Healthy Eating #4

Fourth in the series of videos on this subject. In this one, the viewer is introduced to the natural sweetener "stevia," and given some internet pointers for more information.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• stevia
• sugar
• eating
• disorder
• healthy
• obese
• obesity
• fat
• artificial
• sweetener
• natural

[Spargemeister]

Wish I'd learned about stevia years ago. I always avoided sugary sodas but drank lots of diet soda. Eventually I realized that aspartame and sucralose had nasty side effects. My soft drink of choice these days is a packet of True Lemon or True Lime in a glass of water, lightly sweetened with stevia. It's completely natural, zero calories, tasty, and refreshing. And I can keep a supply in my desk at work or in a bowl on the counter at home.

True Lemon/Lime are packets of crystallized juice.

[Urgelt]

Thanks for sharing your tip, Sparge. :-)

[boobootoob]

There's a woman that makes the best vegan videos I have seen on YT, she's very balanced, and she says not to go for the crystallized kind, because that's refined like white sugar. But there are plenty of other forms. I'm going to try this, and thanks for the video, great stuff.

[Urgelt]

Yes, she's right: white stevia powder is an extract and is refined.

It's not like refined sugar, however. It has no effect whatsoever on blood sugar.

So far as I have been able to discover, no-one has found any ill-effects of consuming ordinary doses. The only negative studies involve vast doses force-fed to laboratory animals, or heating stevia extract to a high enough temperature that chemical changes are induced to produce carcinogens. Used normally, the powder seems to be harmless.

[Urgelt]

Yes, she's right: white stevia powder is an extract and is refined.

It's not like refined sugar, however. It has no effect whatsoever on blood sugar.

So far as I have been able to discover, no-one has found any ill-effects of consuming ordinary doses. The only negative studies involve vast doses force-fed to laboratory animals, or heating stevia extract to a high enough temperature that chemical changes are induced to produce carcinogens. Used normally, the powder seems to be harmless.

[Perscriptions]

I just read: Stevia damages / lowers male fertility.

[Urgelt]

One in vitro study suggesting a potential negative effect of stevia on male fertility in rats was later debunked based on in vivo research on the topic (Aritajat et al. 2000).

It's hard for us to wrap our minds around the fact that people will lie to us, isn't it? But that debunked study is still being cited as "truth" in many places on the net.

There are commercial interests who are threatened by stevia, you understand. It's in their interests to spew disinformation all day long.

[sowhtttt]

Very nice, healthy choice chocolate recipe, thank you. Also, thank you for pointing out Tropical Traditions, they go the extra mile in explaining precisely "how & what" goes into their coconut products. This speaks volumes toward the products a company sells.

Regards

[Perscriptions]

@Urgelt Thank you Urgelt. Often, I don't know what to believe and what not. It is very difficult to find the right and true sources. After all I rather believe in the things that yoz say and write than those from any internet source. Since I first watched your videos, you have become a real "guru" for me, if you can call it that.

However, sorry for my crappy English and thank you for your informative and helping work.

[Urgelt]

What works for me is herbal and green teas (mostly herbal).

My problem for years was that I didn't much like the flat, slightly bitter taste of most teas. But now that I use stevia to sweeten tea, it satisfies the part of my brain that used to crave soft drinks.

There are dozens of different varieties of herbal teas to try. Some of them you might like.

I use an 18-oz mug, one tea bag, a wee pinch of stevia extract powder, and almost-boiling water. I like the result hot or cold.