I miss sugar.

I don't get a sweet tooth, per se. I like chocolate and candy as much as the next girl, but it's not the cravings I get (my cravings are salty, crunchy snacks). But when I committed to losing weight and becoming healthier, I knew sugar was something I was going to have to say goodbye to, or at least not visit it as frequently as I had been.

That left me with very few options. There are, of course, the artificial sweeteners, but if you've read any of my blogs, you know how I feel about those. They're dangerous and I don't trust them not to kill me - or at the very least, make my jiggly bits shrivel up and fall off.

I'm a pop drinker. Have been since the womb. I miss it. I'm also a sweet tea drinker, but without sugar to sweeten it, I knew those days were over, too. Not to mention, the caffeine in both beverages act as a diuretic and would affect how much MORE water I'd need to drink. When I'm already supposed to be taking in between 120-140oz a day, every ounce counts. I wasn't willing to risk it.

When I went to the doctor a couple weeks ago and discussed my water intake, I talked to him about how BORING all this damn water was. He suggested trying these little packets of fruit flavored sweetener called Stevita, kind of like Crystal Light (without the death. WOO!). So I took a cherry flavored packet with me. I dumped it in a bottle of water and holy buckets, I'm hooked! It's advertised as being as sweet as sugar, but I think it's actually sweeter.

Since I love my tea, I looked for alternative options. I discovered that Tazo Passion Tea (one of my favorite drinks from Starbucks) is herbal and totally caffeine free. Combine that with Stevia and I knew I could have it. Granted, pure water is the best way to get my water intake, but I knew I'd grow discouraged quickly if I didn't come up with other options. So, between the Tazo w/Stevia and the water with Stevita, I may actually get through this thing!!

I haven't tried Stevia yet in baking or cooking, but I'm anxious to try that, too. If anybody has any tried & true recipes, please let me know!