Read Online The Low-Carb Diabetes Solution Cookbook by Dana Carpender - Free Book Online

the names suggest, they contain sugar.
    â€¢ Stevia in the Raw: Stevia in the Raw is stevia combined with maltodextrin, the same carbo-hydrate used to bulk Splenda, again, so that it measures like sugar. Figure about the same carb count as granular sucralose—0.5 gram per teaspoon, or 24 grams per cup. I use it only when a liquid sweetener will not do.
    â€¢ Erythritol: A member of the polyol or sugar alcohol family, erythritol is technically a carbohydrate. However, unlike the other sugar alcohols, which are absorbed to varying degrees, erythritol is passed through the body unchanged. It does not raise blood sugar, and unlike most of the other sugar alcohols, it has little to no gastric effect.
    Erythritol comes with a couple of challenges: It is only 60 to 70 percent as sweet as sugar. It is also endothermic, meaning that when it hits the moisture in your mouth it absorbs energy and creates a cooling sensation—fine in ice cream, but disconcerting in a cookie. Because of these two properties, I often combine erythritol with liquid stevia extract. I generally start with half the erythritol, by volume, as the quantity of sugar called for in the original recipe. Then I add liquid stevia to bring it up to full sweetness. This works well.
    Look for erythritol at health food stores or online. Several brands are available from Amazon.com and Netrition.com ; Amazon carries a few non-GMO versions if this concerns you.
    Because erythritol is neither digested nor absorbed, we have not included it in the carbo-hydrate counts for these recipes. Do not take this to mean that you can similarly discount the other sugar alcohol sweeteners.
    â€¢ Liquid sucralose: I like EZ-Sweetz brand, available through Amazon.com or Netrition.com . You can get teeny bottles that fit nicely in a purse or pocket, to keep on hand for coffee. You need to know the sweetness equivalency of your liquid sucralose. The EZ-Sweetz I have on hand is the Family Size, and 1 drop equals 1 teaspoon of sugar. EZ-Sweetz Travel Size is twice as sweet —1 drop is the equivalent of 2 teaspoons of sugar. At the time of publication, the brand is offering free samples of the Travel Size strength at www.ez-sweetz.com/free-sample .
    â€¢ Liquid stevia: I avoided stevia for a long time, finding the pure powdered extracts hard to use and unpleasantly bitter. The liquid extracts are far easier to use. I use NOW and SweetLeaf brands, both of which come in a wide variety of flavors. In these recipes you’ll find vanilla, chocolate,English toffee, and lemon drop flavored, along with plain—i.e., just sweet—liquid stevia. If your health food store doesn’t carry these, they can very likely order them for you. You can also order these from Amazon.com.
    Liquid stevia is far sweeter than sugar; it is important to know the sweetness equivalency. The NOW and SweetLeaf brands run roughly 6 drops equals 1 teaspoon of sugar, so 18 drops equals 1 tablespoon of sugar. I use 1 / 4 teaspoon to replace 1 / 4 cup of sugar, and 1 / 2 teaspoon to replace 1 / 2 cup of sugar. If you choose another brand, you’ll need to check the label or their website for sweetness equivalency.
    I have generally specified the sweetener I would be likely to use in a given recipe. However, if other sweeteners would work, I have listed them below the recipe under the heading “Alternative Sweetener.” If no alternate sweetener is listed, it’s because I am dubious about substitution.
Other Okay Sweeteners
    Other HEAL-legal sweeteners include pure powdered stevia extract, Truvia, Monk Fruit in the Raw, Swerve, and Natural Mate. For ease of use, however, I have only included equivalencies for the above sweeteners. If you want to adapt recipes to use one of these other sweeteners, you’ll need to learn the sweetness equivalency and do a little basic arithmetic.
Sweeteners Not Permitted
    People search endlessly for a way around the no-sugar rule, so let me deter you by