Agave Nectar

Agave nectar is made from the blue agave plant and consists primarily of fructose and a small percentage of glucose. It is used as a healthier alternative to sweeteners in baking. It contains inulin, which is considered a pre-biotic. Agave has a lower Glycemic Index—about half the amount of sugar than refined sugars. Agave nectar's Glycemic Index is comparable to fructose, which has a much lower Glycemic Index than table sugar (sucrose).

Carbohydrate

Nutrient molecules found in food that the body breaks down into simple sugars — the major source of energy for the body. (Most nutrients in food fall into three major groups: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.)

Casein

The predominant phosphoprotein that accounts for nearly 80% of proteins in cow’s milk and cheese. It is commonly used as an emulsifying and binding agent in processed foods. Casein has been documented to break down to produce the peptide, casomorphin, an opioid that appears to act primarily as a histamine releaser. Some believe that this casomorphine aggravates the symptoms of autism.

Celiac

An extreme form of gluten intolerance characterized by chronic inflammatory responses to a certain grain protein, called gliadin (a component of gluten), from wheat, rye and barley.

Evaporated Cane Juice

Evaporated cane juice is a healthy alternative to refined sugar. While both sweeteners are made from sugar cane, evaporated cane juice does not undergo the same degree of processing that refined sugar does, retaining more of the nutrients.

Fructose

Often used as a sugar substitute for diabetics because of its low Glycemic Index. A healthier option than normal sugar (sucrose), as fructose comes from fruit.

Glucose

Glucose is a simple form of sugar that is created when the body’s digestive processes breaks down the food we eat. Glucose is the body’s main source of energy.

Gluten

Gluten is a protein composite of two proteins called gliadin and glutenin, which is conjoined with starch in the endosperm of various grass-related grains (wheat, barley, rye, and their derivatives). Gluten is found naturally (in wheat, barley, rye, etc.) as well as milled into an additive to give elasticity to dough, helping it to rise and to keep its shape, and often giving the final product a chewy texture. Or, as an additive to provide supplemental protein to products with low or nonexistent protein levels. True gluten, with gliadin and glutenin, is limited to certain members of the grass family. The stored proteins of maize and rice are sometimes called glutens, but their proteins differ from wheat gluten by lacking gliadin.

Glycemic Index (GI)

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0-100 according to the speed at which they are digested, absorbed and converted into sugar and subsequently raise blood sugar levels after eating. Carbohydrates with a high Glycemic Index are rapidly digested, absorbed and converted into sugar; and result in a significant increase in blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates will a low Glycemic Index are slower to digest, absorb and covert; and therefore produce slower, gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels—and have proven benefits for health. The GI is commonly used as a meal-planning tool, allowing you to choose one food over another in the same food group—the best bread to choose, the best cereal, etc.

Organic

Grown, harvested, and processed without pesticides or other chemicals. No genetically modified organisms either.

Prebiotic

Non-digestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth and/or activity of bacteria in the digestive system which are beneficial to the health of the body.

Refined Sugar

Sugar refining is the process of extracting out the sugar (sucrose) from the plant materials and then removing other unwanted materials (the natural proteins, vitamins and minerals) from the extracted raw sugar. This process makes the sugar sweeter. This process also produces an end product that is a simple sugar—the kind that is rapidly digested and absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in a significant increase in blood sugar levels.

Sorghum (also known as “milo”)

Specialty flour milled from the hearty grain of the sorghum species of cereal grasses and clusters of cereal grain. A powerhouse of nutrition. Some sorghum varieties are rich in antioxidants and all sorghum varieties are gluten-free—an attractive alternative for wheat allergy sufferers. Because of its neutral taste, sorghum absorbs other flavors well. A grain sorghum plant looks a lot like a corn plant but is shorter and more colorful. The head grows on the top of the plant and is white, yellow, red or bronze.

Sucrose

Commonly known as table sugar. It is a refined sugar, which is a simple sugar—the kind that is rapidly digested and absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in a significant increase in blood sugar levels.

Vegetable Shortening

Traditionally, shortening is any fat that is solid at room temperature; however in the 20th century, it has come to almost exclusively mean hydrogenated vegetable oil. Although made from oil, shortening has been chemically transformed into a solid state through hydrogenation. However, the non-hydrogenated palm fruit oil we use in our baking is made from mechanically pressed palm fruit oil. How? It’s naturally solid at room temperature. It has no trans-fats. And, it’s organic.

Xanthan Gum

A thickening agent. A derivative of a naturally-occurring bacterium found on corn, but does not contain corn.