The Herbal Beverage Book - A Note About Sweeteners

In The Herbal Beverage Book it talks about sweeteners. The author gives their advice about when to use sweeteners and which kinds you should be using to keep it a healthy drink. I learned that there are many other options of sweeteners that you may have lying around your house that are a way healthier option than using processed sugar. For example, "raw honey, one hundred percent fruit juice, coconut sugar, maple sugar, xylitol, stevia, or agave"(Whitcore 2). I hadn't heard of xylitol, stevia, or agave before so I looked them up.
Xylitol is a type of sugar alcohol which is a common sweetener used in drinks.

Stevia is a sweetener and sugar substitute extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana.

Agave is a plant with a special nectar that is used to sweeten drinks.

But before using these sweeteners, you always need to try your drink first. You don't want to just assume that your drink needs a sweetener and then have your drink turn out bad because it is too sweet. "I would advise tasting all of the beverage recipes without sweetener, aside from the lemonades and syrups, so you can get a sense of how much sweetener you may need"(Whitcore 2). The author also mentions that tasting your drink without sweeteners will help with how much sweetener you will want to put in. 



The Herbal Beverage Book - Revised Edition

For my IRP 2 I chose to do a book on making healthy beverages like smoothies, sodas, coffee, and tea. My book is The Herbal Beverage Book - Revised Edition by: Robin Whitcore. I decided to read this book, because I am in coffee club and I plan to soon work at Starbucks and I feel like reading this book would improve my skills and maybe even improve my chances in getting the job.

The Herbal Beverage Book: Simple and Delicious Recipes for the Whole Family. Chester, NH: Practical Intuitive Media, 2010. Print.