Weddingbee boards

try agave syrup- it is not chemically altered and it is easier to process. I read skinny bitch too and I did the vegan diet until cheese broke my willpower. My sister is an athlete and she lost too much weight being a vegan and now she has to eat meat again, So I think it really works!

I honestly don't have any "real" information on this.  About all I know about Stevia is that my childhood best friend's family (who are certified health nuts) started using it about 15 years ago.  And they were always the first to start talking about how suchandsuch would cause cancer so it's always gotten a free pass in my book.  (Not to mention, it comes from a plant.) But like I said, I haven't looked into it myself.

Ugh Skinny Bitch totally pissed me off. The first half of the book was full of AMAZING advice and then the second half got all preachy and annoying. I feel like a lot of people would read that book, hear their preachiness, and disregard all the good advice along with the bad. I'm all for a vegan diet if that is what you choose, but I find it hard to believe that the ONLY way to lose weight is to go vegan...

Anyways, I don't know much about Stevia. When I was a nutrition major we had begun talking about it (it was becoming popular on grocery shelves) but didn't delve too deep. I'm a fan of using a tiny bit of something completely natural (i.e. cane sugar) than using artificial/fake/alternative forms of sugar. I'll have to look into agave syrup though :)

There is just no point in eating at all if you can't have cheese.  Honestly.

I will be the first to admit that I don't know much about stevia, however I do know that just because something is natural, doesn't make it save!  For example, digitalis comes from the foxglove plant and is used medicinally (it's a common cardiovascular medication).  Accidentally ingesting a little too much can cause cardiac arrest and death though!  

I would be interested in to see some reputable articles discussing this product.  

Just wanted to point out that just  b/c something is "all natural" or "comes from a plant" doesn't necessarily mean that it's good for you in large quantities.  It turns out that large amounts of agave can be really hard on your liver -- it's comes from the same stuff as tequilla does, and think of how hard tequilla can be on your liver!  It's also true that soy has estrogen-like qualities that can really mess with your hormones if you eat a ton of it.  My theory always is, everything in moderation.  Don't cut these things out of your diet necessarily, but consume them in moderation, and do keep an eye out for articles that may link stevia (or any other foods that you consume regularly) to any health problems. 

just FYI from the FDA (if you dont feel like reading long story short its not "approved" for use or deemed as "safe" but no evidence shows it will kill you or anything.):

Is Stevia an 'FDA approved' sweetener?

No. FDA has not "approved" Stevia--it is neither a GRAS substance nor an authorized sweetener. FDA has not permitted the use of whole-leaf Stevia or crude Stevia extracts because these substances have not been approved for use as a food additive. FDA does not consider their use in food to be GRAS in light of reports in the literature that raise concerns about the use of these substances. Among these concerns are control of blood sugar and effects on the reproductive, cardiovascular, and renal systems. Food additives and GRAS affirmation petition or pre-petition submissions for the use of such substances that FDA has received in the past have not contained the data and information necessary to establish the safe use of these substances as ingredients in food.

Until December 2008, stevia and its derivatives could be sold in the U.S. only as dietary supplements, due to safety concerns. In the 1980s, animal studies linked stevia with adverse effects on fertility and reproductive development and possible genetic mutations. But in 2008, the makers of Truvia and PureVia submitted research to the Food and Drug Administration regarding Reb A’s safety and petitioned for it to become a generally regarded as safe (GRAS) ingredient.

The FDA affirmed the GRAS status, but did not change the previous ruling on stevia. “Reb A is different than whole-leaf stevia or [other] stevia extracts, which can only be sold as dietary supplements,” says FDA spokesperson Michael Herndon. “Nobody has provided the FDA with evidence that whole-leaf stevia is safe.”