Monthly Archives: January 2016

nutrition

Is Stevia Natural? Here’s the Bitter Truth

Posted on by Scott Christ

A few years ago, I discovered a seemingly miraculous “all-natural” sweetener called Truvia. It seemed too good to be “true” (pun intended): mild taste, didn’t cause cancer, derived from plants, and none of the fat-promoting calories of regular sugar. I wanted to know: what the heck is stevia? Is stevia natural and safe? And what are the best and worst types of stevia?

Turns out powder from the real stevia plant is a far cry from the “stevia” found in nearly every food product on store shelves.

If you eat food that contains stevia on-the-regular, you’re going to want to pay close attention as we cover a very brief history of stevia along with its health benefits and the best and worst types of stevia.

What is Stevia?

The Stevia rebaudiana plant hails from South America (Paraguay), where its leaves have been used for centuries to sweeten beverages and make tea.

is stevia natural

Is Stevia Safe?

There are over 400 studies that showcase stevia’s ability to lower blood sugar, promote weight loss, prevent cavities, and maybe even help prevent certain types of cancer.

But there aren’t a whole lot of studies on its long-term health effects. One study showed when rats were fed high dosages of stevia, it reduced their sperm production. This led the FDA to reject the stevia plant for use as a food ingredient in the 1990s.

However, several highly-processed, chemically-extracted compounds from the stevia plant were approved and granted FDA “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) status: rebaudioside A in 2008, stevioside and rebiana extracts in 2009, and purified stevioside in 2011.

It’s yet another puzzling example of the U.S. food system at work.

What Types of Stevia Are Healthy and Natural and Which Aren’t?

If you prefer to eat real food instead of chemically-altered versions of real food, it’s probably a good idea NOT to listen to government agencies influenced by “Big Food” lobbying groups. Use this simple list (ranked from best to worst) when buying products with stevia instead.

BEST

Organic Whole Leaf Stevia (or “Green Leaf Stevia” or “Ground Stevia Leaf Powder”) – Whole leaf stevia powder is simply dried, ground leaves from the actual stevia plant … and that’s it. This is the least processed of all types of stevia and the type that has been used for centuries as a natural sweetener and health remedy. It definitely has an earthier, slightly bitter taste because it’s in its natural state, but you only need a tiny little pinch to sweeten your favorite recipes.

MEDIOCRE

Stevia Extract (or “Stevia,” “Stevia Leaf Extract” or “Organic Stevia”) – Many brands (particularly those marketed as “healthy” and “natural”) use stevia extract. Don’t fall prey to the hype though—this type of stevia still goes through rigorous processing (and often bleaching) to extract certain compounds from the stevia plant. Plus, most food processors add an excipient (filler) that’s usually derived from a genetically modified product (i.e., maltodextrin, a processed starch made from GMO corn).

WORST

Truvia, PureVia, Stevia in the Raw – These are the types of stevia to avoid because of the extensive processing and added GMO ingredients.

Truvia, for example, goes through a patented 42-step processing method.

All commercial brands of “stevia” use chemical solvents, GMO derivatives, and/or other processed sweeteners. I wouldn’t touch the stuff. Eat Local Grown has a nice breakdown of several chemically-derived forms of stevia to watch out for.

Avoid these types of processed, GMO-laden "stevia"
Avoid these types of processed, GMO-laden “stevia”

The Bottom Line: Is Stevia Natural?

organic whole leaf stevia powder
This is what real, all natural stevia powder is supposed to look like!

Organic, whole stevia leaf powder in its natural state is a healthy, green, all-natural sweetener. But the FDA actually doesn’t allow it as a food additive.

The stevia most food companies use is a chemically-altered, bleached, stripped down version that’s likely to contain GMO fillers. Any time you see “stevia”, “stevia extract”, or even “organic stevia” on a food’s ingredients list, you may be getting a processed, inferior sweetener that’s NOT real food.

My advice:

Stick with products that use organic stevia extract, and ask the manufacturer if there are any other fillers used.

That is the only type of stevia that is 100% natural, safe, and healthy! And you only need a teeny tiny bit of it.

P.S. We only use organic stevia extract in Pure Food Protein. Learn more about each of our ingredients.

inspiration

Before You Ever Set Another New Year’s Resolution, Do This

Posted on by Scott Christ

For the past two years I have done something to start each year that has completely changed my life.

It’s far different and far more impactful from the boring old goals and resolutions.

Here’s what you’ll need before you start:

  • A pen and piece of paper (or a computer)
  • 30 minutes of quiet, uninterrupted time

Next, do this:

  1. Visualize where you want to be one year from today. Don’t know how to visualize? Here’s an awesome video from Marie Forleo and Danielle LaPorte. Or check out this article from Jack Canfield.
  2. Write a letter to yourself as if all the things you visualize for yourself have already happened (I included an example of a letter I wrote to myself at the bottom of this post).

When you’re writing, focus on the things in your life that matter most: family, career, health. Really try and visualize and feel what it would be like to have those things happen.

In the book Switch, Dan and Chip Heath say that creating a clearly painted picture of where you want to be (they call it a “destination postcard”) combined with the right habits is the key to achieving big goals.

This letter to yourself will serve as your destination postcard. And once you develop that clear picture of where you see yourself going, then it’s time to create some goals to help you get there (I wrote about the new science of goal setting on Entrepreneur a while back … it’s definitely worth checking out).

Most people just go straight to goal setting, then get discouraged when they don’t pan out.

You need to set your destination postcard first.

Ever since I started writing a letter to myself the last two years, I’ve been blown away by what I’ve been able to accomplish.

Not everything I wrote down came true, and certain events will play out far differently than you planned. But it’s incredible how many of the things I wrote down did come true … and every single one of the most audacious, seemingly-impossible ones have also begun to take form in my life.

The science world is only just starting to understand the power of imagination, visualization, and intuition. We don’t know how they work … but we know they do work.

So I ask you: what have you got to lose? 30 minutes out of 525,600 you’ll have this year?

Try writing a letter to yourself, read it once a week so that seed you planted cultivates and grows, and report back to me in January of next year. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Here’s an example of a letter I wrote to myself in January 2014 if you need some inspiration. When I re-read it in January 2015 it was pretty cool:

 

Oh what a year it’s been for you. The best year of your life, in fact (you said the same thing last year, so hey, you’re on a roll). 
 
You’ve always dreamed big. But for a long, long time it seemed like something was missing for you, right? 
 
This was the year of change. 
 
The year you finally started applying the knowledge from the thousands of hours of research, writing, and hard work.
 
You’ve always been a dreamer. 
 
And this year your dreams became reality. 
 
You took calculated risks, and they paid off. You invested your money and time wisely. You learned how to be “productive” instead of just “busy.” You put yourself outside your comfort zone.
 
And holy shit, you finally achieved the thing you’ve been working toward for the last 5 years: you’re a self made man.
 
You still have lots ‘o work to do. But the days of feeling unfulfilled with your career are behind you. 
 
You did it. 
 
You officially run a business online. You do what you love. You’re helping people. And you’ve finally found something you can put your heart and soul into. 
 
That’s pretty sweet. Well done. 

Most importantly, you just had your first child. I won’t spoil the surprise and tell you whether it’s a boy or girl. You always detested the people who said, “You’ll understand when you have kids.” 

As much as it pains my pride to admit this, they were right.
 
Having a child was the most significant moment of your life. 
 
You see the world in a new light. You’re a teacher. A guardian. A dad.
 
Everything’s a little different now. In the best way imaginable. 
 
You filled a piece of you that was missing for a long time. You absolutely love it.
 
And your wife. Watching her become a mother has been one of the most beautiful displays of love you’ve ever witnessed.
 
You’re more in love with her than you’ve ever been, and she with you. 
 
You two have a life of wonder ahead of you. 
This year you made some amazing memories with your family and you feel blessed and grateful for this time every day.
 
I look forward to you reading this and being astonished about how much of it is spot-on. 
 
The biggest lessons from the last year were:  Time is a gift. Use it wisely. Don’t waste it on things that don’t serve your higher purpose and lead you to your aspirations. Dream bigger than big.  
 
And this note will serve as proof that you can do whatever the hell you want in this world. 
 
You done well…but you’re not even close to being done. 
 
You won’t believe what the next year has in store.