I use stevia all the time and wonder if I use too much? How much is too much? Any thoughts? Also, I also use way too much cinnamon. Is there a limit? Thanks for your feedback.

maureen,  cinnamon is an excellent addition to the Zone becasu it helps to lower insluin levels.  You can read more abotu it in The Top 100 Zone Foods.

I don't know if there is a limit to the amount of stevia, but I subscribe to the rules of moderation. In addition, I would question "why" you feel you need to use a lot of it. Are you still craving sweets? I mention this because as I have grown in the Zone, my craving for sweets has diminished, and I find little need to add sweeteners.

Sue- Actually, I really don't scrave sweets - I am more prone to salt cravings... But I love a little sweetness in my chai/cinnamon tea. I never used stevia in it before, but I just thought I'd try it, I liked it so now I use it all the time in my tea. Did I inadvertently trigger a sweet craving in my diet without realizing it?

The sweet craving idea...interesting...hmm...I don't know.  But I've read humans are more or less wired to prefer sweeter tastes in general, in the same way it's human instinct to avoid food with strong spoiled tastes.  The latter is a survival instinct.

Hi Maureen, You need not count either one in you macronutrient content. I don't know the response to the stevia/sweet craving but my thought is no.

Mauree, I think you got me and Sue mixed up.  I was the one who brought up the sweet craving idea. 

Actually, in your subsequent post, you explained HOW you were using stevia, and it doesn't seem excessive to me.  Your original post stated that you were using it "all the time", which was leading me to believe that you were desiring sweetness on much more than in your tea. 

My thoughts on the sweet craving idea were that if you were using a LOT of stevia, that you were craving sweets, and that perhaps it could be a sign that you were not getting hormonal control/satisfaction from your zoned meals/snacks. 

In any case, since you provided more information, I don't think that is the case at all.  I haven't followed your posts very closely, so I don't know much else about you and your zonal experience.  Hopefully everything else is going well! 

So I am tryint to get this straight as I have not been able to find stevia mentioned in any of the Zone books I have. I just started the Zone and love it. But I do have my 1 cup of coffee in the morning (cut back from 3) w/ 1 packet of Truvia (a brand name product of stevia). Is this OK in the Zone?

Lillian, I don't think you need to have concern about it. Also, I think i remember that Truvia also contains sugar alcohols. They're not one of the choices recommended by Dr Sears. Splenda is probably a better chouce if you want to use a non-caloric sweetener.

Forgot to say, I haven't heard of any limit for cinnamon.

Sue are you saying Splenda is a better choice than Stevia, also? I've read (here I think) that Stevia is safe and lowers insulin. I use it a lot. I'm not that sure about Splenda.

I suggested Splenda because I've seen Barry Sears suggest it. Personally, I don't add non-caloric sweeteners to my foods.

I've read negative things about Splenda. I use Stevia..expensive kinda. But, it is natural. I even have a couple of plants, but they do NOT taste so sweet, unless dried and ground. I use it in mostly my Greek yogurt (plain). Sometimes I mix it with skim milk and 100%cocao powder (which is high in anti-oxidants).

I saw a packet of stevia seeds and was going to try growing it this year. Never got around to planting, but just goes to show how popular stevia is becoming. Perhaps that will bring down the price tag a bit.

My naturopathic doctor told me that cinnamon can be potentially irritating for people who are sensitive to it. For me, she recommended no more than one tsp.

Everyone is different though. So you would need to listen to your body. I think that's something Sue has said in the past to me, by the way.

As for stevia, I find it triggers a lot of hunger, so I have to avoid it pretty much completely.

Cranberrycat: there is such a thing as stevia seeds? Gad! LOL

Alexy

I know, right?!?

The seeds were mixed in with other seeds for herbs.

Ah. :-)