Where do I get it?

Just wondering if anyone has tried that natural sweetener...Stevia I think the name is.....if so please give your review and where I can purchase it. Would like to find some alternatives not only to sugar, but to aspartame(nutrisweet) and splenda. Thanks!

You can get stevia at any HFS. I have not tried it but have heard that it is sweeter "per" than other sweetners. Please keep us in the loop and let us know what you find. T.

Any health food store should carry it. I'll be curious to see what you think of it. I found it to be gross, really didn't like it at all! Some kind of wierd aftertaste to it is what I remember. BUT- that shouldn't stop you from at least trying it to see what YOU think! Good luck. Best, Lisa C

Hi Christina, I've been using Stevia for a while now. You can get it in a health food store and in vitamin catalogs like Puritin's Pride, also online, I'm sure. A little goes a long way. It is extremely sweet. But I try to use it anytime I can, instead of artificial sweeteners. Even Splenda is bad for you, according to the latest info. Equal is said to have something in it that makes the weight stay on your body (I don't know if that goes for WLS patients, too). The info that I've read has said that Equal and Splenda have been making people have severe symptoms that mimic multiple sclorosis among other things like migranes... I read somewhere that if you were to have to choose between Equal, Splenda and saccharin, choose the pink packets! That's scary. Anyway, the reason I mentioned this is because now that I'm counting calories, I've realized how much artificial sweeteners I injest everyday. Especially in Crystal lite. Some days I drink 5- 20oz bottles flavored with it. It's also in puddings, protein bars, protein powers, yogurts... the list is endless. I went to the store and bought different flavored extracts to mix with water and Stevia. My favorite is Raspberry extract. So, I figured that if I can use a natural plant extract whenever I had the opportunity, I might be a little healthier. Stevia comes in a few different forms that I know of. You could get it in powder form in an 8 or 12 oz size. This is economical and good for home use. It also comes in packets, which I keep in my purse. There is a liquid extract available, too, but I haven't tried it yet. If you get it in the bottle in powder form, you need something tiny to spoon it out with. If you try to use a teaspoon, you always get too much and it's sickening sweet if you over-do. My Mom gave me a plastic coffee stirrer from McDonald's that she had from a long time ago. It fits perfectly in the bottle and has a tiny spoon at the end-just the right size. Well, that's all the info I have. Stay happy and healthy! Esther

Thanks all for the info...I will keep you all posted. Yes, Esther, I am in agreement with you completely. Artificial sweeteners are everywhere, and I have heard a lot of negativity about them as well. Scares me so much considering that we think we are being good by choosing "sugar free" food choices. Ugh!!