The true test for me, however, was this: how does it taste in my morning coffee?

On my diet – there is just one thing I cannot.. .no matter HOW BAD I want to lose the weight, I just cannot, for the life of me, compromise and that is my coffee. I know there are a lot of people out there who feel the same.

Splenda in coffee just is not the same – - neither are any of the other substitutes I’ve found.

I came across Stevia quite by accident one day while searching for organic foods online. I even recommended it to my mother, who is a diabetic and struggles with sugar substitute issues, as well. She is even more picky than I am – - and she’s a faithful Stevia user now!

Here’s the low-down for you on the product (which you can usually find at your local health food store, or in the health/organic section of your grocery):

• Stevia has ZERO calories. Yep – you heard it… ZERO.. as in NONE
• Stevia has a glycemic index of… yea, you guessed it… ZERO
• It is all natural and 100% organic
• Stevia is a naturally sweet plant native to Paraguay
• Stevia is 30 times sweeter than sugar in its unprocessed form
• The pure glycosides that are extracted from the Stevia leaves are 250-400 times sweeter than sugar
• For those of Jewish faith, Stevia is 100% kosher
• You can use Stevia not only for sweetening drinks like tea and coffee and quick meals like on grapefruit or cereal – but you can bake with Stevia, as well. There are hundreds of recipes – - below, I reference a Stevia cookbook with some great recipe ideas
• Be aware of the Stevia/Sugar conversion when using it, though – - remember, it is 30 TIMES SWEETER THAN SUGAR! Dont’ make the mistake of using the same volume of Stevia as you would with regular sugar. Below is a conversion table

What are Stevia’s equivilancies to sugar?

Some Great Stevia Recipe Books:

Stevia Sweet Recipes: Sugar-Free-Naturally
A review from Amazon.com says:Of the 3 Stevia cookbooks I own, this is my favorite. I would think that most people who want to use stevia, are looking for healthy too, and lower carb, not just how to replace sugar with stevia. He uses whole grains in his recipies, which are much lower on the glycemic index than their refined counter parts, making them good for diabetics and some less restrictive low carb diets. I was looking for a recipe for zucchini bread and none of the books had one, so I took his Oatmeal Banana Bread recipe and replaced the fruit with zucchini and it came out fantastic! I could do that because the basic recipe is sound. He gives a lot of info on stevia including the fact that you have to adjust it to your taste. He covers pretty much all the bases in this book, except as one person pointed out, the use of liquid stevia, other than to say that he prefers to use the powders to the liquid.

Sensational Stevia Desserts
A review from Amazon.com says:This is a good book. It gives you the nutritional breakdowns which is nice, and compares them to the same products made with sugar. She uses healthy ingredients, but not much in the way of whole grains. It’s definitely low-carb friendly, as you can easily see how many carbs each recipe will set you back. None of the recipies include other sugar sources which is nice to see in a stevia cookbook.

Stevia: Naturally Sweet Recipes for Desserts, Drinks, and More
A review from Amazon.com says: I have been using stevia as my SOLE sugar replacement for just about a year now with the aid of several cookbooks to keep me going. I find it hard to use many recipes that ask for non-nutritive sweeteners because they usually happen to be low-carb, high-protein/fat, and animal products abound. My first breath of fresh air to this dilema was this book. It uses whole grain flours and provides many purely vegetarian (vegan) alternative recipes.

Without any further hesitation – here’s my Saturday Syndication list for today – I hope you enjoy!

• Elaine explores the problems with Food Cravings and Stress
• …While over at LifeTips – they are discussing Dieting, Cheating and Motivation
• Dieting out of a vending machine…. really? Sounds funny…but could it be coming to a cafeteria near you? Kraft Foods is rolling out a vending machine stocked with South Beach Diet branded food.
• So You Think You Can Lose Weight? Forget Weight Loss Diets; They Don’t Work ! Do you agree..disagree? There seems to be a lot of talk about what works and what doesn’t – - I think the key is finding out what works for YOU
• About.Com has a great list of ‘must haves’ for a Weight Loss Friendly Kitchen…”If you’ve just begun a weight loss program, it’s time to take a fresh look at your kitchen. It can be your ally – really. These are the must-haves for making your kitchen diet-friendly…”

And so ends my Saturday Syndication wrap up for today. After reading through so many articles and blog posts about dieting, weight loss and fitness — I’m feeling highly motivated to head to the gym this afternoon.. so off I go. Have a great weekend!

…it’s not unusual for someone to experience a yo-yo effect following a low-carb diet. The body loses water, muscle and fat during weight loss, especially on a low-carb diet. A very low-carb diet is not recommended for the long haul. A modest low-carb diet, such as the diet followed by many diabetics, is more healthful, cuts carbs to a reasonable level and focuses on carbs that are high in fiber.

Some low-glycemic (low sugar), high-fiber carbs include:

• Oatmeal
• Whole Wheat Bread
• Whole Wheat Pasta
• Beans and Barley
• Sweet Potatoes
• Vegetables

Eating more vegetables and fruit means you can eat more food and lose weight. Because vegetables and fruit have a high water content, the calorie level is lower. You can eat more, yet take in fewer calories, and feel more full.

Kalyn, at Kalyn’s Kitchen, has a great recipe for sweet potato fries – a lo-carb and tasty alternative to regular fries.

A Veggie Adventure provides an easy and yummy Microwave “Baked” Sweet Potato (Per Serving: 86 Cal (1% from Fat, 8% from Protein, 91% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 20 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; 34 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 15 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 1 point)

1. Choose low-fat or skim milk. One cup of whole milk has 8.5 grams of fat and 150 calories. That’s more than 50% of calories from fat. Compare that to one cup of skim milk with .4 grams of fat and 81 calories. If you’re not quite ready for skim milk, try 2% milk with 5 grams of fat and 125 calories or 1% milk with 2.5 grams of fat and 104 calories.
2. Dip, don’t drench. Ask for low-fat or fat-free salad dressing to be served on the side so you can lightly dip your salad instead of drenching it. Just 2 Tbsp. of your favorite ranch dressing has approximately 160 calories and 16 grams of fat.2
3. Use condiments with caution. Just a tablespoon of mayonnaise adds 10 grams of fat to your sandwich and a pat of butter adds 4 grams. Try mustard instead of mayonnaise next time.
4. Choose low-fat cheese. Whole-milk cheeses like Cheddar, Feta, American, Swiss, and many others contain 6 to 10 grams of fat per ounce. Fortunately, you can find a good variety of low-fat and nonfat cheeses at your supermarket. Look for cheese that has 3 grams of fat or less per ounce.
5. Lean on low-fat protein. Chicken and seafood are better choices among protein-rich dishes. However, keep in mind that you need to be cautious of fatty fish like eel, salmon, and mackerel. If you like beef, choose loin or round cuts, and trim all the visible fat. For sandwiches, choose chicken or turkey breast, lean roast beef or lean fish packed in water. You can also ask your local deli about their selection of low-fat meats.
6. Go light on the cooking oils. Instead of oil, fat or butter, try cooking sprays, wine, clear broths, and flavored vinegars when cooking. Since it is hard to fry something without fat and oil, try baking your dishes, barbecuing, steaming or poaching.
7. Skip the fatty extras. When eating at restaurants, don’t hesitate to ask for items without the high-fat extras like potato chips, french fries, and butter.
8. Increase fruits and vegetables. Having more fruits and vegetables is a great way to make your snacks low fat. As you decrease the amount of fat in your diet, you’ll appreciate the great natural taste of many fruits and vegetables.
9. Swap for sauce. When baking muffins and cakes, substitute applesauce for fatty ingredients. For example, try exchanging one part oil, fat, or butter for one part applesauce.
10. Spice it up. Low-fat eating shouldn’t be dull and boring. Fat can make foods taste better, but it’s not the only way. Using herbs, spices, flavored vinegars, and salsas are great ways to add taste without fat.

Thought I’d would join in the Thursday Thirteen fun this week.

This week’s Thirteen covers some various exercise tips that I’ve found through my travels, readings and researching – some of them are pretty helpful too!

Have a good one to share? Leave it in the comments

1. See your doctor before you start any exercise program. Get a full physical to make sure everything’s in working order, then find a personal trainer in your neighborhood and make an appointment with him or her for a consultation. Most trainers will give you a free consultation and help you figure out what your fitness level is, your body fat and circumference measurements, and the right way to start a program.
2. Start Slow! Many beginners make the mistake of doing too much when they first start out. If you haven’t worked out in a while (or ever) start with a walking program of about 20 to 30 minutes, 3 days a week. Each session, add a few minutes to your workout to progress each week.
3. Write down your workouts every day, making notes about what you did, how you felt and how you improved since your last workout. Schedule your workouts each week, just like you would a doctor’s appointment.
4. Harass your best friend, spouse or significant other into working out with you!
5. Every day, ask yourself how you will make your life healthier. It can be as simple as drinking more water or parking farther away from the front door.
6. Reward yourself! Give yourself a massage when you reach your goals, or maybe some new workout clothes.
7. Set daily or weekly goals. Long term goals are great, but are so far away we often forget why we’re working so hard. To stay motivated, write down a daily or weekly goal and then follow number 7 (rewarding yourself) if you reach it.
8. Prepare for your workout the night before by packing your gym bag or, if you work out at home, laying out your workout clothes so when you get home, you’re ready to go.
9. Strike a balance between strength training, cardio, and stretching. You’ll improve range of motion faster, prevent injuries, and burn more calories when you address all aspects of fitness especially the ones you find more challenging.
10. Eat regularly throughout the day so you don’t bonk during your workout.
11. Take before and after pictures…. and DURING pictures! You’d be surprised how motivating those can be!
12. Water, water, water and more water. Did I say water??
13. Incorporate physical activity into your day (walk to the office or store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk or jog at lunch time, etc.). Pay attention to the things you do – and add them onto your minutes of exercise for the day. You’d be amazed how things you don’t even think of add up!

A Review from Publisher’s Weekly:

Thought I’d would join in the Thursday Thirteen fun this week.

I’m always looking for ways to improve and boost my water intake. Here’s a few water solutions I’ve found to be helpful to me – please share yours!

1. The U.S. National Research Council recommends 1 mL of water for every calorie you eat. So according to this guideline, a person who eats 2,000 calories should be drinking 2,000 mL.
2. People who don’t make the time to drink fluids during the day sometimes try to make up for it in the evening, but this may result in waking up during the night to urinate and unrefreshing sleep. Avoid drinking at least two hours before bedtime
3. Use a water filter. Filtered water just tastes better – making it more appetizing.
4. Don’t like to drink plain water? No problem. Many foods, such as juice, soups, fruits, vegetables, and milk are 80 to 90 percent water. While it’s healthier to get in the habit of drinking a lot of plain water (and model this wet taste for your children), if you absolutely must have some sweet-tasting water, try: water-logged fruits, such as, you guessed it, watermelon, juice popsicles, fruit-rich smoothies, and plain water flavored with juice
5. Shun caffeine-containing coffee, teas, and colas, along with alcoholic beverages, as these have a diuretic effect, causing your body to eliminate more water.
6. Find fluid companions. Get in the habit of taking along a bottle of water when you ride your bike, drive in the car, and especially when you go on outings with active, thirsty toddlers. When water is close at hand in your purse, diaper bag, or front seat, you’re likely to drink more of it. Keep a glass of water or water bottle on the nightstand next to your bed and imbibe as soon as you get up.
7. Try water a bit before breakfast. Beginning your day with several glasses of water rehydrates you after the night and helps your body begin the day in better biochemical balance.
8. Love that lemon-ade. If your tapwater takes on a chlorine taste, adding a squirt of lemon juice to each glass of water can make it more palatable.
9. Forget fizzy water. Carbonated water does nothing more for your body than make you belch. In fact, the gas from carbonation makes you feel fuller sooner, so you drink less. If you enjoy the fizz, add a little seltzer to plain water.
10. Try water for weight loss. Can you drink more and weigh less? Yes, thanks to a biological quirk that is friendly to fat reducers. Your body is a natural water heater. When you drink water, which is nearly always a lower temperature than your body, the body expends energy (and therefore calories) to bring the water up to its own temperature. So you’re not only drinking a non-caloric beverage, you’re burning calories! That’s a darn good drinking deal. Your body can burn around 100 calories a day using energy to heat a gallon of cool water that you drink. That translates into nearly a pound of fat loss in a month. Beware of any weight loss programs that advise drinking less water. Water contributes to health by helping the kidneys flush toxins out of the body. When the kidneys are working optimally, other organs of the body, especially the liver, are more in balance.
11. Freeze yummy fruit into icecubes by popping a strawberry or some raspberries in each of the cube trays before filling it with water. Use those fruit cubes in your glass of water to give yourself a tasty treat when you’ve finished with your water.
12. Buy one bottle of bottled water – then keep reusing the bottle. Keep a bottle of water near you at all times
13. Give your bottle of water a kick with Crystal Light’s On-The-Go packs.

Thought I’d would join in the Thursday Thirteen fun this week.

In last Thurday’s Thirteen – I covered salty snack solutions for when you’re on a diet. In the discussion from last week’s post, Jo left a comment asking about thirteen SWEET snacks. Don’t we all have sweet cravings?? I sure do – it’s one of my biggest downfalls (even bigger than salty!)

So, here we go – 13 sweet 100 calorie snack solutions:

1. Cracker Jack – 1/3 cup
2. M&Ms – plain, 30
3. M&Ms, with peanuts – 10
4. Caramel-peanut chocolate bar, trick-or-treat size – 1
5. Chocolate and wafer bar, trick-or-treat size – 2
6. Flaky peanut butter chocolate bart, trick-or-treat size – 2
7. Mini Rice Cakes, caramel – 10
8. Jelly beans – 25
9. Licorice – 3 twists
10. Chocolate covered raisins – 20
11. Malted Milk Balls – 7
12. Yogurt Covered raisins – 2 tablespoons
13. Hard Candy – 4 pieces

Don’t forget good ol’ fruit – grapes, apples, oranges, banannas, melon and pineapple to name a few. Usually a 1/2 cup of one of those will give you a good 100 cal. solution. Why isn’t fruit unlimited? It’s good – and good for you – but the natural sugar content of fruit gives it more calories than most vegetables.

Information in this list has been obtained from the Reader’s Digest: Change One Diet book.

Thought I’d would join in the Thursday Thirteen fun this week. It’s my first one – so be nice

In my diet and exercise plan – I find that I have certain weaknesses that are really hard for me to combat. Watching my sodium (salt) intake happens to be one of them. Sometime, as much as I want to drop the weight – I just can’t walk away from the salty crispies.

What have I tried to do when I lust for potato chips? I have a few – - but not many.

The following list are thirteen salty snacks that are 100-calorie portions that might just help the salty crunch craving:

1. Potato Chips – 12
2. Tortilla Chips – 8
3. Baked Tortilla Chips – 10
4. Corn Chips – 15
5. Rye Wafers (such as Ryvita) – 4
6. Wheat Thins (reduced fat) – 15
7. Ritz Bits – 25
8. Triscuits – 4
9. Pretzels – 20 thin sticks
10. Microwave Popcorn (butter flavor) 1 cup (a handful)
11. Rice cakes – 2
12. Peanut butter filled crackers – 2 sandwiches
13. Popcorn cakes – 2

Information in this list has been obtained from the Reader’s Digest: Change One Diet book.

First thing in the morning:
Prepare your two cleansing drinks, the Master Cleanse and the Liver Flush (which, together, will help rid your liver and kidneys of built up toxins). Mix each in a blender for 20 to 40 seconds, and strain if desired.

The Master Cleanse:
Juice of 1 lemon;
32 ounces of spring water;
1 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey;
1 pinch ground clove or 1/2 teaspoon of whole clove

The Liver Flush:
1/2 of a peeled lemon;
2 peeled oranges;
1 oz. olive oil;
3 sprigs parsley;
1 pinch ginger, black pepper, cayenne and ground clove

Once both drinks are prepared:
1) Drink the entire Liver Flush
2) Then drink 8 ounces of Master Cleansers
3) Take 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C
4) Take 100 milligrams of Magnesium
(Sip the remaining Master Cleanser throughout the day)

Mid-morning snack:
Nosh on 5 to 10 raw almonds and half of an apple or pear.

Thirty minutes before lunch:
Drink 8 ounces of fresh juice — 80 percent vegetable juice, 20 percent fruit juice. Take another 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C and 100 milligrams of Magnesium.

Lunch:
Have a big vegetable salad, with dark greens, and four ounces of fish or chicken. For a quick, healthy dressing, mix lemon juice and olive oil.

Afternoon snack:
Eat another 5 to 10 raw almonds and half of an apple or pear. (Or skip the fruit in favor of 1 cup sliced carrots, cucumbers or celery.)

Thirty Minutes Before Dinner:
Drink eight more ounces of juice (keep the ratio 80 percent veggie to 20 percent fruit). Take one more round of supplements: 1,000 milligrams vitamin C and 100 milligrams of magnesium.

Dinner:
Eat another big vegetable salad with dark greens. (No red peppers or tomatoes!) If you’re still hungry, have more juice and 5 to 10 more almonds.

You just gotta wonder about drinking something called “Liver Flush” and “Master Cleanse” /cringe