Articles in the stevia Category

FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Blog Disclaimer: NuNaturals sent a package of their products for my enjoyment. This package was free of charge. I was not paid to post for them or to write a review. Any opinions you read here are based on my own thoughts and have not been bought.

Hi, y’all!

So, what’d you think of my Shame On Me post? Are you in the same boat? Or, have you won the battle and are standing on the mountaintop of pristine health and success?

As I mentioned in that post, NuNaturals has sent me some awesome stuff to review. I absolutely love their stevia. It’s great in oats, rice, tea, coffee, desserts, etc. Love it!

But I’m not the only recipient of their generosity – you’re in the cool, sweet club too!

Message from NuNaturals: “This offer to your readers EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, ENDS SEPTEMBER 30, 2011.”

Receive a SPECIAL DISCOUNT of 15% on your TOTAL ORDER by entering this CODE : 

BLG930

And by ordering from www.nunaturals.com, you’ll ALSO receive FREE SHIPPING (in the Continental U.S.) on all orders totaling $35.00 and over, AFTER this special discount.

“This offer is EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, ENDS SEPTEMBER 30, 2011.”

FREE SAMPLES!

Get your FREE SAMPLES of NuStevia Packets! Just send a SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED #10 envelope to the following address:

NuNaturals, Inc.

2220 West 2nd Ave. #1

Eugene, OR 97402

Be sure to take full advantage of the FREE SAMPLES offer, as well as the 15% SPECIAL DISCOUNT and FREE SHIPPING offers. This is an excellent opportunity to grab the reins to your health!

Get ready for a GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!

FTC Disclaimer: NuNaturals provided (free) samples for me to try; however, they did not pay me to write this review and they did not require me to write this review. The thoughts and opinions found here are my own, and are of my free will.

Remember when I got that fantabulous package from NuNaturals? Well, I’ve been experimenting with these sweet products and have lots of reviews coming up!

(A huge thank you to NuNaturals for sending some a LOT of sweetness my way!!)

I decided to try the NuStevia NoCarbs Blend in my tea.

From the site:

NuStevia White Stevia NoCarbs uses Erythritol, a natural filler that is produced from corn. Erythritol enhances the taste of Stevia. NuStevia White Stevia NoCarbs will have absolutely no effect on blood sugar levels and is safe for both Type I and II diabetics.

NuStevia NoCarbs Blend contains 60% more Stevia extract than most other brands on the market. The cost to get the same sweet taste of other brands can be up to 2 1/2 times more expensive compared to NuNaturals. NuNaturals NuStevia NoCarbs Blend will save you money.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease.

Free of Soy, Yeast, Gluten….

According to NuNaturals, NuStevia NoCarbs Blend contains no: soy, yeast, wheat, milk, synthetics, msg, artificial colors or flavors, preservatives, saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, or artificial sweeteners.

Regarding gluten, they say:

This product does not contain gluten. The Maltodextrin used in our White Stevia Powder products is derived from corn. The Erythritol used in our NoCarbs Blend products is derived from corn.

Woo hoo! How awesome is that?!

Personal Touch

What’s this? A cutting board I received from a precious friend as a  Christmas gift. Ain’t it pretty?!

Sneak Peek Inside the Bottle

Ingredients (from the site):

NuStevia Extract, Erythritol, Natural Flavors

The natural flavors are natural plant extracts from herbs and berries. These natural flavors do not contain any MSG (monosodium glutamate) or any other “natural flavors” that are known to cause allergic reactions in the body. We do scrutinize the ingredients that we use very carefully and would not use an ingredient known to cause reactions.

Supplement Facts: Serving Size 1/8 tsp Calories 0 Fat Calories 0 % Daily Value* Total Carbohydrates 0g 0% Sugars 0g Sugar Alcohol .42g 0% Total Fat 0g 0% Sodium 0mg 0% Stevia Extract 40 mg* (Stevia rebaudiana) *Daily Value not extablished Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Bitter Buds?

Worried about the bitter aftertaste of Stevia? I didn’t get that with this brand. It sweetens my tea (or oats, etc.) nicely – without a nasty aftertaste. Delish!

Want to know why this brand of Stevia doesn’t have a lingering, bitter aftertaste?

Here’s what the company says…

From the site:

NuNaturals Stevia products are not only non-bitter, but will not leave an unpleasant lingering aftertaste in your mouth like other Stevia products will. This is achieved by both removing the bitter components of the Stevia extract and through the use of natural flavors that improve the taste of the Stevia extract.

 Bravo, NuNaturals, bravo!

About the Company

It’s always nice to know a little something about the company behind a product you’re interested in, right?

NuNaturals shares this bit of information on their site:

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us better. We have over 18 years of experience providing nutritional supplements. NuNaturals uses only the highest quality herbs and nutrients to make our products. We belong to the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) and the TruLabel Program.

Wow. Close to 20 years of (sweet) experience… That’s a pretty good record, don’t you think?!

Pros

I love that this Stevia is sweet, delicious, and doesn’t have a bitter aftertaste. I also love the low-carb aspect. And I honestly believe it’s affordable for most everyone. At $9.99 per bottle, it’s a super deal because you use such a teeny tiny amount, it will last like forever.

It’s also small and convenient. You can pop this little bottle in your purse and take it with you. If you’re slow and cautious, you can simply shake some right from the bottle into your drink – without having to use a spoon – so it’s nice to just carry with you and have on hand if you buy an unsweetened tea (or other beverage or food) while you’re out on the town.

And my experience with the company has been just stellar. I feel confidant yours would be, too.

Cons

Hmmm…. This one is difficult! I sometimes include cost as a con when I write my reviews because, let’s face it, not all of us can truly afford some of the healthier products – but I can’t use cost as a con on this product. I think it’s price is more than fair because you use such a minute amount, it’s really cost-effective in the long run.

Another thing I (personally) toss in to the “con pile” when I’m reviewing a product, is whether or not it is organic. This product is not. But there are a lot of NuNaturals products that are, so if you’re a stickler for organic/certified organic only, I still recommend you check out their site and see for yourself what awesome products they’re carrying.

If you don’t mind some non-organic products, then for sure try this out!

Sweet Tea

Let me walk you through combining NuStevia NoCarbs Blend + a glass of herbal tea to recreate sweet tea from my childhood, drank from a glass jar – just like grandma did!

Adding the Stevia Powder

Sweet Sipping Time!

The only thing missing was a slice of lemon!

I absolutely adore Stevia and use it in my tea, sometimes my oats, and recipes. I’ve loved it for years, and found it to be a life-saver during my 100+ pound weight loss. I was so happy to have a (healthy) sweetener for my old-fashioned tea.

Verdict/Grade

I give this product an A- because although it isn’t certified organic, it is delicious, free of a bitter aftertaste, very cost-friendly, and fun to use! That’s a winner, in my opinion!

What’s your go-to sweetener? White, processed sugar? Dates? Stevia? Honey? Agave*? Turbinado? Xylitol? And… are you (gasp!) using Splenda? (You may want to read this article if you’re using Splenda.) Would you try something else? Are you open-minded about sweeteners? Do you switch things up, or stick with one certain kind?  Let me know!

Oh, and don’t forget about my latest contest! You might really, really want to take advantage of those extra entry options (like linking back on your blog) because there’s 200+ entries already and it doesn’t end until Friday, February 19th! Enter now!

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links**. If you purchase anything once you click on the links, I will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

*I didn’t link to agave like I did the other sweeteners because I’ve decided NOT to consume agave anymore – more about that in a future post.

**The link to NuNaturals is not an affiliate link; the links that take you to Amazon.com are affiliate links.

References:

NuNaturals.com

Rubin, Jordan. Issue 14: Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners

Just tuning in? Be sure to get yourself entered in my latest contest (prizes are valued at over $200!!!). Also, check out Zeenat’s guest post about the healing benefits of onions. You might also enjoy my chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls or my version of tuna fish-less salad.

Hi, y’all!

Today, I’m going to share with you my experience of making Averie’s Raw Vegan Chia Seed Pudding. You can find all sorts of variations she’s created by checking out her chia seed category over at Love Veggies & Yoga.

I was super excited the other day when I mentioned I received a package from NuNaturals.com.

Why, you ask? Well, of course, I’m excited to get creative with all their tasty products, but I was even MORE excited when I saw my RAWkin’ friend, Averie, included in the information packet.

You go, Averie!

And now it’s Raw Juice Girl’s turn to try her hand at Averie’s Raw Vegan Chia Seed Pudding.

I followed her recipe to a T. (View her chia seed variations here.)

2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds

Almond Milk

Vanilla Stevia

Chia Gellin’

Gettin’ Thick!

All Thickened Up!

The amount of agave was too much for me – lots of sweetness! So, the next time I made myself some chia seed pudding, I used half the amount Averie does. She uses 2 tablespoons of agave nectar, and I cut it down to 1. Even that was too sweet for me, so now I just drizzle a little agave and it’s just right for me (kind of like the porridge from Goldilocks and the Three Bears!

But this is soooooooooooo delicious, y’all! If you’ve never made it – and you have the ingredients on hand – I urge you to stop what you’re doing and whip some up. Like, now! Seriously. It’s SO good!

Have you ever made raw, vegan chia seed pudding? Did you like it? Are you addicted to it yet? So far, I’ve enjoyed chia seed pudding as breakfast, and as a snack. YUM!

And guess what’s coming up? My chocolate version of chia seed pudding. It’s similar to Averie’s, but I put my own twist on this one. Can you guess what ingredient I used?

Stay tuned….