Dori Zook wrote:

>>>>And here's my humble opinion.  I gave up pizza, Ben & Jerry's ice cream,
homemade bread, corn on the cob, potatoes, even the such paleo foods as like
bananas and pinapple which would cause an insulin rush.  Then I went paleo
and gave up dairy and peanut butter, which I love even more than dairy
foods.  I'm not complaining, but think about it; I've made MAJOR changes in
my diet.  I've also enjoyed MAJOR benefits.  But I like a tall, cool glass
of stevia-sweetened lemonade or a nice coconut milk pudding every once in a
while.  Apart from lightly sweetened drinks (lemonade, natural tea), a glass
of which I have once or twice a day, I have a sweet treat maybe twice a
week.  Two oranges in a week.  I feel no need to apologize for that.  And I
DON'T go on binges.  One helping and I'm happy as a clam.  I'm clearly doing
something right.

I agree with you completely.  I see no harm in making puddings, mousses, ice
cream, lemonaide, smoothies, nut cookies, and other sweet treats using
low-impact, healthful ingredients.  Such things can open the doors for many
people to taste an alternative!  You can bring joy to someone knowing you
are not undermining their health.  I do it all the time and I don't
apologize for it either!!!

If you have family members, friends, or guests  who are used to eating sweet
treats (that's 99.99% of people I believe!), or if you want to help other
families make healthier treats, why the HECK Not????  You can do so in good
conscience!

Most people are going to eat desserts and sweet snacks, so if you can serve
them or show them how to make healthier treats-- without all that sugar,
flour, dairy products, margarine, artificial flavorings, etc.  ALL THE POWER
TO YOU (and TO ME!!!).  If you have ever been in the position of an
educator, a person who  helps, nudges, inspires, and invites people to make
changes in what they eat, you know that there is power in showing people how
to tame the sweet tooth and kick the sugar habit.  There are many people
cannot imagine life without doughnuts, Ben & Jerry's (or whatever brand is
in vogue!), brownies, bon bons and other sugar things they eat regularly!
You have the potential to help them change their lives by making and serving
 healthier desserst!!!  It could be a turning point for that person!!!  It
could plant a seed, open their eyes, delight their palates (sans sugar
hangover!), and move them to explore their sugary addiction.....and change
the way they eat.

Btw, stevia does not have side effects; it is an herb!  Herbs and
plants--leaves, roots, stems, and barks....they have probably been used for
eons!  How do you think the Chinese Pharmacopia came to include the
properties of literally thousands of herbs????  Experience.  Long term
experience, dating back to the stone age, I believe!

Sure, fruit is sweet and so are many vegetables, once your taste buds are
awakened, but..... with all of the foods people let go of when they change
to this way of eating, a little stevia or dried, powdered, kiwi sweetener in
this context, is not that big a deal and I can't see the harm of it!  It's
splitting hairs!

>>>I'm curious; 500-700 kcal of carbohydrates equals how many grams?  I don't
know if that's close to what I eat a day or not since I count total grams
minus fiber grams.  The figure stated above sounds a bit like French to me.
I may eat what you think is correct.

Divide the # of calories by 4 and you get a figure which is the number of
grams of carbs.  Put another way. If you eat 50 grams of carbs, that's 200
calories.  If you eat 10 grams of carbs, that's 40 calories.

Keep posting as you do.  Your input is valuable and there will always be
people who will learn from it and/or relate to what you think, feel and
believe.  As for the naysayers--- they can skip the stevia sweetened
lemonaide, limeaide, macaroons, custard, and coconut ice cream!  No harm
done!

Rachel


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