Hello,
I was browsing the recipe section and I'm not sure of some of the ingredients
could someone tell me about: stevia and splenda?
I'm only just starting and am wondering about these products.
Thank you.

Stevia is a herb with a sweet-tasting leaf. The leaf can be refined into a white powder that's up to 30 times sweeter than sugar. I think it's also available in a liquid form. Consumption does not affect blood sugar level - it has virtually zero carbs. You should be able to buy it at a health food store.

I should add that stevia has a slightly licorice-like aftertaste, which not everyone likes (I don't).

Splenda is a low-calorie (and low-carb) artificial sweetner made from sugar. It tastes a lot like sugar and is stable at high temperatures. It also comes in powdered form for table use. I'm not sure of its availability in the States; you might have to mail order it.

Both stevia and Splenda are sometimes 'padded out' with a filler so that they can be used more like table sugar. There are carbs in the filler, which can quickly add up, so keep an eye on these.

Rachel

Splenda is available in most grocery type stores in the states now in it's powered form. It's were the regular low cal sweetners are.