Trends come and go, yet there are those that are here to stay, one as such is the trend of staying healthy. Due to the threat of obesity thanks to poor food choices, people are becoming more and more aware of nutrition and how to pick wisely, trying to maintain a healthy and well balanced diet together with an exercise as much as the daily schedule allows. However, the reason many get disappointed when they don’t see the results they expected is because they fail to notice the obvious culprit. No, it’s not fats, it’s sugar and it seems more of a difficult task to remove it from one’s diet instantly.

While it might seem as a kind of addiction, it’s actually got to do with our ancestors who simply loved fruits rich in sugar because of the energy they supplied and even despite all the evolution, we get to share this love with them. It’s undeniable sugar makes us feel happy, affecting the brain with the dopamine stimulation, however while our brains like sugar, our bodies don’t because it gets stored as fat. There’s no easy transition and radical changes are only effective with some, but though the situation seems hopeless, in fact the answer lies in a sweetener, and not just any but the natural stevia. It’s so good and the perfect substitute that you’d immediately want your stacks of stevia packs. Available in different flavours, such as lemon, orange and berries, they can really enhance the taste of your tea, coffee and water.

Naturally found and extracted from the South American plant Stevia rebaudiana, this sweetener is about thirty times sweeter than sugar, and its derived sweetener powder about 200 times, yet despite that, it’s also calorie free. It seems as a recent finding, however Brazilian and Paraguayan tribes have long used this plant as a sweetener, including as a remedy for stomach issues. Perhaps the most convincing facts about stevia and why it’s so much better than sugar are the lack of effect on blood sugar levels and the prevention of tooth decay so you have nothing to feel guilty about for getting piles of stevia packs at home however remember to consume it in a small dose, moderation is key.

Its beginnings in modern day world as a sweetener may have been rocky, with stevia only being present in health food stores, nowadays it can be found in many products, from gum and soda to wine. It can be found in the form of liquid and powder, and once you’ve got your packs, you can start trying out different recipes, taking care of your sugar craving without feeling guilty about it.