We have to cut out all the added sugar or try to cut back at least !!
It is no secret that people today ingest far too much sugar. According to the NHS, adults should not be consuming more than 30g of added sugars per day.
But we consume 3x that amount !
It’s no wonder why were becoming fat
and unhealthy
In 1700, the average person consumed approximately 4.9 grams of sugar each day (1.81 kg per year). That’s about 1 teaspoon.
· In 1800, the average person consumed approximately 22.4 grams of sugar each day (10.2 kg per year). That’s about 5 teaspoons
· In 1900, the average person consumed approximately 112 grams of sugar each day (40.8 kg per year). That’s 28 teaspoons
· In 2009, 50 per cent of Americans consumed approximately 227 grams of sugar each day – equating to 81.6 kg per year. That’s almost 58 teaspoons !!!
We wonder why we’re sick! And living with chronic pain.
I mean it’s in everything. From Cookies where we expect it to me to tomato sauce and yogurt. Things you never would expect to have sugar and it’s causing us to be fat and unhealthy and full of inflammation.
I’m trying to cut out added sugar and it was very hard.
Once you get past a few weeks you will feel better.
Food tastes better also and coffee does to .
I do use hazelnut coffee mate . And I’m not going to lie I still will eat a couple chips ahoy thin cookies or a mini cupcake or two now and then.
But I am really trying to get off the sugar. I have to admit it’s harder than when I stopped smoking.
I have learned through my herbology classes how to make my own liquid stevia.
And it’s helped me cut back a lot on the sugar. I just can’t drink things like tea without some sweetness in it.
So now actually make my own Stevia extract and dilute it, and other Stevia liquid flavor it etc..
I learned a lot in the herbology classes I take.
I buy all my herbs from mountains rose herbs.
I also just put the dry leaves in a beverage hot or cold.
I stopped buying Stevia at the store.
Also raw honey is good to use as a substitute.
Anything processed with a strange chemical or an artificial ingredients added is never good.
You can use fresh stevia leaves as a sweetener in beverages, such as tea and lemonade, or in sauces. A few fresh stevia and mint leaves make a great herbal tea when steeped in a cup of boiling water.
Add fresh stevia leaves to beverages or foods as a sweet, edible garnish. Although the fresh leaves are less sweet than dried leaves, they’re still much sweeter than sugar. Taste-test your beverage before serving to ensure you don’t over-sweeten your drink.
Use dry stevia leaves to make a powdered sweetener. Bundle and hang fresh stevia plant stems upside down in a warm, dry location until the leaves are thoroughly dry, then strip the leaves from the stems.
Fill a blender, food processor or coffee grinder to half full with dry leaves and process at high speed for a few seconds.
Store the powdered sweetener in an airtight container. Use the powder in recipes that call for a sweetener, but make adjustments in the amount used due to its dense sweetness.
A general rule of thumb is that 2 to 3 tablespoons of stevia powder equals 1 cup of sugar.
Use dry stevia leaves to make a syrup for sweetening beverages, sauces or other syrups. Add one cup of warm water to one-quarter cup of fresh, finely crushed stevia leaves.
Put the mixture in an airtight container and allow it to set for 24 hours before straining the leaves from the mixture. You can cook the strained mixture on low heat, reducing it to a more concentrated syrup. The syrup should last for several years, if kept in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
Things You Will Need
* Blender
* Measuring cups
* Strainer
* Airtight container
• Glass amber color and dropper
I also make my own liquid stevia extract for baking etc…
Stevia extract recipe.
Vodka
Organic Stevia Leafs Dried
Glass mason jar
Fill a clean glass jar 1/4 to 1/3 full with stevia leaf. Cover the herb with vodka and pour to the very top. Allow to steep for 24-48 hours, taking care not to let it extract any longer than that to avoid bitterness. Strain and bottle it in a dark amber glass dropper bottle.
Vanilla Stevia Extract Recipe
Chop 1 vanilla bean and add to strained stevia extract. Allow to infuse for 2 to 6 weeks. Strain and bottle it in an amber bottle with dropper.
Lemon Stevia Extract
Fill your jar 1/3 full with organic lemon peel
Cover completely with strained stevia extract.
Allow to infuse for 1 to 4 weeks, tasting along the way. Strain and bottle in amber glass bottle with dropper
HOW TO USE HOMEMADE STEVIA EXTRACT
Add 1-2 drops to your favorite beverages (I especially love using homemade stevia extract to sweeten my coffee or tea!) A little bit goes a long way, so start with small amounts.
I found I had to use a bit more of my homemade stevia to get the desired level of sweetness, as compared to the store-bought stevia I’ve tried.
But I think the sweetness will depends on how long you heated the extract and how many leaves you used.
This is a Stevia Plant.
Your dry stevia leaves can be used to make a healthy syrup for sweetening beverages, sauces, or even other syrups. A teaspoon of stevia syrup is as sweet as a cup of sugar.
Take 2 cups of warm water and add it to half a cup of dried stevia leaves. Put the mixture in a glass jar and let it steep for 24 hours. Strain the leaves from the mixture.
Cook the strained mixture on low heat, reducing it to a concentrated syrup. The syrup should last for at least a year if kept in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
Conversion chart
1 cup of sugar is equal to – 1 teaspoon of stevia leaf powder or 1 teaspoon of stevia extract.
1 tablespoon of sugar is equal to – .25 teaspoon of stevia powder or 6-9 drops of stevia extract.
1 teaspoon of sugar is equal to – a pinch of stevia powder or 2-4 drops of stevia extract.
Stevia is becoming a popular plant and is readily available at most local nurseries.
If grown inside or outside it will flourish.
Thankfully it has few pests and is easy to grow and preserve.
Now that you know how to use it, you be adding stevia to your garden or window seal.
Another Recipe
Extract
With Alcohol cooked off.
• 1 glass jar with a tight fitting lid
• Dried Stevia leaves. They can be crumbled, chopped or powdered
• Vodka or Rum
Using a ratio of 2 parts stevia to 3 parts liquid, place one cup of stevia in the jar and cover it with 1.5 cups of alcohol.
Shake the mixture well and let it sit for no more than 36 hours. (it will become bitter if you steep it longer than 36 hours) Strain through muslin or a coffee filter and pour the tincture into a dark colored bottle.
To remove the alcohol: once the 36 hours are up, simmer the mixture on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring regularly.
Be careful not to boil. When it cools, strain and bottle as above.
This mixture should be kept in the refrigerator, where it will store for six months.
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Joint Purpose 
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