Stevia

In my quest to reduce the amount of sugar in my life, I discovered a plant called Stevia. The herb is a natural sweetener and a wonderful alternative to sugar that happens to be 360 times as sweet! It is on the market now under different names including Truvia, Sweetleaf, PureVia, Only Sweet, and Rebiana. It can be bought as a liquid extract or a container of the powder as well as individual packets.

In 2008 it was recognized as safe by the FDA, and since then foods and drinks containing stevia have been making an appearance on the shelves in the US.

So far, it does not have any known side effects or contribute to any health problems. Either it really doesn't have any, or there has not been enough research done on it. Some people complain of a bitter taste that stevia causes when used at high temperatures, but I have not.

I bought a plant at Hostetter's, as well as 50 tiny seeds. I don't know how much luck I'll have using these plants as a replacement for sugar, but I can at least try the leaves in my tea.

Read this article to find out how you can dry your stevia and use it in liquid form!