Stevia is a Natural Plant
and Calorie Free
Would you like to lose
weight but your sweet
tooth keeps tripping
you up? Do you love
sugar in your coffee
and tea but hate the
calories. Well, meet
Stevia.
What is Stevia?
Stevia is a plant, originally
from Paraguay and used
for centuries as a sweetener
in South America. The stevia leaf is 30 to 100 times sweeter than sugar, so you need only a tiny amount to sweeten drinks or use in recipes. The best news? Stevia has zero calories and doesn’t affect blood sugar levels in the body so it is a good sweetener for diabetics or hypoglycemics.
Most people know refined sugar is unhealthy and full of empty calories. Sugar requires extra B vitamins to metabolize and detoxify in our bodies and makes it hard for us to absorb vitamins and minerals. White sugar is linked to obesity and diabetes, which are serious health problems today.
Stevia can be purchased in powder or liquid form. It’s also available in powdered form and mixed with a bulking agent like malt dextrin, which is the type you will find in small envelopes, similar to Nutrasweet. Although the cost of stevia is higher than sugar, one small bottle of liquid or powder could last for months since you only need a tiny amount per serving.
Stevia in cooking and baking recipes
Since stevia doesn’t add calories like sugar, it is useful for cooking and baking, especially for diabetic recipes. However, try experimenting first as baked goods like cookies will lack some bulk that sugar adds. Also, baked foods made with stevia don’t brown as they do when made with sugar.
For your recipes, liquid extract and powdered extract work interchangeably.
Stevia equivalents to sugar:
- 1 cup of sugar -use one teaspoon powder or one teaspoon extract
- 1 Tablespoon sugar - use ¼ teaspoon powder or 6-9 drops of extract
- 1 teaspoon sugar - use 1/16 teaspoon powder or 2-4 drops of stevia extract
The main thing to remember is that stevia is very sweet so start with less, not more.
Cooking with Stevia hints;
When baking cookies or cakes, replace 1 cup of sugar with ¼ to ½ teaspoon of Stevia - Try adding applesauce to increase the bulk lost when not using sugar.
Some consumers have found Stevia to have a somewhat sharp aftertaste. This can be alleviated with extracts such as lemon or vanilla.
In smoothies or sauces, try adding stevia at the beginning of mixing the ingredients as adding it at the end might cause thinning.
Other uses for Stevia
Stevia leaf has also been shown to benefit the skin. Try using it in a face mask to soften and tighten the skin and heal blemishes. Smooth the liquid onto the skin and allow it to dry for 30 minutes. Some have found stevia helpful in skin conditions such as acne and exema.
In Paraguay stevia concentrate is added to soaps and shampoos to help slow the graying of hair and improve it’s health and shine. Try adding a few drops to your shampoo and leave in hair for a few minutes before rinsing. .
Safety of Stevia
Stevia has never had a documented case of harmful side effects in its 1500 years of use in Paraguay and 20 years of use in Japan. So far research has shown it safe for human consumption. If you have questions or a specific health condition be sure and consult your physician.
© Copyright 2008-11 by Path2Healthyliving
