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Archived Newsletter #5: Sweeten Your Life with Stevia
As we head into fall, we'll all be spending more time
indoors. Our thoughts will naturally turn towards. . .
.food!
Eating should be a natural, pleasurable activity. It is
vital to life. But when a person suffers from chemical
and food allergies, eating can be anything but normal.
Many of you who subscribe to this newsletter are aware
you have some problems with tolerating common, everyday
chemicals like those found in perfumes. But how many of
you are aware you may have problems tolerating some
common, everyday foods? It is very common to suffer from
both, often without being aware of it. It is vital,
therefore, to eat as healthy and natural a diet as
possible.
For today, let's discuss a wonderful substitute for
sugar. If you read labels, you know that sugar, in its
many guises, is found in almost every manufactured food,
including salt! Whether it's sucrose, corn syrup, cane
sugar, beet sugar or any other name, it's still sugar
and many people want to cut down or eliminate it from
their diets. This is a good idea.
But the common alternative is to use chemical,
artificial sweeteners. These can be very harmful to
people with chemical sensitivities, as they are
chemically based on phenol. Here's a little info about
phenol as described in the "Glossary of Hazardous
Chemicals:" Phenol -- Very toxic and suspected
carcinogen. Swelling, pimples and hives are common.
Internal consumption can cause circulatory collapse,
convulsions, cold sweats, coma and death. Found in
laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners, air
fresheners, disinfectants and furniture polish.
Sounds good, eh? Want to sprinkle some on your breakfast
cereal? I thought not!
So, here's a healthy alternative to sugar or artificial
sweeteners: Stevia Rebaudiana. Yes, it is a funny name,
but this natural powdered herb is many times sweeter
than sugar and easy to obtain and use. It is considered
safe for use by diabetics, those on a restricted low
carbohydrate diet, those who need to eliminate sugar
from their diets due to Candida Albicans and people who
want to reduce calories and lose weight.
You can find Stevia in your health food store. It comes
in either powdered or liquid form. The liquid is easier
to use in many ways, but it is more expensive than the
powder. You can use it to sweeten plain yogurt. Just add
a few drops and stir. You can also add a few drops of
your favorite essential oil, like lemon, lime or sweet
orange, and turn plain yogurt into a real feast! Stevia
can be used in baked goods, too. Add a few drops of
liquid Stevia into plain Seltzer Water, add a drop or
two of lemon essential oil and have a refreshing
beverage.
Here are some other ideas and recipes for using Stevia
in your daily diet.
Some good-looking recipes:
Healthy.net
Recipes
Stevia
Recipes
Stevia
Cooking
More information about Stevia:
Healthy.net
Questions about Stevia
Stevia
Recipes
As you learn to make changes in your diet and try to
incorporate healthier choices about food, have fun
learning to use and enjoy Stevia.
Until next time, my best regards and wishes for you and
yours,
Corinne
Homespun Naturals
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