It's Time to Get Sweet... with Stevia!

There are so many options for sweeteners today: honey, raw honey, agave, Stevia, sugar, Truvia. My personal favorite is Stevia, and if I can find it, Stevia in the Raw. 

Stevia is a natural sweetener that comes from the leaves of the Stevia plant, which is native to South America. Stevia has zero calories, zero carbs, zero glycemic index, and it is 100% natural!! 

Splenda and other sugar substitutes, like aspartame, can have harmful side effects on the body, and I highly recommend you stay away from them.

 

Stevia comes in a variety of forms; you can buy liquid stevia, stevia tabs, and stevia packets. Liquid stevia comes in a various flavors such as English Toffee and Chocolate Raspberry. My personal favorite is Vanilla Crème. I use stevia to sweeten cold and hot beverages, and I love adding Vanilla Crème liquid stevia to smoothies and various dessert recipes. I even stir a little into my Greek yogurt when I want a sweeter taste.

 

Stevia is starting to show up in restaurants. I have noticed it at Urth Caffe, but they tend to run out really quickly. You can purchase stevia at your local market. Stevia is sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way. Some people complain that they do not like the aftertaste, but I personally do not taste it. Also, using stevia makes me feel like I am eating mindfully and consciously, which always makes me feel good. If you are watching your calories or sugar intake, stevia is a great choice!

Check out some recipes (here) that I found on the In The Raw website!

Now go out there and make something sweet!

Until next time

-Emily

Urth Caffé

Today I am writing about Urth Caffé, a healthy and fun café in Los Angeles. If you live in Los Angeles or are planning a trip and you want a healthy meal and the best coffee LA has to offer, you must go to Urth Caffé. There are four locations in the city, all offering the same menu and the same friendly cafe environment. My favorite location is Urth Caffe on Main St. in Santa Monica, only a block from the beach on one of my favorite streets to walk down for shopping, people watching, and coffee shops.

I personally think Urth Caffe has the best coffee in the city. The coffee is organic, which means it’s lower in acid. They also have a large menu of wonderful organic teas; my recommendation is the Buddha’s Blend. Last time I went to Urth Caffe I tried the Green Tea Latte (pictured above) it's robust flavor was unlike any green tea I have had elsewhere.

 

Urth Caffe offers a variety of low-fat organic salads, delicious soups and cold and hot entrees.

I usually get the Urth Farmer’s Salad, which is an organic spinach salad with grilled artichokes, radishes, pecans, tomatoes, red onion, shaved Parmesan and fennel with a peppercorn dressing. If you have a sweet tooth, their vegan desserts are also delicious.

 

Most of the time Urth Caffe is packed, so expect to wait in line. But, I’ve got to say, the line is well worth the wait! 

Until next time!

-Emily