods like; rancid & refined vegetable oils, refined salt, the stripping away of the natural vitamin and fiber-rich bran of grains, the adding of nutrient void fillers, chemical preservatives, anti-caking agents, antibiotics, hormones, etc. Processed foods are a major road to sickness, it’s just a matter of how fast, as different people have different constitutions (more on this in future newsletters).
    The various names for refined sugars which spike the blood sugar dangerously high are: white sugar, cane sugar, organic cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, high-fructose corn syrup, fructose, white grape or fruit juice concentrate, and commercial honey. Honey is refined by bees and spikes the blood sugar just as much as refined sugar, just not quite as fast. Pasturized honey which is sold at mainstream grocery stores is bad for the body, whereas raw honey (preferably from a local source) is beneficial for the body and easier to digest because of the minerals and  live enzymes in it. But any honey is still very high-glycemic, so try to use no more than 1 teaspoon at a time. Agave syrup or agave nectar is now being found to be nearly as high-glycemic as refined sugar, and in many cases, has been found to be nothing more than corn syrup with a little bit of real agave for flavoring. 
    Okay. Here’s the list of unrefined (unprocessed) sugars which haven’t been stripped of natural minerals - minerals which slow the sugar’s absorption into the bloodstream and are lower on the glycemic index. “Sucanat” or “Rapidura” are granular (looks like sand) and can be used for baking. I’ve heard great things about Yacon powder & syrup, but haven’t tried it yet. The other unrefined sugars are barley malt syrup, brown rice syrup, small amounts of raw honey, grade B maple syrup and organic molasses. For those on candida diets (no kind of sugar whatsoever) stevia leaf extract is a natural, no-sugar, no-calorie sweetener (the best I’ve found with no bitter aftertaste is Nu Naturals brand liquid vanilla flavored stevia). Xylitol and Maltitol are made from sugar alcohol and are sugar substitutes which act like sugar in baking recipes, but which have a low-medium reading on the glycemic index - often used in “sugar-free” products like chocolate, etc.