Stevia

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Permalink Reply by JulieK on December 11, 2007 at 10:41pm

Honestly, I was pretty much anti-stevia for a long time until recently. I'd been using agave for years, and really didn't take the time to investigate stevia thoroughly. I thought it was another sweetener gimmick. But since going raw in July, I've broken down and bought a box of packets. I must say it is impressively sweet, as intense as I remember sweet-n-low to be. I only use it in smoothies occasionally, but it does the trick when called for!

Julie

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Permalink Reply by Alicia A. on December 11, 2007 at 10:51pm

I don't use stevia that often. It gives me a sore throat if I have too much of it.

That being said I use it in salad dressings and stuff sometimes, as I have had to recognize that sometimes sweetness adds balance (and not merely the trait of being sweet) to some savory or spicy or salty things. I'm so anti-high-fructose corn syrup that I was very anti-sweetener of all kinds for a while there (WHY MUST THEY PUT HFCS IN EVERYTHING?! WHY?!). It mixes well, better than crushed dates or such do, so it's good for such things.

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Permalink Reply by Debbie on December 11, 2007 at 11:11pm

Well, it depends first on what brand of Stevia you use, and what form. Some stevia brands are cut with sugar, or other fillers which can definately change the taste. The best brand to ues would be www.SweetLeaf.com stevia. They have several forms. There is SweetLeaf Stevia Plus which is in the packet form or shaker jar. This form contains inulin fiber for the filler, which is a much healthier combination, and keeps it as a 0 carb, 0 glycemic, 0 calorie, naturally sweet supplement. Only use a little - it goes a long way, and that way you won't get a bitter after-taste. There is also the stevia extract which is even a more pure form of Stevia in a powder. This is super sweet, so you definately need to be careful how much you use. SweetLeaf also makes stevia in a liquid form. There is clear, and flavored stevia. all flavors are natural, and the filler is grapefruit seed extract, maintaining the 0 calorie claim. My favorite flavor is Dark Chocolate. Again, just a couple of drops will do the trick to flavor-up any liquid, or sour cream, yogurt, or food dish. And for stomach upset, you can drink the stevia tea, which is just pure stevia right from the stevia leaf. It's a bit strong - in fact, I don't like the taste, but it does the trick.

SweetLeaf is brand of Wisdom Natural Brands in Arizona. Wisdom also make Yerba Mate teas. The Royal line includes stevia in it to enhance the flavor. The reason why I know so much about their products is because I work for them - not that I'm partial, but I have tasted other brands, and I honestly feel if you do plan to use stevia to use the SweetLeaf brand. Personally I mainly use it in beverages, since it takes skill to properly use it in food prep. When I used to bake, I did have success with making chocolate chip cookies with stevia. Well, good luck. I hope I was able to provide you with some good information.

Since I went raw have actually not needed to supplement to much since a lot of the fruits, and nuts provide the sweetness I need. I love dates, and agave is definately great. But I agree, stevia would probably be the best way to go to keep the glycemic levels low, and the calories, it's just a matter of preference. Enjoy!

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Permalink Reply by MeredithB on December 12, 2007 at 12:13am

Thank you for this post! I have been wanting to just know more about the product in general- Vanilla Creme was in the little dropper Dhru is referring to :-)

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Permalink Reply by Matt on January 23, 2008 at 3:54pm

As one of those ever depressing things.... vanilla isn't raw, they boil the pods during the process. I think it's one of those justifiable cheats though. Nothing really compares to vanilla.

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Permalink Reply by Dhrumil on December 11, 2007 at 11:26pm

Hah, I remember you busted out your stevia dropper at dinner. That was awesome.

But I gotta say, I'm more of a honey guy.

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Permalink Reply by Raw by Default on December 12, 2007 at 12:48am

I'm not a fan of stevia. I don't know if I was using too much or what, but I found it left a bitter aftertaste. If I use sweeteners, I go for dates or raw agave. But it's not like I really have a lot to sweeten these days!

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Permalink Reply by Jessica on December 15, 2007 at 12:12pm

I'v been anti stevia due to a conditioned response....I had the worlds most disgusting migraine in fort bragg ....I had been having TONS of tea and stevia...(there was, however, a multitude of other variables)....I just couldn't touch it after that.....I dig agave, light for honey, oaxaca forest dark for malt .....

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Permalink Reply by Debbie on September 29, 2008 at 9:33am

Remember, brand is important. It's all in the way it's extracted from the plant, and how it's produced for mass consumption. There is a big difference in brands, and quality of the raw product stevia. I do appreciate the article though. People always need to see both sides of everything, and also what things to consider when looking for valuable, healthful products.

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Permalink Reply by Rawvelous on December 15, 2007 at 12:28pm

I love it. I have been using Stevia for about 3 years now. Also Agave. I like that it has the abibilty to help get rid of addictions. Great stuff from plants, the way it's supposed to be. I do wonder how they get it white. Hmmm...

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Permalink Reply by Matt on January 23, 2008 at 3:42pm

You know you can get raw sugar... right?

The nutritional values are on this page:

http://www.myrawfooddietrecipes.com/Miscellaneous.html

As for me, I use either raw honey or raw sugar.

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Permalink Reply by Lydia Rebekah on December 15, 2007 at 6:10pm

I just cant get on with it...

stick to agave or lumuca..my fav desert sweetener!! shortcake flavour..its kerazy!!

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