**REVIEW** Simple Health Yacon Syrup

This is not the first Yacon syrup that I've tried, and I will start off by saying that it's certainly not my favorite. It's a taste issue.

I love the benefits of Yacon syrup, so let's get to those first, as listed on the product description for Simple Health's Yacon Syrup:

• Vegan
• Gluten Free
• non-GMO with no Fillers, no Binders and No Artificial Ingredients
• No blood sugar spikes, as it is low GI and high in FOS, so it does not elevate blood sugar levels and helps regulate insulin levels. 
• Diabetes friendly
• Naturally boosts metabolism
• Aid weight loss because it's very low in calories and reduces cravings
• Reduces constipation and digestive distress
• Yacon Syrup is high in soluble fiber, which will leave you feeling relieved, light and energized.
• Increases immunity and brain function, decreases inflammation, as it is high in prebiotics, which help stimulate good bacteria in the gut, and it is also known to increase absorption of dietary minerals
• Our Yacon Syrup is naturally grown and ethically sourced, with no added preservatives

If you only get half these results, that's worth giving Yacon syrup a try. My problem with this particular one is that it's just not as nicely flavored as others I've tried. There's not a bad flavor, but I picked up a distinctive tang or wine-like flavor that didn't compliment certain foods. Also, I didn't like it in my coffee - which is most important to me. The other syrups I used had a mellower flavor - more maple than wine - and mixed well with everything that I use honey or raw sugar on. With this one, I needed to use it on things that covered the syrup's flavor. I was able to use it in some oatmeal and that was a little better.

Because its taste is where I had issues with this one, let me say that I think it's a matter of preference. I had one person try this one against another Y. Syrup and they said they didn't detect much of a difference. All I can say is that I did. If I am going to use something consistently, I need to like it. I'm sorry to say that this is not one that I myself would prefer.

Since the new year is rushing toward us, using Yacon syrup might be one way to meet those health and weight-loss resolutions. I have recommended Yacon syrup to a family member who is having sugar issues, and I will continue using Y. syrup for my own health goals.

Simple Health has some recipes you can try and, if you aren't happy with the syrup, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE:
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Living Natural Yacon Syrup

In my quest to eat healthier, live healthier and stay in shape, I've tried making small changes in my life. One of the changes was trying to get away from so much processed sugar. I talked about this before. And then again. One of my favorite substitutes for white sugar is raw or brown sugar. A favorite  substitute for those sugars is Yacon syrup. I've tried others and now I've had the chance to try Living Natural's  Yacon Syrup.

Yacon syrup has lots of benefits over the usual sweeteners a lot of us use. For me, the taste is the biggest positive. There is non of that metallic, artificial tinge or aftertaste.

Living Natural's Yacon has an exceptionally nice taste because, to me at least, the molasses type flavor was a little more pronounced that in other syrups I've tried. The texture was a little different also - almost grainier-looking but not actually grainy at all.

This is Living Natural Brand Yacon

To compare a difference of textures, this is a photo what another brand of Yacon syrup I use:

This one is darker & a tiny bit thicker

As for quality and taste, both syrups I have tried are nice. The Natural Life syrup is (to me) slightly sweeter while the other one has a more wine-like undertone. The main thing is the benefits of using them as an alternative to sugar. Some info straight from the product page:

• 100% natural with no additives or sweeteners and is extracted purely from the roots of the Yacon plant (Smallanthus Sonchifolius)
• high amount of fructooligosaccharides. This natural soluble fiber has been shown to reduce symptoms of constipation and improve metabolism.
• high in antioxidants and potassium and studies have shown it increases the levels of 'friendly' bacteria in the digestive system

From my own use over the months of Yacon syrup, I can tell you that using it on a regular basis did decrease my sugar cravings. (I have not used white table sugar in a few years, but I don't even use my brown or raw sugar in my coffee now except on an occasional basis.) When I started using Yacon syrup some time back, I was still coming down off my prednisone weight of (I shudder to even type this) 204 lbs. I am down to the 160's and would be doing better if I had not gone back on a steady diet of bread in the past couple of weeks... Also, it helps if you actually use the Yacon on a regular basis.

The suggestion is to use Yacon in beverages and I have grown to like the taste of it in my coffee. This time, I also tried adding a little bit to some rice (plain white rice with butter) and to some oatmeal. The taste was interesting and pleasant, but I had to experiment with how much to add to get the right amount of sweetness. (I ended up using about half a dinner spoon full.) Because Yacon has a distinctive taste, I got a sort of molasses-flavored treat with my oatmeal. I have to say that I like using this particular brand in my warm/hot food where I use the other brand in my coffees and some of my teas. I think it's going to come down to preference. Personally, I want to keep a variety around for my different uses.

I'd also like to add (as I usually do) something about customer service. The product page has a nice message:

When you order today, you're protected by our 100% quality and satisfaction guarantee together with our focus on exceptional customer service!

Finally, I will say this about using Yacon syrup: Any one of us who is trying to revise our diet and lifestyle to be healthy know that big changes come from lots of small efforts. Using an alternative to white sugar is one of the best changes I've made. Lord knows, I'm not giving up sweets if I can help it. Using Yacon syrup is a good way to make a single but important effort. Did that make sense? I hope so!

I will suggest to fellow healthy minded people that if you take one part of your daily diet that costs you the most calories from sugar, then use Yacon (or some other sweetener alternative) instead.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE:
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

****REVIEW*** Living Natural's Yacon Syrup

Since Living Natural's Yacon Syrup is not the first that I have tried, I was able to compare flavor and texture. It is a great-tasting Yacon syrup though, which is good because I know that taste varies among different brands and producers. This one has a really rich texture and flavor that I enjoy. One of the other brand of Yacon syrups (which I also liked) was the texture of table syrup and had a very mild flavor. This one has a different look (slightly lighter in color and sort of grainy-looking, even though it doesn't feel grainy) and the molasses-like flavor was more distinctive. I like using this one when I want to add a richer flavor to my beverages (okay, coffee). I like it best in hot coffee than any other drink although I have used it in hot and cold teas.

Living Natural brand
compared to...

...The other brand I like

What I wonder, now that I have tried 3 different brands of Yacon syrup, is whether - brand to brand - they all have a difference in taste and texture. In general, like Yacon syrup for the benefits of using it instead of other sweeteners, but taste is important too. With the Living Natural brand Yacon syrup I have not been disappointed.

I had my sister try this one in her coffee and she actually liked it (even though she is a Splenda user). One of the reasons I think she did like this one more than the first syrup she tried with me (and that I really liked a lot) is because of the stronger flavoring.

There's a reason I want to get my friends and family to try Yacon syrup. Some of the benefits that I have heard of are:

• Yacon root is a natural source of sweetener
• In most cases, fewer in calories and more nutritious
• Yacon syrup contains Fructooligosaccharide (or FOS)
• There are indications that Yacon reduces blood glucose levels & weight loss
• Has a good flavor & lacks the unpleasant after-taste of artificial sweeteners

When my sister first tried Yacon syrup, she commented that she "could get used to it". And getting used to anything new is the main thing. If, like my sister, you have used artificial products -or table sugar, honey, and/or other sweeteners - you will need to get used to Yacon syrup. 

A third brand of syrup I tried was not as much to my liking. It had too strong of a flavor (almost with a wine-like aftertaste) that some people might not mind. This Living Natural syrup is probably my favorite. Unlike some of the other sugar alternatives I've used, Yacon syrup has been easy to get used to though. I did have to learn how much to use and when to use it. For instance, I had been trying Yacon syrup for a while before I started using it regularly on my hot cereals. My sugar use is mainly in coffee, so that's where I started out. 

Now that I am used to the taste and coloring of the Yacon syrup, I wish there were more products made using it as the primary sweetener.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE:

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

***REVIEW*** Yacon Syrup from Life & Food

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
It's here! I've been  pretty excited to try this Yacon Syrup from Life & Food (lifefoodpro.com) because I've been reading up on it ever since I saw the product on Tomoson.com. The item can be found on the Life & Food site or on Amazon.

So, here's what the syrup looks like on a clear plastic spoon.

looks like molasses, doesn't it?

It's pretty viscous looking, but I find that it's not as thick as molasses - though the taste is oddly similar. I actually could pick up a wine-like flavor under the honey-molasses taste of it. It's not bad, but I don't think I will be eating it right off the spoon, or sucking on it like a honey-stick.

Not as thick as it looks

"Made in an FDA regulated facility"

The suggested usage: To take one (1) teaspoon 3 times a day, preferably taken with or before meals. Can be used as a sweetener in your tea/coffee and other beverages. Can be added to various recipes, salads and/or on top of pancakes.

After I read elsewhere online about the possible effects due to the high fiber content, I decided to start with a low usage. First, I put the first teaspoon in my coffee (along with my caramel vanilla creamer!) in place of other sugars. I was worried that it might not be enough to sweeten my 8 or 9 ounces of java. It was enough. My coffee tasted a lot like it does when I use a small amount of raw or brown sugar. Very much like it, but without being as sweet.

So, for my coffee test: check!

Next up, I added a little less than a teaspoon to some iced tea. It was pretty good, but I kind of wanted to add more Yacon. I resisted because, well, you know, that whole high fiber issue...

This is just the first day. I want to wait a couple more weeks before I tell you whether or not it seems to have any effect on my weight or appetite. For now, I just wanted to let you know about the taste of it. I think that, no matter what else, it will be a good natural low-cal substitute for sugar for people who don't want to go the Stevia-Truvia/blue-pink-yellow packet route.

If I can get my sister to use it (consistently) for a couple of weeks, I'll talk with her about whether she sees a difference in her blood-sugar levels. She is diabetic and is currently using Splenda all the time.

Here is info straight from Life & Food (I bolded some points):

LIFE & FOOD 100% PURE RAW ALL NATURAL YACON SYRUP

Our Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) Syrup is sourced from naturally grown organic Yacon fields in the country of Peru. We use the HIGHEST quality Yacon plant to make a premium pure syrup formula.

Yacon syrup has shown to remain low in calories and low on the glycemic index scale. This is due to the fact that the sugar contains high levels of oligofructose (inulin), a form of sugar that is not metabolized readily by the human body. For this reason, Yacon is ideal for diabetics and acts as a great alternative to conventional low calorie sweeteners.

PRODUCT DETAILS

100% pure Yacon syrup has shown to assist in weight management, increase fiber intake and promotes good bowel function.

Other benefits include: Lowers blood sugar. Prevents and controls hyperglycemia (over activity). Restores renal activity. Is a powerful Antioxidant.

High in prebiotics and probiotics, this syrup contains up to 50% of FOS (fructooligosacharides). It has been found that consumption of FOS does not increase blood glucose, and helps boost your bodies metabolism.

Naturally grown and sourced from the fields in Peru. Organic certified by our manufacturing specialists.

100% pure raw organic syrup formula with no added preservatives. Bottled and tested in a FDA certified GMP facility in the USA.

Of course, the label gives notice that statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and that the product is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease. (We need those notices because people get way too excited by possibilities...)

The main things I like can be summed up with this graphic:

Did you notice the 100% Satisfaction Guarantee?
GMP= "Good Manufacturing Practice"

Other than using one's own common sense and practicing decent eating habits, what about the claims of the effect on obesity, diabetes, etc.? Well, you can read up on that here. Here is second viewpoint.

Keep watching this space for updates on my personal experience.

Peace
--Free
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.