Sweet Talk
First of all, I am so happy you are reading this article about the difference of Stevia Vs. Truvia. It Lets me know you are not using artificial sweetener like splenda, sweet n low….or whatever other artificial crap they have out there. I do NOT consume any artificial sweetener. #1. I cannot…my tummy would be a mess 🙁 Does not agree with me at all. #2 It is FAKE..NOT REAL..the body has a hard time digesting it. I have had many clients change from artificial to natural and they realized….their splenda was causing them tummy discomfort and gas!! And….its FAKE!!!! lol If you are still consuming artificial, try to use minimal.
We also see many new forms of “natural” sweetener, but that can still fool you so always read the label.
Stevia Facts
STEVIA…and Stevia alone is the only ingredient you should see on the label. Here is the truth behind Stevia and the ever so sneaky Truvia.
What actually is Stevia?
Stevia is natural, unlike other sugar substitutes. It’s made from a leaf related to popular garden flowers like asters and chrysanthemums.
In South America and Asia, people have been using stevia leaves to sweeten drinks like tea and coffee for many years.
Look for stevia in powder or liquid form in supermarkets and health-food stores. (whole foods, trader joes) You’re likely to find it on the baking goods aisle or in the health food aisle.
You may even get your sweet caffeine fix without calories or artificial sweeteners. Major U.S. soda companies now sell diet cola soft drinks sweetened with stevia. Some flavored waters also have stevia.
If you have diabetes, stevia could be a way to sweeten your yogurt or hot tea without adding carbohydrates.
Are Truvia and Stevia the same thing?
Thanks to a false-advertising job well-done, many health conscious consumers have been tricked into believing that Truvia is the same thing as Stevia. The (disappointing) truth is that, despite the fact that Truvia is marketed as a “stevia-based sugar substitute,” it is NOT equivalent to Stevia. Not even close, actually. Get this: the ingredient list for Truvia is as follows: Erythritol, Rebiana and Natural Flavors. Just three ingredients and Stevia isn’t even one of them!
Let’s take a look at those three ingredients that make up Truvia:
1 ~ Erythritol: A sugar alcohol which is made by processing genetically modified corn; this is the primary ingredient in Truvia. Sugar alcohols are notoriously known for their unpleasant side effects. Our bodies do a poor job at digesting sugar alcohols (which is why they are lower in calories), but because they aren’t completely digested, they hang out in our intestines where they are fermented by colonic bacteria. The by-products of fermentation include gastric distress, diarrhea, cramping, gas and bloating. Yuck. That’s ingredient #1.
2 ~ Rebiana: Half of one percent of Truvia is Rebiana. The truth is that the only reason Truvia can mention anything about Stevia is because Rebiana is derived from a Stevia plant. But again, don’t be fooled. Rebiana is certainly not the same thing as Stevia. It is a molecule of the stevia plant. Furthermore, Rebiana is actually 400 times sweeter than sugar, but you’ll notice that Truvia is only twice as sweet as sugar. If you do the math, you’ll see that if a container of Truvia was divided into 200 parts, 199 of them would be Erythritol and only one would be Rebiana (which, again, isn’t even Stevia, but a mere molecule of the Stevia plant). In conclusion, Truvia is mostly Erythritol with a touch of a molecule of Stevia. Ingredient #2.
3 ~ Natural Flavors. What does that mean? That’s a good question, and your guess is as good as mine. As you may already know, the term “natural” is not FDA-regulated, therefore there are no standards when using this word. Maybe this is why you’ll find the word “natural” all over the packaging and promotion of Truvia—on their products, website and advertising campaigns. This is a perfect example of how the term “natural” is used to deceive consumers, as nothing about Truvia is natural. The makers of Truvia are incredibly good at stretching the truth, along with other types of marketing deception such as using pictures of leaves and the color green on Truvia’s packaging and website, making it look “natural” and oh-so-similar to Stevia. It’s no wonder that when most people learn that Truvia and Stevia are two dreadfully different products they feel as if a bomb was dropped.
Truth:
So, there you have it: the truth is that Truvia is a true sugar alcohol. Truvia is 99.9% pure genetically modified erythritol and less than a half percent of something made from Stevia—just so they can lie to you. If you dare, experiment at home and you’ll find that this highly processed sweetener doesn’t even taste like Stevia. Such a shame.
Then what should you use?
When it comes to adding sweetener or sugar….
Use the real deal in moderation (sugar or honey) before the fake stuff
Stevia would be my first choice
I have found several brands of stevia powder I enjoy in my coffee or when I make protein bars or protein pancakes. If you are going to bake cookies or cakes…use the real deal sugar. Those foods are meant to be enjoyed in moderation.
Liquid stevia can be added to coffee or “bella diva” style desserts during the week day. They can be flavored like vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut. Vanilla is one of my faves
Diva-licious Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup non fat plain greek yogurt
- 5-6 drops of vanilla stevia drops
- 1-2 tablespoons of vanilla whey protein
- 1 oz of dark chocolate shaved or 1 tablespoon of dark choice chips
Directions:
- Mix together well
- Add 1 tsp of nut butter of choice (almond, cashew, peanut)
- Freeze for 10 min….take out and mix! YUM
Make the sweet choice and enjoy the good stuff in moderation!
Ciao Bellas xoxox
