This may be the only white powder you can enjoy without side effects…
There were a lot of questions about sugar this week…
I thought I’d finish them yesterday, but that wasn’t the case. I found a bunch of you who wanted me to cover stevia and the glycemic index reading of banana powder, so I’ll do that and more in today’s Q & article.
Let’s get started…
Anita asks…
“i have heard a couple of people say not to use white stevia, but i have never heard why not to use it. can you please explain why?”
Anita, when you think white stevia, think white sugar.
White stevia is not the same chemically nor has any calories. Still, it is a chemically processed powder removed from the stevia leaf – like white sugar, a very sweet sucrose removed from sugar cane or sugar beets.
The sweet chemical is a glycoside called stevioside, which has about a 10% concentration in the stevia plant leaf. Most white powders contain an extract that is up to 80-90% stevioside.
While there has been little negative study about white powdered stevia, these products have the potential to do more harm than good because any extract has the potential to be more potent than the original food or herb. (This doesn’t mean all extracts are harmful.)
Also, many white stevia powders use large amounts of maltodextrin to mask the strong, sweet flavor of stevia extract.
Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide (or carbohydrate) used as an additive to soften the flavor of the steviocide (it’s also preferred because it doesn’t clump.) Maltodextrin is usually derived from GMO feed corn using chemicals, bleaching agents, and other very unnatural processes.
On top of all of this—and the biggest reason we don’t use it—the manufacturers of most white stevia are big industrial giants, which, as you probably can understand, are not farmers or anyone that I’d want to trust with my food or support with my money. Cargill produces Truvia, their flagship stevia product.
So, regardless of the assumed safety of a product like this, it makes no sense to me to use it if I can get a bag of perfectly natural green leaf powder—the entire plant intact with minerals, minus the water.
(Plus, when you get this pure product form, you can support small, conscious businesses like ours or others! You can buy stevia in our store here.)
Next up, from Lori…
“As a type I diabetic I only use green leaf stevia and sweet leaf liquid stevia, nearly every day. Now I am wondering about the sweet leaf liquid stevia and liquid stevia flavors, are they not okay?”
Hey Lori,
Your Sweet Leaf products are extracted from the leaf, so this is considered an herbal tincture – just like many other tinctures you’d find at the health food store. The SweetLeaf company also does not extract their product with alcohol, so you don’t have to worry about that.
So because of this, I don’t foresee any adverse effects of using a few drops daily to sweeten foods or drinks.
My concern would be the flavorings. I’m sure they use “natural” flavorings to flavor the product, but I would love to know what the process entails. Not all natural extracts are equal. Since I’m writing this on a Saturday, there’s no one to call at their headquarters to get a straight answer.
They have a natural stevia flavor, so that would be my choice. I’ve used this product and liked it before.
Overall, I still think the best bet is to stick with the green leaf in powdered form. It’s basic, sweetens whatever you like, and is almost as natural as it gets—aside from growing and picking the leaves yourself.
The third question is from Veronica, who’s addicted to stevia.
“I have to admit that I consume alot of stevia everyday, am finding it almost addicting, and seem to want to add more and more to my smoothies and tea. Can anyone help me out here, as to what to do, and how to quit drinking so much?”
This is interesting to hear, Veronica. I’ve never heard of anyone having addictive behaviors like this to stevia.
What type of stevia are you using?
If you’re using white stevia or an alcohol (non-alcohol) extract, I wonder if something chemically is happening – that’s just a thought, though.
There are a few ways to overcome addiction to sweets (or, in this case, stevia.) Addiction is somewhat complicated and, at the same time, sometimes not.
I’ve found the best success in overcoming addiction is re-identifying yourself and assessing your path to determine if you’re doing what you want or if you’ve wildly strayed from it. Those on their path tend to have fewer cravings or bad habits – that they have trouble overcoming. I know it sounds weird, but it’s true.
Another technique is EFT or tapping to address emotional and physical attachments to food.
I put together an entire program that teaches you—in detail—how to use these techniques and many more to eliminate cravings and addictive behaviors. You can check it out here… click here for Cravings Free for Life.
On to banana powder, Darla asks…
“I am wondering if the banana powder is high in carbs or high glycemic? I would think that it is since bananas are high in sugar.”
Hey Darla, yes, banana sugar is high in carbohydrates. I don’t know its glycemic number, but I assume it’s likely just as high as bananas.
This is not considered a low glycemic food and never was intended to be.
I like banana powder—compared to other sugars—because it is made from very simply dehydrated red bananas. It seems natural that if I wanted powdered sugar, it would be as close to natural as possible. Banana sugar fits this qualification and then some because it tastes so good—even on its own.
What I also like about it is that the red bananas are grown sustainably, picked ripe, and are an heirloom variety—meaning that they have a complete nutrient profile and are not hybridized in any modern factory farming method.
This is good news all around – at least from our perspective.
Also, remember that the glycemic index is only one way of measuring sugar. There is also a fructose index. Low glycemic food could be high on the fructose index, giving someone the impression that it’s super-healthy when it is not. Agave nectar is a perfect example of this. It is low glycemic but high on the fructose index. High, processed fructose is a poison (as per Dr. Robert Lustig) and can cause metabolic issues, fatty liver, and obesity.
Finally, HopandSkip wants to know about the sustainability of coconut sugar…
“Kevin, how does the banana sugar compare with coconut sugar and the glycemic index of both? Also, is there a sustainable issue with coconut sugar? I’m getting conflicting feedback.”
Hey HopandSkip, like I said above, I don’t know the exact glycemic index of banana sugar, but I assume it is in line with bananas. The two sugars we like best – when we use them – are coconut and banana, so I think they’re both great products.
As for the sustainability issue of coconut sugar, I think there eventually will be one. Coconut water is raging in the U.S. market, increasing demand. Coconut Bliss recently has had trouble sourcing coconut products for their vegan ice cream – coconut-based – due to a lack of supply. Of course, lack of supply is much different than sustainability issues. Still, it will lead to more coconut palm farms being cut out of the jungle supplying the raw materials for the products. Mono-agriculture is never the best solution for our planet – as you may know.
However, everything we produce in quantity puts a particular strain on the environment. I hope we become more thoughtful about how our farming is done.
The farm from which we get our cinnamon is an excellent example of how to grow multiple crops in harmony using permaculture techniques.
I want to know your thoughts: Do you know anything about the flavorings of SweetLeaf stevia? Do you know about the sustainability of coconut sugar? Let me know!
Interested in Getting Green Leaf Stevia Powder or Banana Powder to Try?
Here’s where you can find stevia:
Here’s where you can get banana powder:
Buy Banana Powder or Flakes Here
Live Awesome!
Kev
