After my Zevia review I got a couple questions about the Stevia sweetener that goes into the soda. Why use Stevia (or other natural sweeteners) instead of sugar? From a green perspective, a lot of people don't realize that sugar has a huge impact on the environment.
It starts with the tax it takes on the land to grow the sugar. The wildlife suffers or disappears altogether and the soil fertility declines. After that the sugar has to be milled. This uses huge amounts of energy and water and causes chemicals to be introduced to the sugar. Then the water and chemicals used to process the sugar have to go somewhere...usually back into our soil, lakes, streams, and water supply.
Not so sweet, huh? So using naturally occurring sweeteners like Stevia help to make less of an environmental impact. And as I mentioned before, Stevia is sweet for diabetics too.
A little bit goes a long way. So if you are baking with it, make sure to follow directions of exactly how much Stevia to use. If you are looking for a natural sweetener for larger projects, or just a different taste try organic raw cane sugar
, Xylitol ,Agave nectar. And see how sweet food that's good for you and the Earth can taste.
, Xylitol ,Agave nectar. And see how sweet food that's good for you and the Earth can taste.What are your favorite eco-friendly sweeteners or sweet treats?
Don't forget about the Spring Fling Giveaway that ends Wednesday!
And make sure you check in tomorrow and all of next week for Green Gracious Spring Cleaning!
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4 comments:
oh i cant wait - i love spring cleaning!!!
We love good ol' Stevia in my household! We grow it in the summer and harvest it to use in our teas and lemonade. My girls love to munch on it fresh too. :)
Why honey, honey! xxoo Patty
We use a lot of organic honey from the local Apiary, and I love to use maple syrup for baking. Agave nector goes into our homemade raw chocolate and our fair trade coffee!
We ate a lot of rubbish growing up, in my teens I was skinny as a rake, but had many of the symptoms of a diabetic. Doctors told me there was nothing wrong with me, and tried to prescribe anti-depressants! I was unknowingly self medicating myself with sugar, because that's the only thing that I knew would make me feel "better". I would have frequent physical and mental breakdowns all through my teenage years. Then I met my (now) husband. He told me I needed to see a naturopath, who after 1 consultation, told me I had hypoglycemia caused by adrenal fatigue and nervous exhaustion - from growing up on a very poor diet of wheat, sugar and dairy, all of which I now know I have intolerance for. I've never felt as happy and healthy as I do now. My symptoms have all receded, though the rare occasion I do eat something I'm not supposed to, I pay for it by being wiped out for a day. I hope more and more people will come to realize that sugar is the problem, but I don't see it happening any time soon!
Thank you Willo, for spreading the word and helping people realize that there are other ways to live than destroying the earth, and yourself in the process!
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