Take red or muscovado sugar instead of white or refined sugar. You'll live longer and healthier.

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

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Rural folks would rather eat panocha or muscovado, which is likened to whole grain with the bran intact (e.g. pinawa rice and whole wheat flour).  When sugar is refined, the very vitamins and minerals needed by our body’s metabolism are removed, going with the molasses which we usually use as feeds for animals.  

Healthy snack with muscovado sugar, panocha (twirled muscovado), native chocolate, and sweet potato or kamote.  

Sugar consumed in its natural state (like fruits and grains) are broken down and slowly released into the bloodstream, in a manner our body can program its assimilation.  But refined sugar raises the blood sugar rapidly.  This rush is followed by an equally rapid crash that often leaves us feeling tired, irritable or depressed.  As energy falls, our response is to reach for more sugar to perk us up. 

The sudden rise and fall of our blood sugar causes emotional instability, confusion, dizziness, and headache.  Over-consumption of sugar can trigger a craving similar to the physiological dependence produced by drugs. These symptoms, along with drowsiness, forgetfulness, or general “spaced-out” feeling are typical symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Adrenaline is released during the body’s chemical chain reaction triggered by eating excess refined sugar, creating a stress throughout our body and mind. Sugar also depresses the activity of our white blood cells, lowering our resistance to infection. It may lead to the development of diabetes. For this reason many oriental nutritionists call refined sugar a “white poison.” 

Muscovado is unrefined sugar with the natural flavor, color and aroma of sugarcane juice from which it is made.

The Calorie value of muscovado is 11 per teaspoonful (4 grams). Muscovado retains much of the natural minerals and vitamins present in sugarcane juice. The juice, expressed by traditional means, is slowly heated until it dries into a golden yellow to brown color, retaining 4-5 percent moisture. Mineral and Vitamin content of Muscovado Sugar (mg per 100g):

· Total mineral salts 740
· Phosphorus (P) 3-4
· Calcium (Ca) 75-95
· Magnesium (Mg) 13-23
· Potassium (K) 15-150
· Iron (Fe) 1.3
· Vitamin B1, B2, B6, Niacin and Pantothenic acid.

This product is free from any harmful chemicals such as formic acid, sulfur dioxide, preservatives, any flocculants, surfactants, bleaching agents or viscosity modifiers.

It came from non-genetically modified sugarcane variety (non-GMO), organically grown to full maturity. Shelf life is 6 to 10 months in air-tight container under room temperature.

Next time you take coffee, make suman or bibingka, or simply "sweeten your tooth," say muscovado - instead of just azucar.  It's a little difficult to pronounce, but it's good for your health. ~