I have an ex boyfriend who once told me that Stevia was bad for you and stupidly I believed him. And when I recently asked him what it was that was so bad about Stevia he couldn’t remember …ahhh ..so I’ve been missing out on this fantastic natural sweetener for all of this time!
Well I’ve since done a little research, purchased the Stevia cookbook and even got a clipping of the actual plant from my grandmothers garden (see the picture below!) and as long as you know how to cook with this stuff properly to get rid of the sometimes odd aftertaste, Stevia is an amazingly good natural sweetener. It’s no wonder why it’s so popular within the health and raw food community.
I ate a leaf off this clipping and it tasted exactly like the stevia liquid drops. That just shows how natural this sweetener is.
Unfortunately Stevia can have a bit of a yucky aftertaste which is probably why it hasn’t really taken off in a big way. I know what to expect with the taste so I found the leaf I ate from the clipping kind of nice. My parents however who tasted some at my grandmothers house weren’t expecting the liquorishy aftertaste so had an immediate bad impression.
You can get rid of the aftertaste by using Stevia correctly in cooking. I tried to make up a chocolate dessert sweetened with Stevia without using a recipe when I was living in Toronto. The Stevia aftertaste came through too strongly which ruined the taste of the dessert and I’m sure this was because I didn’t follow a recipe (I was just experimenting!). Everything else I’ve made with Stevia and a recipe has masked the aftertaste and produced a lovely smoothie or dessert.
You also can get used to the aftertaste and start to like it. I have heard in Canada a few scientists are trying to create a Stevia powder that has no aftertaste at all. But I’m a little worried that this creation process requires a little too much processing or genetic modification, so in the meantime I’m happy with the natural Stevia that’s already out on the market.
What’s so good about Stevia?
Stevia is 300 times as sweet as processed cane sugar so you only need to use a teeny tiny bit of it as a substitute. It also has a glycemic index of 0 which is just amazing. So you can very confidently consume stevia without worrying about your skin OR it feeding a Candida overgrowth if this is a problem with you.
You’ve probably heard me talk a lot in the past about how processed cane sugars are really bad for our bodies and how they can aggravate acne. Processed cane sugars have 0 nutrients and act a bit like a toxin or poison in our body once consumed, so you want to stay away from them as much as you can.
There are a few natural sugars available on the market now which are safe to use. Xylitol has been a favorite of mine and I love it because it’s good for your teeth. But it is processed so I buy Xylitol gum and Xylitol toothpaste and leave it at that. Lakanto is another great sweetener which is highly recommended in Donna Gate’s Body Ecology Diet for similar reasons to Stevia – it has a zero glycemic index. So Lakanto is another sweetener that’s definitely worth looking into.
How do you use Stevia?
As you can see form the image above, Stevia is a plant so you can grow it in your garden and use the fresh leaves. This is a good way to sweeten up a cup of tea. A dried leaf is significantly sweeter than a fresh one, so dry your leaves out first then crush them to release the flavor. Two to four dried leaves are usually used to sweeten a cup of herbal tea.
Most health stores and even some grocery stores sell the Stevia liquid concentrate or the Stevia powder. In North American health stores (and Wholefoods) I found small bottles of flavored liquid Stevia (vanilla, orange, apricot, etc) which I haven’t found here in Australia. Flavored Stevia is a great addition to a smoothie.
Stevia powder is the most potent so it’s recommended to dilute it with water and use it by the drop. I personally feel that it’s much easier just to buy the liquid already premade. I also prefer to use the liquid Stevia in cooking. I’ve been adding it to a Quinoa porridge in the morning with cinnamon and coconut oil which has been delicious.
I’m trying to get away from using so many natural sugars so Stevia, Xylitol and Lakanto and three sweeteners that I’d like to start using more of. A small amount of natural sugars are very important in a healthy diet but I have a Candida overgrowth in my body so I’m trying to eat as little as possible over the next few months.
I have a very sweet tooth so for me sugar substitutes are very important! It’s also fantastic how Stevia and Lakanto in particular have a 0 glycemic index so you can bake and prepare foods with them 100% guilt free. Agave which I’ve talked about in the past is fantastic too, and especially because it’s raw, natural and full of nutrients which these three sugars are not. But Agave is still a sugar so does have a glycemic index and does act like a sugar in the body.
I’ve bought the Stevia cookbook but you don’t need to because there are plenty of free recipes on the net so get Google-ing and see what you can find.
And of course, if you have a favorite Stevia recipe or something else to say about it that I haven’t included, let us know in the response box below.
17 responses ↓
i purchased stevia in it’s powdered form a from an herbalist.It truly is the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted (maybe toe in toe with pure refined sugar).
Here’s a great drink recipe.I make this for breakfast.
-A bit of powdered stevia (or in it’s liquid form)
-Oat or almond milk (preferably oat milk for a better taste)
-Organic cocoa powder
Just stir and enjoy.It’s really delicious.
I absolutely love Stevia and have been using it for about 10 years… I buy it in tablet form for things like my teas, I buy the liquid and powder form, but my fave is a product called Calfree – it is Stevia mixed with inulin (which is soluble fibre and the good bacteria in your intestines love this stuff, they feed on it!). 1 teaspoon is about equivalent in taste to 2-3 teaspoons of sugar… http://www.calfree.com.au
Seeing that I’m the world’s biggest Stevia fan I really should buy the Stevia cookbook… I tell my friends about Stevia all the time but convincing them to try it is another thing, so I usually just give them some of mine to try.
Initially I noticed the aftertaste, but I’m so used to it now that I can’t even tell it’s there, and I love licorice anyway!
The secret is to just use a small amount until you get used to it and work how much is too much (cos too much can really ruin a recipe).
Stevia is also a pancreas tonic – in that it helps to balance out the pancreas and help it to function properly considering all of the bombardment it cops from all of the stress and nasty chemicals and toxins in the food, etc we ingest…
Hi Fran,
I have a question not about stevia (sorry…) but cinnamon. Ever since I saw some TV show saying that cinnamon is one of the 10 super foods, I was putting them in my drink and oatmeal.
But the other day my friend’s mom (Chinese) who believes in Chinese medicine (herbs) told me that they are not good for acne because they can create heat in our body. Then that of course reminds me of your garlic article. I tried to put cinnamon on my tongue and noticed that it’s actually making my tonge a bit warm.
I know that a little bit of cinnamon will not hurt, but I’m just wondering if it’s really a super food for acne-prone skin.
Thanks!
Vivienne, this is absolutely correct! Cinnamon is a warm food so should be avoided if you have too much heat in the body. I’ve been avoiding it for years but have just started eating it again. I’ve never heard of it being a superfood though. If you’re worried, don’t eat it.
Speaking of sweets. Do you know of any raw, healthy dark chocolate that is sweetened with stevia. Or if you can even eat chocolate or cocao (raw) while on the B.E.D.
Thanks,
Sam
Samantha, I think the best way is to make it yourself. Cacao is fine but agave is not so you need to make your own with something like stevia.
That breakfast porridge sounds great. Would you mind passing on the recipe to me?
I’ll make it over the next couple of days and blog the recipe plus photos
Lakanto sounds like a great alternative also – will have to look into this
I wonder where I can purchase it…?
I can’t handle Xylitol, it’s really hard on my stomach and digestive system – it gives me severe and extreme stomach pains, major bloating and gas! eeeeewww… lol
I’ve also heard of cinnamon being referred to as a superfood, but yes, also aware that it is ‘warming’ and may aggravate acne…
Fran, I will have to find time to PM you as I have just been diagnosed with another stress related illness (if you remember last week I mentioned how my husband’s stress and anxiety has given me acne/rosacea) and it is one that is quite common and as it affects hormones it can exacerbate acne…
I love stevia, I’ve been using it forever! Usually in a shake when I don’t have a banana or something to sweeten it with.
The best kind is to get the stevia leaf powder, which is green. It’s the healthiest and most unrefined.
I don’t mind the aftertaste, it’s a little different, but it’s worth it.
I’ve read that sucanat and rapadura are also good for you. But they will probably raise blood sugar levels and things like that. They’re natural sugars that our body is used to.
Fran, what do you think about this sugar?!!
http://shop.bodyecology.com/prodinfo.asp?number=BE021php
Jasmine, that link is broken. But I think you’re referring to Lakanto which you can buy from that site …I haven’t personally tried it but I have heard great things about it, and it’s wonderful for acne prone skin because it won’t break you out.
hi..can we use stevia if we are diagonised with candida infection? thank you.
macuriosity- yep, stevia is fine
Hi there,
My husband & i bougth some stevia and planted it, its growing real good and healthy. but i’m afraid to cut it and just eat it?. Is it safe to use the green leafs? and should i wash it before i use it in my tea, coffee or smoothies? or should i dry it and then used it? please let me know I have a lot of it!!!!
Sorry for my bad English…(not born in the USA!)
Hey Carolina, it can be a little tricky. Best way is to dry the leaves out then either throw them straight into a tea or grind them up in a spice grinder.
Hi Fran, i’ve just been reading this forum, I have severe Candida which I am trying to get rid of at the moment. I am really interested In trying lakanto but I live in Australia and no one stocks it here, I rang one company and he didn’t think the government had passed it for sale in Australia yet. Do you think that means if I buy it on the internet in America it probably won’t make it through customs? Cheers ally
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