Stevia (also called sweetleaf, sweet leaf or sugarleaf) is a genus of about 150 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). It is native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America. As a sweetener, stevia’s taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or liquorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations. ( I have found this to be true. ES)

With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Stevia also has shown promise in medical research for treating such conditions as obesity and high blood pressure. Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, even enhancing glucose tolerance; therefore it is attractive as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets. (However, there has been some controversy surrounding stevia, so you may want to consult your doctor if you are diabetic or prone to diabetes. ES)

The brand that I use is made by NOW Foods and contains Inulin and Chromium. According to the back of the package, Stevia Rebaudiana is a small plant native to Paraguay and Brazil and was “discovered” in 1887 by a South American scientist who learned about the herb from the Guarani Parguayan Indians, who used it to flavor their bitter tribal beverages. Subsequently, two French scientists did exploratory extraction work in 1931 and formulated a pure, white crystalline compound they called “stevioside,” which is responsible for stevia’s flavorful properties.

NOW Foods has added inulin and chromium to their stevia. Inulin is derived from chicory and as a prebiotic, it supposedly stimulates the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria to support good colon health. (NOW adds a disclaimer that this statement has not been evaluated by the FDA, so their product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.) Chromium is a trace mineral that is involved in a number of bodily functions. It is significantly reduced in the American diet because of over-processing our foods.

Stevia comes in either a powder (loose or packets) or a liquid extract. I use the powdered packets, much as you would a packet of artificial sweeteners, only because it is so sweet, I think you would use much less than other sweeteners. I prefer stevia to Equal, Splenda, and white sugar because I feel they do not support my lifestyle to use as many natural foods as possible. However, I also believe in moderation and use stevia sparingly.

Quoted from:
1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(I Googled stevia and Wikipedia was part of the first 10 listings.
2. The back of the package of Stevia Balance from
NOW Foods (www.nowfoods.com).

The lushness of Huntington Gardens in California, May 2007

Driving through Lancaster County last week with my husband, the one word that came to my mind was “lush.” Ribbons of green plants covered the fields, reflecting the early lushness of summer and the promise of more green to come. Amish farmers plowing their fields with mules, young Amish women with long dresses planting seeds, and trees blossoming with leaves all gave me the feeling of how each season has its beauty, and summer is the season for lush green plants everywhere.

The pictures we took of the fields did not do the countryside justice, so instead I will sprinkle this posting with another kind of lushness, that of Huntington Gardens in California. It is similar to Longwood Gardens near Philadelphia, whose pictures I featured in the May blog. Huntington Gardens is also a former estate of an industrial magnate (DuPont in PA and Huntington in CA), but the flowers and plants, especially the cacti, are very different because of the climate, which you will see in the photo of my husband Alan and me in the Desert Garden.

Summer is not only a time to enjoy the lushness of Mother Earth, but also a time to enjoy the slower pace that this season seems to bring. Since summertime, like the song, is “when the livin’ is easy,” I have combined June and July, and probably will do another late summer posting in early August. Then again, I may get lazy and do nothing until the end of August, so feel free to be lazy, too! We can all use a little summer activity called “doin’ nothin.’”

Because warm weather does slow me down a bit, I like to cook less and eat more raw foods. Therefore, the recipes will be as uncooked or as simply prepared as possible. Cooking less not only saves time and energy (heat from the stove and oven), but also may have health benefits, which I note in Kitchen Nutrition with Recipes. You may also want to check Products and Services, since I feature stevia, a natural herbal sweetener that you can use in your summer beverages. Also check the other categories to see more photos and more information, such as the two books reviewed in Book, Film and Website Reviews and also Peek to Pique, where you will see picture for an August recipe and an artist for my next woman-to-woman interview. (I’m beginning to feel just like Oprah!)

Whatever you do this summer, take time to enjoy the seasonal fruits and vegetables. My husband likes to barbeque when we have company, so I checked the Internet for some safer ways to BBQ, which I put under Health Flashes.

Take time to sit under a tree and sip some herbal lemonade and read a book or magazine. Let’s do what the kids say: Just “chill out!”

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A tree in the Desert Garden of Huntington Gardens, May 2007
Looks like a giant Ponytail Plant or a tree from one of Dr. Seuss’ zany books, doesn’t it?

P.S. Many thanks to Jay, my son-by-marriage, for taking these photos while we were in California on our visit.