On another string we were all discussing diet colas and nutrasweet and how bad it is for you when someone brought up the topic of Stevia. I love stevia as a natural sweetener and I posted a bunch of info and I thought I'd repost it here so everyone could have a chance to learm more about it. You can buy Stevia as a liquid or a powder and it's a wonderful, healthy alternative to sugar or artifical sweeteners. Here's what I posted....
I've got some good info on Stevia for you!
"It's an herbal sweetener and acts as an antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic agent. It lacks calories, is heat stable (so it's ideal for cooking and baking) and enhances the flavor of whatever it's used in.
I helps balance the pancreas, the important gland that regulates blood sugar and that is expecially off kilter in people with Candidias (yeast imbalance). In Brazil and China, it is recommended for people with diabetes and hypoglycemia. It helps regulate the digestive tract to produce healthy stool and greatly increases energy.
In animal studies in both the US and Brazil, stevia produced a significant reduction in cavities. When used with flouride, it is even more effective.
Equally important, stevia inhibits thos sugar cravings. Just a pinch has the same impact as a cup of sugar.
Stevia is a small shrub found primarily in China and South America. It is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, yet it's entirely natural and has the aforementioned medicinal properties."
(I took that directly from a book I love, The Body Ecology Diet, available at Whole Foods, thank you very much)
So, how's that for some info. I personally only like the liquid stevia, not the powders, for overall taste. I use it in tea, hot or cold, on puffed millet cereal or hot rice cereal...it's really yummy. And I have made my own soda to bring to the movies by taking Pellegrino sparkling mineral water, squeezing in fresh lemon and lime juice, or even unsweetened cranberry extract, and the adding a few drops of stevia. I sneak it in a thermos and it's really good! There's even a recipe for homemade ginger ale using stevia in that book that I made and it was way yummy.
It's about $10-15 for a little bottle of the liquid but it lasts forever since you only use a drop or two at a time. So try it out sometime.
I've got some good info on Stevia for you!
"It's an herbal sweetener and acts as an antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic agent. It lacks calories, is heat stable (so it's ideal for cooking and baking) and enhances the flavor of whatever it's used in.
I helps balance the pancreas, the important gland that regulates blood sugar and that is expecially off kilter in people with Candidias (yeast imbalance). In Brazil and China, it is recommended for people with diabetes and hypoglycemia. It helps regulate the digestive tract to produce healthy stool and greatly increases energy.
In animal studies in both the US and Brazil, stevia produced a significant reduction in cavities. When used with flouride, it is even more effective.
Equally important, stevia inhibits thos sugar cravings. Just a pinch has the same impact as a cup of sugar.
Stevia is a small shrub found primarily in China and South America. It is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, yet it's entirely natural and has the aforementioned medicinal properties."
(I took that directly from a book I love, The Body Ecology Diet, available at Whole Foods, thank you very much)
So, how's that for some info. I personally only like the liquid stevia, not the powders, for overall taste. I use it in tea, hot or cold, on puffed millet cereal or hot rice cereal...it's really yummy. And I have made my own soda to bring to the movies by taking Pellegrino sparkling mineral water, squeezing in fresh lemon and lime juice, or even unsweetened cranberry extract, and the adding a few drops of stevia. I sneak it in a thermos and it's really good! There's even a recipe for homemade ginger ale using stevia in that book that I made and it was way yummy.
It's about $10-15 for a little bottle of the liquid but it lasts forever since you only use a drop or two at a time. So try it out sometime.
