Stevia- Info, Advice, Recipes ?

Hi, I've been a Type II diabetic since 1987,, so it's been a long term thing for me ... I've bought a small bottle of stevia to try... I'm a bit hesitant because I know so little about it....Any tips, advice and recipes would be very appreciated -plus it may be of help to others reading the posts on this board.. I am surprised to not see more activity here - with so many people having diabetes especially among all of us who have had & those who still need WLS. I'm 5 1/2 months out - lost 88 lbs so far. I no longer take Metformin (2000mg )and Actos (30mg) , changed insulins from over 200 units a day of Novolin N & R mixed,- to taking Lantus once a day @ 9 pm and Novolog with meals. It's a daily balancing act between protein & liquids and what my pouch will allow and at the same time juggling doses of insulin versus activity levels... I'm sure one day I will be able to get off the insulin - I'm continually having to reduce it as more pounds are shed. I'm 100 lbs from the goal on the charts, but the more realistic goal set by the nutritionist is still a whopping 70 lbs away.-- Both seem monumental at this moment... I/ We had real scary episode 2 nights ago - a low sugar of 28...thats the lowest I've ever been and it scared the bejeebers out of us.Thank God my husband was able to take care of me.. Joyce S.

Hi from the Redwoods of the Central Coast of CA!How's the Cape doing?? I spend a lot of time in the summer in Hyannis and Brewster. Stevia is the best sweetner because it is from a natural plant. I use it for everything. I have not cooked with it - mostly use it to sweeten cereals and drinks. I'm off all diabetic drugs and have been since two months after mhy LapBand surgery. As long as my sugars stay below 200, my PCP said I was O.K. I run below 120 most of the time. IT is so great not to have all those pills!!I never did have insulin shots.

Joyce, Congratulations on your successful weightloss.....great job!!! Good luck with getting off some of your meds, it'll probably happen soon. Hopefully you don't experience anymore low blood sugars.....try and get some glucose tabs and always carry them in your pocket for episodes like that. You look wonderful.....love your smile! I have tried Stevia, if I remember correctly, it has some fiber, right? Always a bonus in my book. I liked it, but I remember it being expensive, but just heard from some other WLS patients that it comes in liquid.....so I may give it another try. Right now I love my splenda. Oh, and I agree, I wish this board was little more active. I'm always looking for more Type 1 buddies. Speaking of which, how is everyone doing??? Hope to hear from you soon, Wendy

Hi Nancy, Good to hear from you, great news that you're finally on your way to getting the surgery you had wanted originally...........wonderful that the insurance saw it your way...LOL! Good luck with the final tests, and by the summer you'll be on your way to good health!!! Please keep in touch, I'm excited for you. BTW, I found a website on Stevia http://www.steviva.com/?google but haven't had a chance to look into it....but like I said, it was very sweet and is good for diabetics glycemic index. Wendy

Heather so sorry this happened to you!! I know you were disappointed.Maybe try to think of it this way-would you really want your surgeon doing wls on you on a day that was not good for him(maybe overbooked-got something personal to do).I want my surgeon to have a good day when he is operating on me & i want to be the first that day(don't want him too tired)!And as they say-there is a reason for everything.(I broke my Leg/foot/ankle last year 7-05 & had to postpone!!and there are several may babies who have been post poned Marah even got all the way to the hospital the other day & hers was rescheduled!!So don 't feel alone!!Good vibes & hugs coming your way. ~Missy~

GOOD Vibes and Hugs headed your way!!!!!!! All things happen for a reason. Sooner or later we will all be on the loosing side.

HEY THER.. THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE DID THAT TO ME ALSO AND SO I MOVED MINE UP A WHOLE WEEK WHAT A RUSH GOOD VIBES TO YOU BECAUSE WE WILL BE ON THE LOOSING SIDE SOON..i AM GOING ON THE 11 OF MAY NOT MAY 18TH NOW .. YIPPEEE HEALTHIER AT LAST SEE YOU ON THE DOWN SIDE NORMA FELICE

Hi, You'll find lots of great information about stevia at SteviaInfo.com. As far as I can tell, this is the only one of the stevia information portals that is not trying to sell stevia products or push you toward a particular brand. It has news, articles, research and recipes that use stevia. Mike

I love stevia. It can be used in so many recipes and does not affect the end result. When baking with it - it takes practice to get the conversions right, since it is very sweet and you have to use small amount. One recipe that I love and it is easy to make is Pan Fried Zucchini with Ginger Apple dressing Coconut oil for sautéing 2 zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise 2 or more garlic cloves Sea salt to taste Ginger applesauce 1/3 sweet apple - Fuji or red delicious 2 TBS ginger juice or 2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and diced ¼ cup sweet onion, diced ¼ tsp salt 1 TB coconut oil 3 TBS apple cider vinegar 1 TBS lemon juice 1/2 cup parsley or cilantro - minced 2 drops stevia clear liquid 1. Rub sea salt on the zucchini. Heat skillet, add oil and heat. Sauté garlic for one minute. Add zucchini faced down cover and cook for 5 minutes turn over and cook for a couple more minutes - tender but still firm Sauce 1. Combine ingredients in a food processor or blender 2. Spread on top of zucchini This recipe is only 145 calories and only 14g of Carbs. I know you have to limit your carb intake. I also have a great potato without any dairy and really good, it has 38g of carbs. Let me know if you would like that recipe. I also have good tofu ones (but not everyone likes tofu) I have others as well, let me know what you like to eat and I hopefully will have a recipe to satisfy your cravings. I have a cook book called coconut cuisine with stevia. I use it all the time, so many good healthy recipes. I got it on www.sweetleaf.com they have other recipes on the site as well, deserts and soups, etc. They have two baking cookbooks as well. They also have conversion rates so you know how much to use. I use it all the time and have most of the flavors so let me know if you have more questions or concerns. It really is healthier than artificial sweeteners and taste better too ;-).

Hello all, I hope all is well. I have been doing quit a bit of cooking and baking with stevia lately and i think i finally got the recipes right. I have found that you need a bulking agent when baking to keep the recipes moist and fluffy, so I add either fruit juice, applesauce, fruit puree, water, rice milk, apple butter etc. Basically any liquid that will taste right with the recipe. For every one cup of sugar that is replaced with stevia, 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of one of the bulking ingredients should be added. So for example when I make my famous banana bread I use one whole extra banana to make the dough thicker and the bread moister. Below is a link I found to the equivalency chart so you know exactly how much stevia to use in place of sugar with any recipe, there are also delicious recipes at this site. http://www.sweetleaf.com/category.php?subcat=recipes&subpage=eq_chart good luck, and stay healthy all!