Sweeteners

Stevia is the prefered sweetener on the FLT program. Agave Nectar and Stevia Cane are low glycemic alternatives to regular sugar.


Stevia is the world’s only all natural sweetener with zero calories, zero carbohydrates and a zero glycemic index. Harvested from a plant in the daisy family, stevia provides a truly delicious and healthy alternative to sugar or chemical sweeteners. The sweet part of the stevia herb is extracted and converted into an intensely sweet powder. This sweet powder is then blended with other all-natural ingredients to create the delicious and healthy sweetener.

Native people in Paraguay and other parts of South America have used stevia safely for centuries. More recently Stevia gained popularity as a sweetener for coffees and teas, but it can sweeten just about anything you like. Because it works so well in cooking and baking, you can easily substitute stevia for sugar in just about any recipe.

Since stevia has zero calories, zero carbohydrates and a zero glycemic index, it is perfect for individuals who cannot or would not like to have their blood glucose levels fluctuate at rapid levels. This includes those with diabetes, hypo/hyperglycemia and anyone looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The glycemic index, or GI, measures how fast a food will raise your blood glucose level. Choosing foods that produce zero fluctuations in blood glucose is an important component for long-term health and reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes.



Agave Nectar

While agave is best recognized as the plant from which tequila is made, it has also been used for thousands of years as an ingredient in food. The nectar made from the plant is known in Mexico as aguamiel, or "honey water."

The Aztecs prized the agave as a gift from the gods and used the liquid from its core to flavor foods and drinks. Now, due to increasing awareness of agave nectar's many beneficial properties, it is becoming the preferred sweetener of health conscious consumers.

Where Does Agave Nectar Come From?
Agave nectar (sometimes called agave syrup) is most often produced from the Blue Agaves that thrive in the volcanic soils of Southern Mexico. Agaves are large, spikey plants that resemble cactus or yuccas in both form and habitat, but they are actually succulents similar to the familiar Aloe Vera.

The taste of agave nectar is comparable, though not identical, to honey. Many people who do not like the taste of honey find agave a more palatable choice. It also has none of the bitter aftertaste associated with artificial sweeteners.

Agave nectar is a low glycemic index sweetener.

Stevia Cane

Steviacane® uses pure stevia and pure cane sugar to to give you a natural sweetener that’s just naturally sweet. Enjoy it in your coffee or tea, or use it to bake your favorite recipes — just like you would sugar.

Steviacane® allows you to cut a great deal of added sugar from your diet without losing any of the taste. By combining zero-calorie stevia extract with pure cane sugar, a sweetener was created that maintains the same level of sweetness as sugar, but with less actual sugar. And because stevia is so naturally sweet, you use half the amount to achieve the same sweetness as you would with sugar.


Sugar has a moderate glycemic index (GI). By comparison, wheat bread and brown rice have similar glycemic indeces.

Stevicane has approximately 1/2 of the GI of sugar when used at equivalent sweetness levels.