A lot of people are wondering about Stevia. From everything we’ve been able to gather – and try – it’s a great way to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet.
Stevia has been said to have many health benefits, such as: weight control (it controls cravings), can be used during pregnancy, it is known to be beneficial to the pancreas, does not contribute to tooth decay, can reduce high blood pressure, assists digestion, and so on.
Unlike most artificial sweeteners, Stevia does not break down and can withstand high temperatures while cooking and cold temperatures when frozen. It is also compatible with salt and organic acids and natural sweeteners such as barley malt, honey, fructose and sorbitol.
Stevia can be used safely and effectively as a substitute for sugar in all recipes where sugar and low calorie sweeteners would be normally used. Stevia can be purchased in either powder or liquid form and can be found in flavors. Liquid is easier to use for baking because it can be measured easier.
Here is a Stevia conversion chart:
1 Tsp Stevia (powdered or liquid)=1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Tsp Stevia powder or 6 to 9 drops liquid=1 Tbsp Sugar
A pinch of Stevia powder or 2 to 4 drops liquid=1 Tsp sugar
The bulk or consistency that sugar normally would add can be replaced with applesauce, fruit puree, canned pumpkin, fruit juice, yogurt, or any ingredient that will taste right with your recipe and add moisture. For everyone cup of sugar that is replaced by stevia 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of the bulk should be added.
Have you tried baking with Stevia? We’d love to hear about your successes…and failures. : )
View the original eHow article by ‘shefveland’ here.
Hey guys!! So, I’ve been on the HCG diet for a few weeks with amazing results, heavy detox, and very very clean eating. One thing it opened was the door to Stevia, it’s the only sweetener allowed. I was using it in the same proportion as sugar and thought it kinda tasted like battery acid until I read this article of yours. So thank you on the “just a pinch” tip. Holy cow, what a difference. 🙂 Now I’m all about it. Did you know they have flavored Stevia drops, i.e.: chocolate, vanilla creme, orange, peppermint, rootbeer, etc. that are excellent in any sort of hot chocolate or desert or herbal tea. Thanks for all you do!! Cheers to good health!- Kb
Kara, thanks for your comment and positive feedback. But allow me a moment of freak out…What the hell are you thinking?! HCG?!!! Being healthy is all about avoiding chemicals, and especially artificial hormones. HCG comes from the urine of pregnant female cows. How natural does that sound to you? The problem with eating processed foods is that our body doesn’t know what to do with them. It’s not used to them and can’t figure them out, eventually making us sick. Do you think your body knows what to do with those cow hormones? It doesn’t have a clue. At least your body has been built to recognize something to do with pregnancy. The thought of men taking pregnancy hormones makes me shudder.
Same for stevia. If it’s flavored, what’s the source? It’s most likely some type of artificial flavor. Even stevia has become polluted with nonsense. Make sure to read the ingredients label and verify that everything in your stevia bottle is natural. Remember: chemicals, bad; artificial, bad.
Eating healthy, whole foods, mostly plants, is the best way to lose weight and be healthy. You never have to count calories or fat grams, and your body will love the nutrition you’re giving it. HCG is scary stuff, and just because they’re allowed to sell it doesn’t mean it’s safe. We have decades of FDA approved foods and drugs that are now shown to be dangerous to make assuming a man-invented food is ok to put in our bodies.
Hey Brad,
Sooo, you threw me back.. I just wrote to my Naturopath to ask him to lead me to even more information about the HCG benefits vs. possible dangers. I have been researching it since before I even started, trying to find dangers w/o luck. When my highly qualified and experienced Naturopath was the one walking me through this, I decided to go for it. I feel great! He tests my body for any support that I may need i.e. liver and gallbladder support (they’re working overtime at the moment, ridding me of built of chemicals and heavy metals that have been stored in my abnormal fat cells until now), and gives me supplements and zeolight for that. Zeolight binds to the heavy metals and gives them a ride out. But I will be back with an update for you on that subject.
As for the stevia, I just yesterday bought the SweetLeaf liquid flavored drops; I called them about their processes, and was assured that no chemical process is used in any of their production, with the stevia..and as for the flavorings, I’m always weary of something that says “natural flavors,” but was also assured that they are derived from plants and herbs, no chemicals added, no chemical process. Phew!