Sugar Substitutes: Stevia
By Denice Moffat Stevia rebaudiana- Stevia, known as “sweet herb”, this plant is 25 times sweeter than sugar when made as an infusion with 1 teaspoon stevia leaves to 1 cup of water. Two drops of this infusion equal 1 teaspoon of sugar in sweetness. It is safe for people with diabetes as it is does not change blood glucose levels. It does have a bit of an aftertaste you need to get used to. In South America and the Orient a product derived of stevia called Stevioside has a 41% share of the food sweetener market. There are some healing benefits of stevia as well. Stevia is known to help regulate blood sugar, helps to lower high blood pressure, aids in weight loss by decreasing the desire for sugary foods. Some people even report that it reduces their desire for tobacco and alcoholic beverages. Stevia is also used in facemasks to smooth out wrinkles and heal skin blemishes and acne. So why dont we see more of it? Apparently the import of stevia was heavily influenced by Nutrasweet politics. I think this is a good product. I actually bought a stevia plant from Wal-Mart for my herb patch. It was fun to grow and see what I was actually providing for my clients in tincture and powder form. Its and annual plant and grows quite well. You harvest the leaves just as the flowers bloom, dry them, and then use them in teas, or crumble them up and use them in cooking. I dont know yet how to use it in baking, but when you cant have sugar. . .you probably shouldnt be eating baked goods anyway! You can get stevia drops or packets in your local health food store. Dr. Denice Moffat is a practicing naturopath, medical intuitive, and veterinarian working on the family unit (which includes humans and animals) through her phone consultation practice established in 1995. She has a content-rich website at http://www.NaturalHealthTechniques.com and free internationally distributed monthly newsletter. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Denice_Moffat http://EzineArticles.com/?Sugar-Substitutes:-Stevia&id=420023 order soma carisoprodol buy low online pharmacy price soma buy carisoprodol onlinereltopnet site buy watson soma
