Diana Hooper
2644 Moonshine Park Road
Logsden, OR 97357
diana@essentialsoflife.net
EssentialsOfLife.net

Blue Agave

(noun) A species of the agave plant that grows natively in Mexico and is cultivated for its nectar.

Mysterious, magnificent, memorable-Mexico inspires many words that describe its people, plants, and culture. With a history rich in spices and flavors, Mexico's plants add much to our sense of taste. The ancient Mesoamericans knew about the aromatic, savory, and medicinal properties of plants. One plant in particular, the agave, was worshiped as a goddess of health.

Agave is a desert cactus that has long been cultivated in the hilly, semi-arid soils of Mexico. The Aztecs believed that the sweet, sticky juice from this cactus purified the body and soul. When the Spaniards arrived, they took the juice from the agave and allowed it to ferment. This early drink evolved to the drink known as tequila.

For thousands of years, agave has been a highly favored food source, and its potential is still being unlocked by modern food science. As the season of holiday baking unfolds, consider flavoring foods with this natural sweetener for its compelling health benefits. With its low glycemic index (the ratio used to measure the ability of a carbohydrate to raise blood sugar levels), Young Living's Blue Agave is superior as a substitute for sugar in any recipe. Foods with a low glycemic index are absorbed more slowly, so there are fewer ups and downs in the production of insulin. This slow absorption is very important for maintaining normal blood sugar levels. Young Living's organic Blue Agave (Agave tequilana Weber) has a glycemic index of 11, whereas the regular agave (Angustifolia salmiana ) has a glycemic index of 39.

Agave nectar is about 90 percent fructose, but this is fructose in its natural form. This means that agave nectar does not have to be processed and consequently does not contain any processing chemicals. Because of the high proportion of fructose, agave nectar is 42 percent sweeter than sucrose but has the same caloric value. So a smaller amount of agave will add the same sweetness to foods or beverages but with fewer calories than sucrose.

Blue Agave not only sweetens but also enhances the flavors of food products, especially fruit flavors, which makes it particularly useful for fruit drinks, desserts, and smoothies. Add a little sweetness to any celebration by including Blue Agave in your favorite food and drink recipes throughout the year.

Code 3221 8 fl. oz.
Code 3224 32 fl. oz.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Reprinted with permission of Young Living, Lehi, UT 84043
Essential Lifestyle magazine

Testimonial

Janice Trachtman is a Reiki healer from London, England who has been using YLEO since May of 2002. She says, “A woman came to me for Reiki a year after her husband passed away. It had taken all this time for her to sort herself out sufficiently to be able to take care of herself. She was unwilling to tell me exactly was wrong, and as I believe in letting people find the right time for themselves, I accepted this.

“I had the oils laid out already, intuitively feeling that the woman would need some of them. I had prepared four oils ahead of her visit: Cypress, Lavender, Peace and Calming and Joy. Reiki and the oils work synergistically, each healing modality greatly enhancing the other.

“The lady had no sooner laid down on the treatment table than she told me she had not cried since her husband's passing. She then said she had arthritis in her left hand that impeded her work. It was no coincidence that the pain was located on her left hand on the marriage ring finger. I asked her if she would mind if I gave her a drop of some wonderful, organic healing oil to put on her ring finger. I chose Cypress to help ease the feelings of loss of her husband of 44 years and also to help her come to terms with related feelings of emotional trauma and shock. It was literally within seconds that she began to weep, trying hard to control the tears that were so long overdue. She sobbed uncontrollably, apologizing and saying she did not know what came over her. She is a proud woman, who prides herself on her self-control. She did not know that feelings have energy and that after suppressing her feelings and emotions for so long, ‘dis-ease’ had manifested in her physical body, for the energy cannot dissipate, and it has to go somewhere. If feelings are not resolved, they tend to locate themselves in the body in one form or other as ‘dis-ease.’

“I rubbed Lavender and Peace and Calming on her feet and she began to settle down, still weeping softly now and then, and talking to me about things buried deep. Her healing had begun. Before she left, I gave her a drop of Joy to put on her heart.

“The following day, she came for a second treatment. The marriage finger was less painful. She had suffered a terrible headache during the night, but her mood was vastly improved as she stepped in through my door. She told me she had come to some life changing conclusions. She said all her life she had ‘been at the mercy of others.’ This was because she felt she always had to be ‘nice’ to everyone. Given up by her mother as a baby, she had grown up in a children's home until she was six years old. She had felt unwanted all her life, and believed that if she was agreeable to everyone and did everything people asked of her, she'd be loved and accepted. What she did not realize was that every time she did what others wanted at her expense, she too was ‘abandoning’ herself, just as her mother had done to her. Without setting appropriate limits, people ironically did not respect her and took advantage of her. She was always "needed," but not in the right way. And of course, she often felt ‘run off her feet’ and overwhelmed by everything she had taken on because she couldn't ever bring herself to say ‘no.’ Her life was a frenzy of non-stop activity that she could no longer easily continue.

“The bottom line of a very long story is that the woman worked out a plan for her own happiness and needs, and for once in her life, put herself first. Instead of letting her family move in with her, thus becoming their babysitter and cook, she decided to sublet the house where she and her husband had lived and move to the country, where she has friends and a small cottage. She worked it out so she would never have to work hard again, living frantically from hand to mouth, and could live modestly in a way of her choosing, visiting her children and grandchildren once a year.

“After her third treatment, I put Hope on the rim of her ears, and Joy and Believe on her heart. Despite her being a very courageous lady, I put some Valor on her feet to help her on her way.”

This information is intended for educational purposes only. It is not provided in order to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any illness or disease of the human body.