A refreshing Summer drink
Since I've been needing to drink what feels like massive amounts of liquids right now to try and avoid being dehydrated again, we've been experimenting with lots of different healthful drinks to help me achieve my daily liquid quota. One refreshing and very good-for-you drink we just discovered, thanks to Erica Johns from Super Mom's Health and Wellness, is homemade lemonade made with Sweet Leaf Stevia.
Erica very generously sent me a whole bottle of Lemon Drop Stevia and her favorite lemonade recipe.
Sweet Leaf Stevia Lemonade
Squeeze the juice from two fresh lemons.
Put it in a 2 quart pitcher and fill with water.
Add 2-4 droppers full of the Lemon Drop stevia (adjust to your individual taste).
Shake or mix it a bit and enjoy!
Erica wrote and said:Lemon juice is so good for your body since it helps put your body's pH level into a healthier balance, and it helps cleanse your liver, kidneys, etc. It's very refreshing, too! My kids prefer it over juice now, so it also saves us a lot of money. Stevia has no calories, a zero glycemic index, and no carbs. It's great for pregnant moms that need to avoid sugar, especially if they have gestational diabetes!Not only is this lemonade delicious, but it is good for you, too. How's that for a combination?! And Kathrynne loves it, too.
For those, like me up until recently, who are unfamiliar with Stevia, here's some more information I found on it from Stevia.com:
Stevia is an herb that has been used as a sweetener in South America for hundreds of years. It is calorie - free, and the powdered concentrate is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia is widely used all over the world. In Japan, for example, it claims 41% of the sweetener market, including sugar, and was used in Japanese Diet Coke until the company replaced it with aspartame to "standardize" worldwide. There have not been any reports of toxicity with stevia, which is consumed by millions of people daily.You can buy Stevia in many various flavors from Super Mom's Health and Wellness. The possibilities one can use it for are almost endless. You could use one of the flavored varieties to make your own flavored water, or use it in coffee, tea, yogurt, whipped cream, ice cubes, baking, cooking, and more. Since it is quite a bit sweeter than sugar, it takes a lot less to sweeten something and it looks to me like one bottle of Stevia will last for a long time. In that regard, it's not only healthy for you, it's frugal, too!
For more information on Stevia and other unique and healthful products for the whole family, visit Super Mom's Health and Wellness.
posted by Crystal Paine at 11:07 AM
13 Comments:
We've learned a bit about Stevia in college, and it seems it's definitely better than for example aspartame or even sucralose.
I've read up on Stevia, learned of it's benefits, especially when cutting back on sugar - but have never tried it. This recipe makes me think I should buy a bottle soon.
Have you found that it has the licorice after-taste so many people talk about?
Thanks! I've been debating replacing our Splenda with stevia, and this information is great. Looks like this is a safer alternative not only for my husband and me, but also for the kiddos.
Rebecca
Fresh lemon juice squeezed into mineral water is good too! That's what I drank for pregnancy nausea and once you get used to the taste it's addicting.
I'm so appreciative of Crystal mentioning how great the healthy lemonade is! My six children, my husband, and I are all in love with this lemonade and drink it all the time. It has definitely decreased our juice consumption by about 75%.
I don't think it has a licorice aftertaste, but I am also really used to the taste now. When I first started using stevia I tried some cheaper kinds and they were horrible. I learned that other brands use fillers (such as ethyl alcohol) which make the taste really bitter. SweetLeaf brand isn't like that.
Also, yes, stevia is a much healthier alternative to splenda, sucralose, aspartame, and all the other sugar substitutes available. Stevia is completely natural, and has no health drawbacks to it! God's herbs win, hands down! :)
~Supermom
Try the flavors like the one in the recipe. You'll notice it doesn't have an aftertaste like some of the powders do!
I am personally a little weary of Stevia, but it is probably better than most of the other options out there. Here is a quote I found from www.diseaseproof.com which quotes the book "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. One of his other books, "Disease-Proof Your Child", is excellent and I would encourage everyone (even those without children) to read it.
"Many health gurus recommend substituting Stevia in place of artificial sweeteners. Stevia is natural and its use is permitted in Japan and other countries. Despite its widespread use, there is a surprising lack of human clinical trials evaluating its safety. Unlike with saccharin, no evidence has been reported that stevioside and its metabolites are carcinogenic. However, animal reports of nephrotoxicity do exist, which suggest that Stevia is likely safer than the other sweeteners, but not entirely without risk.1 The extent of risk is unknown at this time.
1. Toskulkao, C., et al. 1997. Acute toxicity of stevioside, a natural sweetener, and its metabolite, steviol, in several animal species, Drug Chem. Toxicol. 20 (31): 31-44. "
-Kristen
Oh my if only I had known this sooner! : ) We will definitely have to try this out.
Just thought I would let you know that I read in a magazine yesterday that green and black tea interferes with iron absorption, so you shouldn't drink it when taking supplements and your anemic. I think I read in a previous post that you are a tea-lover so I thought I would alert you in case you didn't know that.
Sarah in NY
oops, I mean you're :)
A good natural sweetener to look into is xylitol. It has a low glycemic index and is possible to buy in mint form. It balances the pH in your mouth (which help prevent cavities).
Oh What a great idea! Thanks for the link! I too am doing everything possible to stay dehydrated this very hot summer and this sounds yummy!!! Thanks Crystal!
I told my husband about the Stevia & we went to Whole Foods on the way home tonight & got the lemon drop! And we got some stevia packets too. The lemonaid is in the fridge getting cold, but the little bit I tasted when I made it, was good! Woo Hoo!! Maybe it will help me drink my water ! Thanks for sharing!
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