Stevia: Holy Grail in the fight against sugar (Dutch video)

Stevia is the latest alternative to sugar. Products with stevia retain their sweet taste, but contain up to 30 percent less sugar. Soda Giants add stevia to all their drinks. Coca-Cola recently introduced a version sweetened with stevia: Coca-Cola Life. Also Sprite is now sweetened with the natural sweetener. Before,  Coca-Cola did not want to add Stevia to its unique recipe. The new model has been given a green label and will be tested at this time in Argentina. Coca-Cola Life contains half the calories than the regular version.

Best Cheesecake Low Carbohydrate Recipe

picture: foodnetwork.com

There are many ways of lowering your carbohydrate intake, even when you crave deserts. Try this cheesecake recipe:

Best Cheesecake
Low Carbohydrate Recipe
Ingredients:
3/4 pound grated aged asiago cheese
1-1/4 pound cream cheese at room temperature
4 eggs
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 tablespoon fresh salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat asiago and cream cheese with a mixer until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add garlic and tarragon and combine well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour into an 8 inch buttered spring form pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, checking after 45 minutes.
Cake should be golden and puffed, not loose in the center. Remove from the oven and let stand 30 minutes before cutting.

North Carolina to see fields of green

Bent Creek Institute, a nonprofit botanical research and sustainable economic development accelerator based at The North Carolina Arboretum, and MelStevia Inc., a Chinese-American grower and developer of nutraceutical-grade stevia products, have engaged to develop stevia in a vertical pipeline that includes horticultural research, commercial farming and bulk standardized extract manufacturing in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

"International herbal products companies are coming to North Carolina in greater numbers to source, grow and develop science-backed botanical products for human and animal wellness," said Greg Cumberford, president of Bent Creek Institute. "Bent Creek Institute exists to make western North Carolina a go-to region in the world for botanical natural products development, and the MelStevia project provides another example of North Carolina's real value at the interface between sustainable agriculture and global nutraceutical development."

Stevia Recipe: Oatmeal Rasin Cookies

Oatmeal Rasin Cookies;

1/2 cup raisins (packed) then diced
1 cup water
Zest of one orange
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs or 4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 cup flour or 1 cup whey protein isolate, or ½ of each
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the raisins, orange zest, and water in a small pan and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. (This can be done a day ahead.)
In a mixing bowl, cream the almond flour into the softened butter (or margarine). Stir in the stevia, almond extract, vanilla, and egg.
Stir the raisins into the butter mixture. Add the oats.
In a separate bowl fold together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Stir / fold the flour into the other ingredients.
Drop onto oiled cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes. Makes approx 54 cookie
Calories 32 / Carbohydrates 3.4g / Sugars 1.1g / Protein 2.3g / Fat 1.3g

Source: Easy Stevia Recipes