Stevia
 

Does anyone have any personal experience trying Stevia? What did/didn't you like about it?

I've done some online research and I keep coming up with the same yadda yadda. Most everything has been qualified by "in lab rats"(who ate half their body weight in it), which is why I'm asking about personal experience.

I tried it in a recipe for the first time this weekend (pumpkin muffins). I like the taste, but not so much the after-taste.

I can't stand the taste and after taste. I've tried it more than once and it just doesn't do it for me. I'm not a super sweet tooth anyway so I go with aspartame or some real sugar. I prefer brown sugar from the cane, not beet sugar. Honey does the trick as well for a few things.

I like Stevia because it's plant based and not from some extreme chemistry experiment. I mostly use it on unsweetened cereal, fruit, and in coffee it it's available. I've never tried it in cooking. I don't notice the aftertaste. But then again, I'm a diet Coke fiend. It's a nice alternative to Splenda, which I've tried and can't take. It causes major upset stomach/digestive problems for me.

I can't handle fake sugars of any kind. Aside from what I find to be an abnormal taste and texture, I get stomach aches and head aches from them. But that's just me.

Splenda is the worst offender. Stevia is actually obnoxiously sweet to me, but in an off way.

Funny story - I found out my husband used to use actual Stevia leaves in his tea growing up. Normally, I don't ask him these kind of questions, being that he grew up thinking that if you eat watermelon and drank beer, you would die. (Interesting Old Wive's tales they have down there)

we use truvia to sweeten drinks at my house and my husband and i both love it. i have not cooked with it.

I'm not a fan of the after taste. I prefer honey or agave nectar.

Thanks so much for this thread! I have bad reactions to both aspartame & Splenda, and was wondering what the natural sweeteners were like. FWIW, honey is supposedly really bad for diabetics, but I don't know for sure. I wish you could get small doses of Stevia, Truvia, etc, to test your body's reactions.

weird that i saw this thread. a co-worker is on a diet and is using stevia. she made me taste it. it was horrible. i can't believe that it's natural sugar. if all other sugar tasted like that maybe we wouldn't be so overweight. o_o

Personally, I don't care for the taste of stevia. I use real sugar, so if I am eating something that needs sugar in it, it had better be worth the calories!

My bff is Type I and she uses agave syrup because the artificial stuff can get to her at times.

Splenda/sucralose is the work of pure evil and is in so much stuff honeychile, srsly, it is everywhere. It makes me so sick and I have no idea how much it takes so I have to read the labels on everything. It is in a majority of toothpaste and mouthwash, so it takes me time to read the labels if I am not buying the more expensive "natural" organic stuff. Because of my sinus issues I have to be extra diligent about the damage from antibiotics, mouth breathing from congestion while sleeping, and general stanky breath and canker sores from stress so the benefits of chemical toothpaste are worth it to me until I get the nasal drama resolved.

Also be aware of anything that is low or no sugar added because Splenda/sucralose is in it as well. Juices, yogurt, non-dairy creamers, ice cream, cereal, it is more prevalent than Starbucks.

My grocery store sells Truvia in a container that's about a cup in size. They also sell a small box of packets in both Stevia and Truvia.

My Dad is diabetic and uses Agave syrup as well. I love to bake, and I baked with Agave for my dad- I just cut down on the liquid in the recipe and it works great without any aftertaste.

Splenda & Neutrasweet both give me horrible migraines, so I stear clear of those.

Truvia (made with Stevia but doesn't taste like it) is great and reminds me of sugar because of the white granules....looks just like it too but a little pricey.

Another great treasure is liquid Splenda (I have to watch my sugar/carb intake closely so when I come across a sugar-free treasure I get happy and want to share with the world :)). To me, it's so much better than the packets. The flavor is more intense so you use less, it has less of an aftertaste IMO, and it doesn't have the fillers that the packets have...just pure sucralose. And the little container lasts forever so you save money and can take it with you wherever you go. Also, some have reported headaches with the packets but not with the liquid version so you may want to give it a try.

I get mine from netrition.com (a great site for a variety of low carb and special diet products by the way that are hard to find in stores; also delivery is quick and cheap...$4 ground for your total order and arrives fast). Let me know if you're doing the low carb thing and I can recommend some other products from that site and other low carb sites.

Anyway, they sell the "EZ-Sweetz" brand of liquid sucralose. Find it here: http://www6.netrition.com/ezsweetz.html and remember that the bottle lasts for months.

Sugar is sugar for diabetics (including carbs which is the same as sugar to our bodies with the exception of fiber). I'm diabetic myself...it often doesn't matter if it's natural for a real sensitive person; however, some are able to tolerate more than others, including low sugar fruits in moderation. Juices and syrups are especially a problem for most although I don't know much about the Agave syrup...will have to look into that one but I probably can't have it. It's important to note though that each person is different and everyone is not in the same place regarding their diabetes so one person may be okay to have something that someone else will have a problem with. Some are also able to get away with eating more sugar/carbs because of the medications (including insulin for some) they take.

Remember that it's a leaf/herb that happens to have a sweet taste but also comes with an herbal one. We have just found a way to use it as sugar.

Thanks, rhoyal.

I'm not really doing low carb/fat/whatever. I reached my goal weight, and now that I'm there, it would be so easy to just say "okay, diet over, I can now eat whatever" and gain a bunch back. I'm really just looking for some new options, since I tend to find one meal plan and stick with it day after day until I'm so sick of it I never want to see any of those foods again. Right now, it's acorn squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and Campbell's Select Harvest Soup.

Re: Agave.... I like it a lot, and it does have 1gm fiber per serving, so it is diabetic friendly. I use it as pancake syrup. Fiber One has a good pancake mix. I've also found a whole wheat pancake receipe online that's really yummy. My dad is diabetic, so I like finding things I can make for him. My mom isn't very careful what she cooks for him. :(

I so wish it were true but 1gm fiber per serving doesn't at all = diabetic friendly and is not high fiber, although some diabetics may be able to handle having some in moderation. It's about the other carbs that are present once you subtract the fiber. The carbs that are left over after the fiber is subtracted is what affects blood sugar. However, it appears that Agave is low glycemic index, so this might make a difference for most/some. This is one of those foods where it will depend on the diabetic (again, some can tolerate more than others). Low glycemic or not, some will have no problem in moderation and others will, which is why it's important to test your blood sugar after eating, especially when trying new things so you know how it affects your blood sugar personally. And anyone can test their blood sugar, not just diabetics and pre-diabetics. The truth is that for many of us, our blood sugar is higher than it should be for optimum health and this is contributing to much illness and disease. We can all stand to eat less refined carbs/sugar and more fiber.

The internet tells me agave is:

Total Carbohydrates (By Difference) 16 g (5%)
Dietary Fiber 1g (4%)
Sugar 15 g

And

Also check out netrition.com and carbsmart.com for your dad. They have great products that you won't find in the average store. All kinds of sugar free goodies and carb sensitive products including syrups, pancake mixes, cookie mixes, and the best low carb tortilla I've found anywhere...tastes great and not just for a low carb wrap (Mama Lupe's). When I first found these sites I was in heaven.:)

Yes, that's 15g total impactful carbs but overall, the text doesn't matter. You have to test yourself to find out how something impacts your blood sugar personally. I have eaten things that according to the nutrition facts shouldn't have been a problem and were for me...so as much as some of us hate it, we have to test our blood sugar regularly.

I use Splenda or Agave syrup. Agave is really sweet and you don't need to use that much. I also use organic honey as a sweetener.

I use brown sugar when I make sweet potatoes. :)

I think I'll try the Agave and see how it affects me. You should try the liquid splenda...I'm almost certain you won't want to go back to powder.

LOL. I purchase the brand at http://www6.netrition.com/ezsweetz.html. The bottle only allows you to squeeze a drop at a time although you can go crazy with the drops as I have been known to do on occasion:). However, be careful because it will be too sweet since each drop = one packet of the powder stuff. It tastes so much better though, I guess because it's without the chemical fillers and I love that you don't have to dissolve anything. And the little bottles are so convenient and lasts long. I keep one for home and one for my purse. I go out to dinner now and don't have to settle for equal or something else. I just whip out my little bottle and watch my friends' faces..."Oh no she didn't...":D

If you get some, let me know how you like it.

Every diabetic person has different needs but with my bff she seems to function better the more protein she has and I'm not going to explain this well at the moment but protein has an effect with carbohydrates that can offset a spike in blood sugar, so if there are say, lentils and meat, rice isn't as much of an issue. One item that is full of protein but can be used like a grain is quinoa and you may be successful using that with your father. It packs a lot of protein and a low glycemic index, and it can be made into salad, put in soups, and I have used it like rice for a stir fry and in turkey meatloaf to keep moisture instead of breadcrumbs.

I'd check those soups because the amount of sodium in the majority of prepared foods is insane, and even in the healthy request and select harvest it is still very high. I have found some brands that are often organic that come in the juice box style with a lot less sodium that also have fiber, but not all, Imagine brand is a decent one. Of course we could make our own soup but I keep those containers of soup at work for the times I have no time or haven't planned ahead. Sodium is kind of crazy because it can mess with your blood pressure and cause water retention and bloating that can be no bueno if you're doing a costume fitting.

I'm getting such an education, and I appreciate it, y'all. There's a genetic eye disorder in my family (as if the freckle on my retina isn't enough!), so I want to make sure that I don't become a diabetic!

I'll be reading and rereading all of this information!

This is true to an extent but I wouldn't say "offset" at all. It can be dangerous for a diabetic to think this unless they have proof through testing. What does happen is that eating protein or even adding some fat for that matter to carbs, can lessen the blow so to speak or make it so that the spike isn't as high as it would be if eating carbs alone, or it could just be a delay in the spike, which is why testing sometimes 4/5 hours later is necessary. However, like you stated every diabetic is different and some are more sensitive to carbs than others. For some, protein/fat added to carbs or not, too many carbs in a meal and the blood sugar becomes abnormally high; maybe not as high as eating carbs alone but still too high to be acceptable.

An excellent book that breaks all of this down, is very easy to read, and presents the experiences of many long time diabetics is Blood Sugar 101 by Jenny Ruhl. I found this book later, after reading others, but wish I had it when I was newly diagnosed. It would have saved me a lot of confusion and frustration, but I recommend it to all diabetics and their supporters or just anyone that is interested in the topic. Actually, everyone should be concerned about their blood sugar and for some, it's already too high even though their doctor might not say anything until they're in the pre-diabetic range, which is really too late. Some never get to the pre-diabetic range but might still have issues related to high blood sugar.

Great, taking your destiny into your own hands. Read Blood Sugar 101 by Jenny Ruhl. If you only have one book on the topic (although others are great as well), make it this one...so easy to understand. You'll appreciate it even if you're not diabetic but if you are, you will feel such relief and understanding that possibly you're doctor could not provide. You'll nod your head in agreement as you read and holler out, "yes! that's what happened to me!" and "I was wondering why I felt that way"...etc. Give it to a diabetic as a gift.:)

I've been really happy with Stevia. I don't think it has the aftertaste of some others, wasn't developed to be rat poison (Splenda) and has no tie in whatsoever with Dick Cheney (also Splenda). I like that it's plant based, renewable, and if you can't take real sugar for your waistline or you blood tests, I think this is the best alternative.