Have you tried blackstrap molasses? Switching from nutrient-poor sweeteners like white sugar or corn syrup or from potentially harmful fake sweeteners like aspartame or saccharin to nutrient-dense blackstrap molasses sweetens your meals and adds important minerals to your diet.
Liberty Market has organic, unsulphured molasses. Unsulphured molasses does NOT contain processing chemicals (some people are even allergic to these chemicals) and it DOES have a cleaner, ‘brighter’ flavor. Organic molasses is made from organic sugar cane.
Once you get your molasses home, you need to keep it in the refrigerator - or at least a cool, dry place – in a tightly sealed container. It should keep this way for a good six months (molasses in unopened containers will stay good for a year or so).
Blackstrap molasses is actually good for you. The process used to refine white sugar and corn syrup removes all of the nutrients out of them with the exception of simple carbohydrates. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame or saccharine have no useful nutrients and have caused health problems in sensitive individuals. Blackstrap molasses sweetens your food and contains significant amounts of a variety of healthy minerals which are vital to your health, such as iron, calcium, copper, manganese, potassium, B6, selenium and magnesium.
Blackstrap molasses is a great source of iron, especially for those at risk for iron deficiency. Iron is a component of hemoglobin; hemoglobin is what carries the oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the cells in the body, and is critical to energy production and metabolism. Blackstrap molasses provides more iron for less calories than other well-known iron sources (such as red meat) and it's fat free. 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses will provide you with over 25% of the daily recommended value for iron!
Blackstrap molasses is a great source of calcium, too. Calcium is one of the most important minerals in the body and it is involved in a variety of critical physiological functions, such as blood clotting, contractility of the heart and other muscles, conduction of nerve impulses to and from the brain, cell membrane function and regulation of enzyme activity. Calcium is required in order to form and maintain strong bones and teeth and helps prevent bone loss during menopause. 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses provides over 23% of your daily needs for calcium.
Potassium also plays a vital role in maintaining both muscle contraction and nerve transmission. Without enough potassium in the diet, the activity of both muscles and nerves can become compromised (hint: your heart is a muscle). One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses will provide over 19% of your potassium requirements for the day.
Calcium has a balancing mineral known as magnesium, and it is also responsible for healthy bones and the production of energy in the body. In fact, about 2/3 of our body’s magnesium is found in our bones. Some of the magnesium helps provide the physical structure of the bones, and the rest is situated on the surface of the bone, where the body can draw upon it as it is needed. Magnesium balances out calcium to keeps our nerves relaxed (thereby keeping the muscles and blood vessels that those nerves stimulate relaxed as well). Too little magnesium and the calcium will over-activate the nerve cells causing muscle spasms (hint: the heart is a muscle). Not enough magnesium can contribute high blood pressure, migraines, muscle cramps and and fatigue. That awesome tablespoon of blackstrap molasses provides you with nearly 15% of the daily value for magnesium.
Molasses is also an excellent source of copper and manganese. Copper is involved in many physiological processes including iron utilization, producing skin and hair pigment, eliminating free radicals, and developing bone and connective tissue. Not enough copper can result in iron deficiency anemia, ruptured blood vessels, osteoporosis, neurological problems, elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduced HDL (good) cholesterol, cardiac arrhythmias, and a weakened immune system. That same tablespoon of molasses will supply you with 28% of the daily recommended value for copper.
Your body needs manganese to help produce energy from the protein and carbs you have taken in, and it helps synthesize fatty acids to keep your nervous system healthy. Manganese also provides protection against damage from the free radicals produced during energy production in the body. That legendary tablespoon of blackstrap molasses provides 36% of your daily need for manganese.
Switching to nutrient-dense blackstrap molasses is one simple way that eating healthy can sweeten your life.
So. Grab your tablespoon and a jar of blackstrap molasses and get busy!
Glazed carrots with blackstrap molasses
- 2 pounds of carrots
- Vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
- Fresh ground pepper
Peel carrots and slice into pieces 2 or 3 inches long. Place in a large saucepan and add everything else, adding enough stock to cover the carrots halfway up. Bring to a boil, cover, and keep at a gentle boil until the carrots are nearly done, stirring occasionally.
Uncover and cook another 15 minutes until the carrots are tender and the liquid is reduced to syrup. Reheat just before serving; if glaze becomes too dry, add a little water.
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