Stevia

When I first heard about STEVIA, I really don't know much about it or why I would want to use it. I went to the health food store to try to find it and realized it was NOT by the other sugars...I was confused, because I was told I could find it in a store that sold "healthy" products. I asked someone to help me, and the lady said, "Oh, you won't find it over here...you have to get it from the supplement section." I was confused, but bought it anyway. Now I know why. Here is an excerpt from Raw Food, Real World about stevia:

"Stevia is a native South American herb that is cousin to the chrysanthemum, contains no sucrose. Instead, it has glycosides, which burst on the palate like an Olympic runner hits the track. The flavor of stevia is approx. 300 percent sweeter than conventional sugar; so the proverb "a little goes a long way" definitely applies here...

Because it has NO effect on the blood sugar, stevia is a wonderful addition to the pantry of the raw foodist as well as anyone suffering from diabetes, yeast diseases like candidiasis, or gum disease...

Unlike saccharine and aspartame, all natural stevia (go figure) is not approved for commercial use as a sweetener, as it's not yet very widely distributed."

This is why you have to find it in the supplement section. David and I enjoy a tiny drop (remember it's CRAZY sweet) in our tea at night and I add a full droperful to my SMOOTHIE!

It's funny, because I am now adding less fruit to my smoothie and more vegetables. I now add an entire zucchini, 2 cups of spinach, at least one cup of kale, some frozen fruit, all the other goodies (click on SMOOTHIE up above to see what I am talking about) and some stevia. This keeps me full all morning and gives me great natural energy!

So...when you go to your health food store, make sure to ask someone in the supplement section where the Stevia is.