Like many kids and adults, I liked life sweet.
But just like any drug, my bliss and sugar high always brought me lower than I started, and yearning for more.
Of course, at a young age, we do not make this connection. As an adult, we attribute these feelings to being “normal.”
Had I fully realized the actual detriments of my diet, however, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble.
My constant insecurities were generally along the lines of stubborn baby weight, (which was more like a puffiness I never could sweat off), and later down the road, hormonal imbalances, acne, anxiety, and depression.
There were many things about my genealogy that were imperfect and contributing to my predicament, but I was never able to fully accept that DNA was the root cause for my problems, and where diet was concerned, there was not one piece of information I read that did not contradict itself. Fats, low fats, low calorie, sugar-free, exercise, pills, medications, and beauty products all seemed to be the “solution”—or never-ending solution, that is.
It was all absurd.
Regardless of whether I feasted on regular sugar, or the diet stuff, my body, moods and skin were left in a constant limbo. Neither “regular” or “diet” products contributed to my well-being, and instead: stressed hormones, left me sleepless, or exhausted, and unable to stay away from sugar without feeling like I was missing out, or depriving myself.
I had no idea that, aside from the other “food,” and processed and refined flour I was also enjoying regularly (which converts to simple sugar also), sugar was not just something that would tick off the dentist, but rather— poison me.
Sugar, refined, processed, and the diet stuff too, all leave an acid “ash” residue in the body. That is, after the body has used, or most likely– been unable to use for energy, the “waste” residue remaining lowers the body’s internal pH. When the body is “out of balance,” it invites bacteria, yeasts, and weakens the immunity. These yeasts (like Candida) which further contribute to the problem, thrive on sugars, refined foods, and foods that are not readily broken down (ground chicken tacos with cheese, etc.). These imbalances, or toxins, affect everything from our complexion, and weight, to our body’s ability to fight against aging and disease, as well as find happiness.
While I would be lying to say that the removal of sugar itself is the answer to everything (baked potatoes and rice are converted to sugar also), it can be extremely difficult to get that jump-start on a healthy “diet” without feeling deprived, or remorse for the attachment you had to some foods, when you decide to cut out the “bad”– cold turkey.
I certainly had emotional attachments to foods, and food groups, but one of my biggest issues was leaving alone the sweeter things. I liked life sweet.
And low and behold, I still do… because life is meant to be sweet.
Though I consider the best source of sugar is via carrots (juiced, or raw) and beets (juiced, grated raw, baked, or roasted), this would be like suggesting everyone use bicycles as their main mode of transportation.
Healthy,
Beneficial…
and… Unrealistic.
I get my fair share of carrots, but in between, I have to say I am still a fan of stevia. Stevia, an herbal sweetener, is very low calories and highly concentrated making it sweeter than sugar. While I would not go as far as to check it off as a “miracle food,” I do think that it is a great alternative to highly processed and chemically altered sugar, and faux-sugars. It is also extremely helpful in transitioning to a lifestyle focused on whole foods.
I must say that I am loyal to NuStevia because I know the product fairly well, and have been using it for 5 years now. While I now stray away from most powdered sweeteners, as I do not love the additives that prevent the stevia extract from caking, and such, I absolutely love the liquid versions that NuStevia has to offer (it also comes in an alcohol-free version also– I like these best!).
(With all of the brands of Stevia making it to the market, I also like that NuStevia is not owned by our dear “friends” that also happen to mass produce sodas).
Which is why I am always excited when NuNaturals asks me if I would like to hold a NuStevia giveaway.
Of course!!
Why?
I like this brand for their honesty, and taste. I also enjoy it in many of my recipes, and I want you to be able to enjoy it also.
How to win?
Just comment, tweet, Facebook, and get the word out. Then come back and comment below to let me know that you did! Why do you want to try NuStevia? Have you ever tried Stevia before? Are you excited to try it for yourself and your family? Any recipes that you would like to enjoy?
~ FOUR (4) WILL WIN! ~
4 readers will win a box of 50 NuStevia white packets, and 1 Liquid Vanilla NuStevia (my fav product!).
If you like life sweet, YOU WILL LOVE NUSTEVIA.
Can’t wait to hear from you all!
In addition: SAVE MONEY!
Save 15% on your entire order when you type in the code: BLG0612 at checkout! and receive FREE SHIPPING to the CONTINENTAL U.S. on all orders TOTALING $35.00, and over, AFTER this special discount.
Contest starts now! Winners will be announced on Monday, January 23rd, 2012!
Why do you want to try NuStevia?
I want to try NuStevia because my husband and I have two children of our own and many more in our life that I want to encourage to eat well. I have seen first hand how sugar addictions can control a person’s health and mental state. I’d love to be able to free them of that roller coaster!
Have you ever tried Stevia before?
I use Stevia from Trader Joe’s currently, but I don’t know much about the company that produces it. I was delighted to read your information about NuStevia’s ethics and purity.
Are you excited to try it for yourself and your family?
I really am. I have been able to shed my sweet tooth pretty successfully, but it’d be great to have NuStevia around for some dessert recipes I’ve been wanting to share with my family and guests.
Any recipes that you would like to enjoy?
I want to make baked apples a little sweeter but since ditching brown sugar and the cider with added sugar, they just haven’t been the same. Also, I know my dad enjoys a fruit salad with sugar on top and the idea of what it does to his body makes me cringe. I’d feel so much better if I could share NuStevia with him!
I write a health and sugar-free lifestyle blog which I use to share information with my friends and family. Many who read it ask me about sugar alternatives and I’d love to be able to recommend them something I have tried myself and can stand behind. To get the word out, I am blogging about Diary of a Nutritionist and sharing on facebook. I love what you do! Keep it up! You’ve inspired me to eat more raw foods and I am so grateful for that.
Why do you want to try NuStevia? Have you ever tried Stevia before? Are you excited to try it for yourself and your family? Any recipes that you would like to enjoy?
I LOVE NuStevia’s powder. I agree it’s MUCH better than any other stevia out there because it doesn’t have that bitter after-taste. That said, as a college student with little access to natural grocery stores, it’s pretty hard for me to purchase stevia on my own. Plus, I have never tried the liquid form of NuStevia, which appears to be much better because it has no additives at all! I would LOVE to try this liquid stevia in my vegan whole grain blueberry “pancake” recipe (its actually baked), my daily oatmeal/spelt flake/kamut/etc. bowl, or in a frozen almond milk drink!
I’ve been interested in trying NuStevia as a sugar replacement. I have used Truvia in the past as a way to wean me off the poison that is Splenda but wasn’t quite sold on it.
great article! I’m a huge anti~sugar girl. that stuff is BAD!!!
Love Stevia tho (tried to grow it, but it’s just not that easy to use on a day to day basis)
now I’m off to tweet this little give~a~way & share on fb too!!!
Thanks,
T
[...] Comments « Keeping Life Sweet, and Staying OFF Sugar [...]
I love stevia! It’s great in chocolate avocado pudding!
I would love to win your NuStevia! I drink my herbal teas with powdered Stevia and it’s delish!!
“Why do you want to try NuStevia? Have you ever tried Stevia before? Are you excited to try it for yourself and your family? Any recipes that you would like to enjoy? ”
I want to try NuStevia because I have a sugar allergy and want to not have to give up everything sweet.
I have tried Steva and can’t use it. It has too much of a bitter aftertaste for me.
I am excited to try this brand of Stevia. I haven’t bought any because I hate to throw money away. And with 3 family members who all have different food allergies, we spend enough money at the health food store without wasting any. Winning this giveaway would really help us be able to try it.
There is a chocolate bar I found that just uses a baking chocolate bar and NuStevia. I really want to try it because one thing I can’t live without is chocolate. The ChocoPerfection bars I am buying, tho delicious, are way too expensive and we’d really be able to save money if I could make these chocolate bars at home. But I’m afraid to buy the NuStevia because I might not like it, just like I haven’t liked all the other Stevias,
I’d love to win this so I can try NuStevia. Thanks..
I forgot to say that I shared this with my Facebook friends.
I haven’t commented on your blog before but I really enjoy reading it and the chance to win stevia is something I won’t pass up! I’ve tried several other brands of stevia (liquid and powder) and I really enjoy the NuNaturals brand the best! I love using it to sweeten my daily Tulsi Chai tea. I also really enjoy making carrot cake macaroons and using stevia in those to impart sweetness. I’d like to try to make a low sugar ice cream using squash or avocado soon since I just scored an ice cream maker. Thanks for the giveaway!
Jamie
I’ve tried stevia before and I like it for reducing sugar. I would love to win!
A couple times a year I’ll go sugar free… It takes a couple weeks, a few headaches but when it leaves the system I can’t believe how well I feel..
hi, i have a question… i’ve recently “quit” added sugars, but i’m an avid lover of fiber one and kashi cereals. problem is, they all have about 5+ grams of added sugar per cup. do you have any fibrous cereal recommendations that don’t have as much as sugar? thanks!
p.s. love your blog!
Thanks so much. I used to love Kashi cereal and Fiber one. Oh man… the memories.
My question to you would be: Why are you so concerned about eating fiber in your cereal?
You should be getting enough cleansing fibers from your plant-food diet… steamed broccoli is numero uno in my book, but any combo of vegetables will be good. These will help with regularity better than any processed cereal.
Kashi/fiber one cereals, aside from their sugar content, have other ingredients I am not such a fan of– soy would be one of them. Unfortunately, they are not “natural”. If you are a big cereal person (and I absolutely was) try a plain cereal like Kamut Puffs by Arrowhead. If you are not ready for something so bland, try to stick to cereals with very little ingredients and that are gluten free. They should be made of corn, or oat. My kids really like the cornflakes we find at Whole Foods (can’t remember the brand) or Three Sisters Oat Cheerio types. The sugar should not be your biggest concern here… but rather the ingredients.
Does that help at all?