hello everybody,

i was wondering what you all can tell me about the herb stevia and the
paleo diet.

i have been reading the list for about a month and haven't noticed
stevia discussed so sorry if this is a repeat for you.  i familiarized
myself with using stevia after cutting back on other sweeteners (the
sucanat, maple syrup, etc.)  and i quite like using it.  i didn't
notice it used in the paleorecipes section-- i have developed some
recipes using stevia for the things i used to eat a lot of that had
white sugar in them.

(i even grew
some stevia plants in my garden last summer and chewed a leaf here and
there for a treat.)

anyway, i guess why i am writing is that stevia seems like a miracle
to someone like me, who has eaten so much sugar all her life.  in
fact, i find i am using it to make my food as sweet as i have been
used to all my life.  i am wondering if it is a miracle, if there is a
"catch" somewhere and if anyone has found the catch??  ;-)  i do not
get the impression stevia is addictive yet i find i use it often, in
smoothies, or with coconut etc. and i suppose this interferes with my
tasting the true flavours of the foods.

also, i find that i use the white refined stevia the most,
yet the product strikes me as being quite "unnatural" in the sense
that it is not the whole plant anymore, and that means our bodies will
miss something if we eat it.  but i still use it because it is better
than sugar.

interested in hearing any input.


Jana