Dear Dr. Gourmet,
Q: Can you shed any light on the benefits or misconceptions of agave nectar especially as it relates to Type II diabetics and the glycemic index? Is it just a bunch of hype or can agave nectar (when used properly) be a useful and safe dietary sweetener?
A: I haven’t used agave nectar in years. It was somewhat popular in the early eighties when I was involved in managing a chain of healthy fast food restaurants. I didn’t use it much in cooking but we served it as an alternative sweetener. In the last few years it has been marketed heavily as an alternative to sugar.
The reason for this is that it is very sweet but has a low Glycemic Index (GI). You can think of GI is a measure of how a particular food is processed by the body. In essence, it measures the rise in blood glucose of a 10 to 50 gram carbohydrate equivalent of a food as compared to the same number of carbohydrate gram equivalents of glucose. Agave Nectar
Q: I was watching CSI tonight and learned that peach pits contained cyanide. I started checking into it on the internet and found out it is true. I assume it would take a lot of pits to be deadly. My question is in regard to an old family recipe for peach pit jelly. I make this jelly every summer from the skins and pits of the peaches that I can. I cover them in water and cook them down for about 20 to 30 minutes, strain the juice and make jelly. We have always eaten this jelly and seem to be okay, but are we in any danger from this?
A: Peach pits do contain “cyanide” but it’s in a form called amygdalin. You can find out about this here: Peach Pits and Cyanide
I have searched for information regarding making the jelly from the peach pits and skins and can’t find any information that it is dangerous. The fact that you and others have been making it for years and have not had any adverse effects is comforting. I can’t find any report of people having problems with peach pit jelly.
Q: I am 5 foot 5 and 58 years old. After topping the scales at 178 pounds, I finally got serious about getting into shape and losing weight, about two months ago. I work out vigorously five to six days a week for an average of one and a half hours to burn off 500 calories per session, cut an average of 400 calories a day from my diet, and am living a more active life in general. After two months, I expected to have at least lost the ten pounds I’d gained over the past year, but although I have firmed up and built muscle, I’m disheartened that I’ve lost only five pounds. It seems that for all my work I should have had better results.
A: This is fantastic and you should not do anything different that you have done. We know that long term, sustained, healthy weight loss should be a slow, steady process and the 5 pounds you have lost in two months is perfect. There’s great research to show that optimal weight loss should be in the two to four pound per month range so at 5 pounds you are right on target. Working Hard, but Not Losing
Q: I would like to know how much cooked fresh garlic per day I can use. For example, if I chop half an average size clove to season two pork chops, then pan fry them and add the marinating sauce with the garlic and simmer the chop in it for about 5 minutes. Would that cause me to bleed if I am on 5 mg of Coumadin daily?
A: There’s no evidence that garlic will have any effect whatsoever on blood clotting or the effectiveness of Coumadin (warfarin). Eat all you like (or your significant other can tolerate on your breath).
