Stevia - Beat Sugar Addiction NOW!

Why Is Sugar Addictive?

For thousands of years, humans ate sugar found naturally in their food. Sugar was not a problem; it was a treat. But now more than one-third of the calories we consume come from sugar and white flour added by food processing. Our bodies simply were not designed to handle this massive load.
Many of you have already noticed that although sugar gives you an initial high, you crash several hours later, and this leaves you wanting more sugar. In fact, sugar acts as an energy loan shark, taking away more energy than it gives. Eventually, your "credit line" runs out and you find yourself exhausted, anxious, and moody.
The Long-Term Consequences of Sugar Addiction
In addition to the immediate fatigue and emotional problems, sugar also causes many long-term health problems. For example, our consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has risen 250 percent in the past fifteen years--and our rate of diabetes has increased approximately 45 percent during the same time period. Although the sugar industry sometimes tries to confuse the public by claiming that corn syrup is not sugar, it is a form of sugar as far as your body is concerned--and more toxic than cane sugar. 

Some chronic medical problems associated with excess sugar in our diet include:

Fatigue and pain

Weight gain

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia

Chronic sinusitis

Irritable bowel syndrome and spastic colon

Cancer

Metabolic syndrome with high cholesterol and hypertension

Heart disease

Hormonal problems

Candida and yeast infections

ADHD

Anxiety and depression 

 

Enter Stevia, it is a South American herb used as a natural sweetener for centuries. The leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant have a refreshing taste, zero glycemic index, zero calories and zero carbs. It is 25-30 times sweeter than sugar, and far more healthy!

The http://www.sweetleaf.com/ is the only one I have found that I can tolerate.
 
I made this protein bar to take for work and school.



Chocolate Chip Coconut Banana Protein Bars
 Makes 16 small bars or 8 large bars
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup almond meal/flour
2 scoops chocolate protein powder (I used Garden of Life)
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 packets stevia (I used Sweet Leaf)
2 ripe banana, mashed
1 t. vanilla extract
4 eggs
1/2 cup coconut milk (from a can, not light)
2-3 T. mini chocolate chips
Optional: shredded coconut and extra chocolate chips for topping
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 pan with cooking spray or coconut oil. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl, then add wet ingredients. Once everything is incorporated into a batter, stir in the chocolate chips. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
***After the bars are finished baking, you can top with shredded coconut and more chocolate chips and toast in the toaster oven for a minute. Or, you can add the coconut towards the end of baking.

I do believe in moderation when it comes to stevia. We know it has been used for a long time in Japan.

http://healing.about.com/cs/uc_directory/a/uc_stevia_jones.htm

Healthy Life
Suzanne