Anyone use Stevia?

[Meow]

I have a big problem with Spenda and Equal. Splenda gives me horrible stomach and headaches, and I can't stand the taste of Equal. I was thinking about using Stevia in their place. Have any of you used it? I wonder if it really has the health benefits that they claim it does. Any thoughts?

[greensmurf]

I ordered some and should have it by Wednesday. So I'll let you know!

[Selaras]

I've used Stevia for years--even when not LCing!! It's great. I like the liquid drops better than the powdered stuff. It doesn't cook well for me by itself--so I mix it up--1/2 Splenda or Sweet N Low to 1/2 Stevia when drinking something hot or baking. Stevia comes liquid, powdered, and dried green leaf. I've not used dried green leaf yet.

Good luck experimenting!!! :wave: :yum: :yum: :yum:

[Gailew]

I hear the green leaf stevia tastes weedy. I use Sweetleaf Stevia Plus with Inulin and FOS, and Stevia Balance with Inulin and chromium. I like both, and am not sure which is better for health so I keep both on hand. They're both in white powder form.

[toopoles]

I use both liquid and powdered stevia. The next time I get some powdered, I am going to take thebettys advice :thup:and get it from Trader Joes as it is more pure than what i have.

I love stevia. I take the liquid everywhere with me, even on the airplanes. I don't always use it, but have it with me.

I don't cook often (I eat out at least one if not two meals a day) so I don't have any experience cooking with it.

I don't react well to the Splenda. It gives me intense cravings. I could eat a house within 20 minutes of eating it. I can do the pink and blue stuff but Ace-k also causes me problems.

Marty

[Dawna]

I like to use Stevia too. It took a lot of getting used to in order to learn how to use it without getting the aftertaste. I'm much better with both the liquid and powder now. I like Splenda for the berries but use the Stevia for most other things.

[TheBetty]

MArty is right, Trader Joe's sells a PURE powder stevia from SUPERIOR SOURCE. They only charge $9.99 for a little jar with 1100 servings in it! One of those little scoops sweetens your cup of tea!

Everyone is different, but I personally have never met a liquid stevia I liked, and in fact I have never met a brand of stevia that I liked til TJs started carrying the Superior Source PURE powder. And no one else can TOUCH their price on it.

I agree with the other poster that Splenda and other fake sugar is great for giving ya weird symptoms and eating whole foods including avoiding AS is best for our bodies.

Altho I didn't use Splenda often--only for desserts actually--I stopped using it completely when I figured out it was the culprit behind a host of weird symptoms including irritability, cravings and weight stalls.

Stevia is GOOD stuff. I use it daily in beverages and some recipes. God bless! --Betty:wave:

[lynnp]

I've been using stevia for years. Even used it to make cheesecake. I have always stayed with the Kal brand white powder---it is EXTREMELY concentrated. I found the green leaf variety to taste like dirt or grass--not my choice for anything. I haven't tried the Trader Joe's stuff, but that company ALWAYS has great quality products.

You need to start with a very little bit and increase to your own taste. Takes experimentation. It appears expensive, but lasts so long it is much more cost effective than Splenda with the amount you use.

[ScandieGal]

MArty is right, Trader Joe's sells a PURE powder stevia from SUPERIOR SOURCE. They only charge $9.99 for a little jar with 1100 servings in it! One of those little scoops sweetens your cup of tea!

Everyone is different, but I personally have never met a liquid stevia I liked, and in fact I have never met a brand of stevia that I liked til TJs started carrying the Superior Source PURE powder. And no one else can TOUCH their price on it.

Stevia is GOOD stuff. I use it daily in beverages and some recipes. God bless! --Betty:wave:

Does anyone know where I can get this? Trader Joe's does not have an online store and I live in Minnesota and there is no Trader Joe's in my state.

[TheBetty]

Superior Source does have a website. I have not visited that, so I don't know if you can buy directly from them.

Their website is www.cvc4health.com

Good luck! --Betty:wave:

[lynnp]

Any health food store will carry some brand of stevia. Ask around at your local health food stores.

[kathleen24]

Hey folks,

So I have the cream cheese and eggs at room temperature, it is well past bedtime, and I am circling the kitchen with a come-away closer conflict going on.

I wanted to make some cheesecake. Was going to do the quickie one with lime flavored jello and chocolate/pecan crust. Read ingredients, jello has aspartame in it. Nix. Reluctant to make something nummie that has 75 carbs in it, even though I'm spozed to cut it into twelve pieces and only eat one piece at a time hah.

So started looking for liquid splenda on net, and found out that we can't get it in U.S., even though our LCing Canadianeighbors can which is of course no fair but neither is life get OVER it.
There's an article about the availability of liquid splenda (0 carbs) and it's preferability (powdered uses dextrose and maltose as fillers.)

Number in here for calling US distributor and letting them know there really is a demand for this product, if you feel so inclined.

http://www.holdthetoast.com/httblog/archives/000019.html


Anyway where am I going with all this? O yeah, Lynn, could I get that recipe for LC stevia-powder sweetened cheesecake? Or did you even use a recipe, or just wing it?

TIA

[lynnp]

Sorry Tia, I just put it in and tasted to see if it was sweet enough for me. I actually think you should over sweeten slightly since cold things taste less sweet and it may lose a bit in cooking. I just went with trial and error. I used the powder and not the liquid.

Good luck.

[AntiM]

Kathleen ~ Don't despair. ;)

You can get liquid sucralose at www.locarber.com or www.sweetzfree.com - from what I understand Sweetzfree is more concentrated. You can do a search on them for more information - they're very popular. I've never used them so I can't comment, other than to say I want to buy some as soon as possible!

I sweeten my things with DaVinci syrup currently, but it has limitations.

[kathleen24]

Thank you, big time! So pleased that this problem solved so easily.

The author of this article claimed that most of the `liquid Splenda' products were the powdered splenda (i.e., with various -loses) and caveat emptor. But from the quick perusal, this looks like the good stuff.

Lynn, my name isn't TIA--that stand for Thanks In Advance :wave: and now TIR--thanks in retrospect.

I'll definately be ordering some of this stuff, and will let you know

[lynnp]

Sorry Kathleen. Work has been hectic lately and I'm a bit frazzled. I applogize profusely :o

[kathleen24]

Oh, please don't! I thought it was funny!

[Amanda28]

I just bought some Stevia packets yesterday. I can honestly say I don't like the taste of it! I'm hoping I can get used to it just as I did the splenda. It states right on the box that it doesn't raise your blood sugar and I'm quite sure these days that Splenda does. At least in the powdered form.

I found a liquid sweetner at wally world yesterday, yet it is the saccharin. Is that a good idea? Or no? I can't remember what i used to hear about saccharin. I don't even know if I spelled that right.

Amanda

[Julie Huck]

In Dr. Bernstien's Diabetes Solution he says that liquid sweet n low doesn't cause a blood sugar spike nor does the stevia but he says equal and splenda do cause a spike. He attributes it to the bulking agents used in aspartame and sucralose. I recently have decided to use sweet n low liquid in my coffee so it's too soon to see if it makes a difference or not. But I have cut all the splenda out for now.

Julie Huck

[Amanda28]

Its funny because really since I've quit using Splenda (its been a few days now), I'm back to that not being hungry thing. I am not craving stuff like mad and fighting it like mad. I'm comfortable for sure. I'm so glad you posted that Julie, it makes ALOT of sense. Maybe I will try the liquid sweet n low if I can find it. I'll be on my way to another grocery store tonight lol. I have been using the Davinci Syrup made with splenda and that doesn't seem to be a problem. I'm still hoping I can get used to this $7.00 box of Stevia I bought though!

Thanks for that info!

Amanda

[maryc]

I got an e-mail today from a friend of mine that said that the nutra sweet stuff like equal can cause you to have MS simptoms. And other things like fibermyalgia and sore muscles all the time. THey suggested using Stevia. I did buy a Stevia plant one time and I even made cuttings of it to make more plants but I couldn't seem to keep them alive. I tasted a stevia leaf with an leaf from my lemon balm and it tasted like lemonaide. Really good. I think I will try to get some more plants and try it again.

[featherz]

In my experience, the liquid stevia is much more palatable than the packets and has fewer calories (the packets have fillers). Try Sweetleaf or Now Stevia Glycerite. As for Splenda, I have no problems with it, but I only use the grey market liquid stuff (no maltodextrin bulkers).

[kathleen24]

There are quite a few cautions being posted about the asparteme sweetener (Equal), even to the extreme that some airlines require their pilots to abstain from using this before flying, and speculation that this--delivered in SF soda that sat in the hot sun long enough to ensure conversion of asparteme to formeldahyde compounds--may be at the root of `Gulf Syndrome.' I stay away from it as much as possible.

'Manda-panda, some stevia products taste miserably bad--what you want to try is the highly refined pure white stuff that---I use Nu Naturals White Stevia pure extract--very expensive, but it has 800 servings in a one-ounce bottle, so it can last for years. (They also make a larger, cheaper bottle that has a bulking sugar agent in it, so read the labels!)

I'm also trying to get away from the powdered splenda because of the bulking agent---so will see if that makes a difference for me. The syrups like DaVinci are sweetened with sucralose, but not the bulking agents found in the powder. Sounds like your bod KNEW there was sugar in there all along. . .


Thanks again for your ideas and experiences, folks.

[AntiM]

I got an e-mail today from a friend of mine that said that the nutra sweet stuff like equal can cause you to have MS simptoms. And other things like fibermyalgia and sore muscles all the time.

Aspartame may not be for you, but it does NOT cause MS or MS symptoms, Lupus, 'Gulf War Syndrome', fibromyalgia, etc.! Think of these people circulating the emails like those vegan activists who are constantly peppering the media with claims that LC is going to kill you.

There is no scientific data proving aspartame is dangerous to anyone not born with an inherited genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU). And you'd know if you had this condition with a blood test at birth, it's not something you can develop over time or catch.

Why am I so passionate about this subject? And no ... the answer isn't that I work for the Equal company. :lol:

My partner has MS and is constantly approached by well-meaning people who tell her she only has to cut out aspartame to cure her disease. It's exhausting to try to explain the truth over and over. I figure the more people who know the truth, the less the myth will continue.

Here is an exerpt from the National MS Society (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/headlines-aspartame.asp):

Stories Linking Aspartame and Multiple Sclerosis Unfounded

Several websites and documents circulating on the Internet are making unsubstantiated claims about aspartame, an artificial sweetener used in many diet soft drinks and other foods.

These stories claim that Aspartame is the cause of a variety of illnesses, including MS, lupus, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, birth defects, Desert Storm syndrome, brain tumors, and seizures. However, please bear in mind the following:

* The claims are not documented.

* There is no evidence for "epidemics" of multiple sclerosis, lupus, and some of the other diseases as claimed in the articles.

* There is no evidence that authors of the claims have any scientific, medical, or academic credentials; nor is there any evidence that they have done any scientific research to support their claims.

* No published, peer-reviewed scientific research exists that supports the claims being made in the articles.

MS symptoms come and go, often randomly. Thus, it is sometimes too easy to assume that something coincidental in a person's life-a food eaten, a specific event, an unproved therapy-is related to the onset of symptoms or the end of symptoms. In fact, it may be independent of any of these things.

Scientifically controlled studies are of great importance, whether they prove a drug is of true benefit or that a substance is of true harm.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ETA: I forgot to say I don't care for the taste of aspartame very much. My new favorite sweetener is Erythritol. It's a very low calorie (0.2 calories per gram) sugar alcohol unlike any other ... no laxative effect! It carmelizes, browns, does almost everything sugar does.

I mix 1/4 cup with 8 packets of splenda to create the sweetness of 1 cup of sugar.

Erythritol Information from Netrition (http://www.netrition.com/lowcarbsuccess_erythritol_page.html) (Sorry for the commerical link, but it's a good synopsis of E's benefits.)

[maryc]

AntiM

Where do you get Erythritol?

[AntiM]

Hi Mary!

I get mine from Netrition.com - here's the Erythritol (http://www.netrition.com/lowcarbsuccess_erythritol_page.html) link. It's pretty expensive ($6.95 per pound) but I don't use very much at one time.

I also get Carbquik there, it's one of the few places that carries it ... and what an amazing product that is! Very LC pot pies, biscuits, cobblers, fruit bars. Yum! Between E and Carbquik I've been able to bake some LC sweets that no one can tell is not sugar / starch based.

Of course, Carbquik isn't for everyone. It's enzyme modified wheat flour, so if you're sensitive to grains, or feel it's a binge trigger, it's not worth having around.

[kathleen24]

Monika,

I have siblings who live in the land of chronic illness/chronic pain, and I hear them complain of others coming to them with `miracle cures' on a regular basis.

I first read about the aspartame/flying link in an aviation magazine, not on some wierd flame site. I found that noteworthy, and since I'd been having some odd symptoms using it, I cut back and symptoms went away.

I value the peace, harmony, and support of this forum, and would never knowingly post anything that I thought would be offensive to anyone else here. Please accept my apology.

[AntiM]

Oh Kathleen ~ I'm the one who should be sorry for my strident post. I didn't mean to sound so fanatical ... it's just one of those irksome issues for me.

Did you notice the MS Society refered to 'Gulf War Syndrome' as 'Desert Storm Syndrome'? I guess they're distinguishing between them now since we're into our second Gulf War. I certainly hope more servicepeople don't come home sick. :(

[kathleen24]

{{{AntiM}}}

Yes, that they come home well, and that they come home. Your post made me remember the tension we went through last year. . . the son of neighbors was a Marine in Fallujah . . . he'd done one stretch in Afghanistan, then two in Iraq, long stretches. . . last one was 13 months, and his family only heard from him about four times. Marines were ready to send him back again, but he was able to get that changed. . . what a year

I have a question about the sweetener you mentioned. The link says it works, among other things, as a bulking agent. Could it then serve in recipes that call for sugar to substitute both for the sweetening properties and the physical structure of sugar? Measure for measure?

I have a promise to keep to myself this summer. The first time I tried LCing, I did very well on it until I made a dessert that I thought I could just try a little of, and that little taste was the beginning of the end. . .

I told myself several weeks ago that I would try to come up with an LC version of this dessert that was my downfall before.

It was kind of like an apple crisp, only made with rhubarb instead of apples, and with brown s****, oatmeal, butter, etc. It's not that I want to play with a trigger food, so much as I want to prove to myself that this can be a WOLF, that there is no deprivation, no loss. Only change.

It sounds to me as if this sweetener and the carbquick might make be the key.

[AntiM]

Rhubarb crisp ... :yum: I'm sure you could make a very good version using Carbquik, maybe trying the cobbler topping recipe below over your rhubarb blend.

I was worried at first if I'd be able to make treats and maintain portion control. I'm lucky that it doesn't trigger any cravings and my weight loss has only accelerated since I added CQ and E to my diet. (Just a coincidence, I'm sure since I've been working on lower calories, too.) I know some people are sensitive to any type of sweets and grains, so I'd recommend they not waste their money on something that can only lead to trouble.

Because it is such a slippery slope, isn't it? And even if something is LC, it doesn't remain that way if you eat too much of it. :rolleyes: You never know what is going to trigger cravings. One chocolate bar is no problem, but if I have a box, it's going to get eaten way faster than I'd like.

Erythritol is a bulking agent just like sugar (looks and feels exactly the same), but it's only 70% as sweet. Adding another sweetener like Splenda makes the synergistic effect really powerful - so to my tastebuds, 1/4 cup + 8 packets Splenda = the sweetness of 1 cup sugar.

Theoretically, you could use E measure for measure like sugar and add a drop of liquid sucralose to bring it 'up to code'.

I should also mention that it has what they call "a cooling effect", like mild mint - without the mint flavor, if that makes sense. I can't notice it all in the quantities I use, but straight out of the bag I notice the sensation. Not unpleasant at all. Apparently Inulin cancels that effect since it has a "warming effect", but I haven't tried it myself except in prepackaged items.

I also haven't tried it in recipes that have a need for bulk from sweetener. For example, the recipes below can all use packets of splenda, which works fine. However, I plan on experimenting until I find a way to create an old fashioned pecan pie for Thanksgiving this year.

Cobbler Topping
1 to 1-1/4 cup Carbquik (more makes it a bit more cake-like, less is crunchier)
1/2 cup butter
8 packets Splenda and 1/4 cup Erythritol OR 1 cup granular Splenda OR 24 packets
~ 2 tablespoons half-and-half

Cut butter into Carbquik and sweetener using a dough blender; mix until clumps are size of peas. Add half-and-half to lightly moisten dough. Sprinkle over fruit in a ~6"x9" baking dish and cook at 350 until golden brown.

8 Servings. Using Erythritol and Splenda packet: 1.6 net carbs and 140 kcals + fruit filling as used

Fruit FillingsBlueberry Bars
Scatter ~3/4 cup frozen blueberries on the bottom of the baking dish. Since they express so much liquid in cooking, you want the berries to be around ~1/2" apart from each other. No need to be precise (!) just an idea of the amount you want.


~ Less LC, but excellent for maintenance or company ~

Pear Cobbler
2 cans Del Monte Carb Clever canned pears mashed up a bit, 1 tsp. molasses, 1/2 tsp. ginger, 1/2 pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. A couple of tbsp. of slivered almonds are nice in the cobbler crust, too.

Peach Cobbler
2 cans Carb Clever canned peaches (chopped up bite sized), 1 tsp. molasses, 1 tsp. cinnamon.

If you try a rhubarb variation, please share!
http://www.diegotorres.com.ar/mensajeitor/foro/caritas/11_1_123.gif Have a great day all you sweethearts!