Do You Use Stevia or Not? page 3

[Lynna]

Can't stand the taste. I use cane sugar(usually raw), maple syrup or honey if I want something sweetened.

[sbhikes]

I don't have any reason to use stevia. I think if I was going to make lime gelatin with fresh limes I would sweeten it with pear or white grape juice and flavor it more with lime zest than actual juice. I'd save the limes for ceviche.

[Diana Renata]

RE: Bad taste-

It totally depends on brand. NuNaturals brand, alcohol-free, is good.

[keithpowers]

I use extracted stevia powder to make sweet tea... honey or molasses for any other sweetening.

[Betorq]

I use Nu Naturals liquid stevia. It doesn't cause a rise in blood sugar. The powdered stevias are all mixed with some form of sugar if that's a concern for you...

Actually that's mostly but not entirely true. Trader Joe's has for a long time & still does sell a 100% pure powdered stevia. I always warn people that "less is more", ie use a just teeny weeny smidgen of a bit & you'd be amazed at how it sweetens drinks or desserts without the bitterness so many associate with its use. Japan has used stevia for decades & they are super anal retentive about artificial sweeteners & GMOs (but don't seem to mind the MSG ...go figure...). Sure its processed into a powder which technically is not Paleo/Primal but it's not only safer for regular(not saying you should) or occasional use, but it IS good for your pancreas, good for your blood sugar, insulin (some may holler, jump & vehemently disagree & thats fine & likely true for them but stevia really is ok for the majority of the rest of us). It's been used in South America for thousands of years, where it's called "Hoja Dulce" (Sweet Leaf). I found some growing wild once years ago while hiking on the Big Island of Hawaii'. It was just there on the path, small patch, maybe someone dropped a seed or 2 or something, as there wasn't any other patches nearby that I could find, & EVERYTHING that can grow in Hawaii' tends to massively grow & take over if it can...

Anyways, I don't use it much, but it's fine & dandy when I do. I do recommend it to my family, friends & clients, as if you don't freak out & reach out for & overly-embrace other traditional sweeteners in response to its use, then it's perfectly fine for dieters imo.

Not just my own opinion, as there loads of studies from many countries & thousands of years of its use, to back up my opinion, if you care to search online for them...

[youmustvotenato]

It tastes funny to me. If I'm craving sweets, sometimes it's because I didn't eat a substantial meal. I'm still using splenda but trying to transition into stevia. I just don't like plain sugar at all.

[Gary Conway]

Never tried it. I use raw honey if I need it when cooking and I've got used to black tea and coffee without sugar

[brookesam]

Actually that's mostly but not entirely true. Trader Joe's has for a long time & still does sell a 100% pure powdered stevia.

That's good to know! I might buy some next time I go to Trader Joe's.

[meeshar]

I use liquid stevia drops (Sweet Leaf brand, my favorite is the english toffee flavor in coffee). I can't stand the commercial stevia derivatives that you can find in grocery stores these days though (Truvia, etc.). It tastes weird to me and I think it's even more processed.

The trick with stevia is not to use too much--a little goes a long way. If you use too much, it tastes bitter. I mostly only use it in drinks (coffee, tea, the occasional hot cocoa). I can't handle much sugar due to my short gut (gastric bypass), so having a natural alternative is nice. I wish I could use honey, maple syrup, or real sugar, but I find that unless it's a small amount along with something else, it's no good for me. 10g of sugar/honey in an almond flour muffin is fine, but 10g of honey in a cup of tea goes straight to my bloodstream and I crash within an hour or two. I tried agave nectar once, and had the worst episode of reactive hypoglycemia in my life.

I have found that since going Primal I use WAY less stevia/sweetener, things taste a lot sweeter to me now. Back in my low-carb days I used to "need" a little Splenda on my sweet potato, now it's plenty sweet by itself.

[AmyMac703]

On the rare occasion that I make some coconut flour muffins or something, I'll use it. It doesn't hinder fat loss, and though I have no idea how I'd tell if my blood sugar was spiking (I'm assuming I'd get super energized all of a sudden?), I don't think it affects that either.
I just don't like sweet things as much.