ZSweet® & Suzanne Somer's Diet

I first heard about the Suzanne Somer's diet from a very close friend. She had so much success on the diet that her sister & her Mom got on board & also had amazing results. From what I recall, it was important to avoid sugar & to never mix your sugar with fat. (Please feel free to comment below if I've got that wrong).

Today I was reminded of the diet when I came across a recommendation for ZSweet® by one of Suzanne Somer's community members on her Somersize Support Forum under the section: Food Brands that are Good for Somersizing.

Like ZSweet®, Somersweet® (Suzanne Somer's sweetener) is made with erythritol. However, after tasting it myself I still believe ZSweet® tastes more like sugar. There is also a significant savings when you compare the two brands.

Somersweet® is $19.95 for 2 1 lb. canisters vs. $13.99 for a 1.5 lb. ZSweet® pouch ($2.98 Savings!) & $19.95 for 100 packets vs. $7.49 for 100 ZSweet® packets. ($12.46 Savings!)

I've seen firsthand that Somersizing really works & therefore I personally recommend it for anyone ready to lose weight & look great. I'm also excited that Suzanne Somers has used natural erythritol in her sweetener instead of an artificial alternative, but for those concerned with price or convenience it's good to know ZSweet® is an acceptable & affordable option that can be found in Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe & other natural retailers nationwide, as well as online.

Here's to looking as fabulous as Suzanne Somers in 2010!

photo credit: www.suzannesomers.com

"It’s a sugar problem – any sugar."

In 2004 Professor of Nutrition, Dr. Barry Popkin & Dr. George Bray of Baton Rouge's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, published a now well-known study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which hypothesized that there was a direct link between the rise in obesity & the consumption of High Fructose Corn Syrup. Their paper started a frenzy of consumer hysteria over HFCS leading the public to abandon products containing the ingredient & swapping it for what they perceived as the healthier, more natural alternative - sugar.

In a recent interview Dr. Popkin commented on the common misperception that sugar is a safer alternative to HFCS stating, “We showed later that fructose from sugar has the same effect,” Popkin said. “We were wrong in our speculations on high fructose corn syrup about their link to weight... it’s a sugar problem – any sugar."

The bottom line is whether you're consuming HFCS, fructose, sucrose, soda or fruit juice, it's all still converting into sugar & calories in the body & they all come with the same health risks. It is important to reduce, or better yet, avoid all of the above. The good news is ZSweet® tastes like sugar but is naturally zero calories & will not raise your blood sugar or contribute to weight gain like the others, including natural sugar, which is still sugar.

Read the full article, "Fructose in the firing line" here.

photo credit: sugarstacks.com

ZSweet® is @ Vitamin Shoppe!

ZSweet®'s a 10!

Wellness author & show host Leah Guy recently published rave reviews for ZSweet® at her website ModernSage.com. An admitted recovering sugar addict, Leah professes her renewed joy in sweets made possible by all natural, zero calorie, sugar-free ZSweet®. She tested ZSweet® in tea, over cereal & unsweetened soymilk & baked into a batch of ZSweet® "sugar" cookies.

Leah exclaims, "I feel like I’ve got a life again, one that I missed for so long – one that allows COOKIES in my diet, soft, moist, deliciously sweet cookies. If you have sugar issues or are diabetic, do not let another day go by without trying Zsweet. The existence as you know it will be forever changed, I promise."

She gave ZSweet® a 10+! Read her entire review of ZSweet® here & sign up for her newsletter to receive more detailed reviews & practical advice for staying healthy, looking beautiful & living well! You'll also be entered in for a chance to win a goodie bag of ZSweet®.

photo credit: modernsage.com

SUGAR: Seeing Is Believing

I just came across this eye-opening website, sugarstacks.com. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and nothing could be truer when it comes to how this site illustrates with sugar cubes the amount of sugar we consume in many popular snacks and beverages.

They also use carrots to show how many you'd have to eat to equal the same amount of sugar, and it's unbelievable.

Fortunately, health conscious consumers can use ZSweet® to fill the sugar void without concern for calories and all the other sugar-related health problems.

photo credit: sugarstacks.com

ZSweet® Celebrity Sightings... Did You See Her?

Yesterday I went to visit Kelly Keough at Whole Foods in West Hollywood. She was sampling her delicious sugar-free / gluten-free, vegan, raw hemp ball truffles made with ZSweet®... did you see her? More importantly, did you taste the truffles? They are UH-MAZ-ING!!!

Also spotted at Whole Foods that day were actors Kathy Najimy from movies like 'Sister Act' & 'Soap Dish' & Andrea Roth from the FX Show 'Rescue Me'. They both tried ZSweet®... how cool is that? We hope they become big fans!

Kelly has more free demos & cooking classes going on in the L.A. area Whole Foods all month. Click here for dates & store addresses.

photo credits: kathynajimy.com, fxnetworks.com

Mr. Sparkle Moment

We just had a Mr. Sparkle moment here at ZSweet® Corporate. Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer discovers his face on a box of Japanese laundry detergent and he's completely perplexed as to how it got there? Well, one of our friends just sent us a photo of ZSweet® being sold at a store in Hong Kong. We're thrilled it's there, we just don't know how it happened. D'oh!

Konnichiha to our ZSweet® fans in Japan!

OCRegister.com Slideshow

ZSweet® creator Tim Avila popped up on OCRegister.com today. Check out their short, but sweet comments about Tim & ZSweet®.

photo credits: www.ocregister.com

What's The Best Sugar Substitute?

The search is over, the best sugar substitute is Zsweet® all natural sweetener. "Prove it!" you say? Ok, I will.

Every individual has different needs when choosing a sugar substitute: the dieter wants it to be zero calories, with no hidden calories like most so-called "zero calorie sweeteners"; the health nut wants it to be natural, GMO-free, free of artificial ingredients and flavors like MSG and not chemically processed; the diabetic needs it to be zero glycemic impact; people with candida want it to be sugar-free and also without certain fillers that will feed their candida; Moms want an alternative to sugar that won't cause cavities and send their kids into a sugar rush; sugar-free veterans don't want another sweetener that's going to having them rushing to the bathroom after each use or that has a bitter aftertaste; there's also the gluten-free and low-carb eaters, the vegans and those who eat kosher. You can make different suggestions for each of these people as to which sugar substitute will fit their individual needs, or you can recommend the same sweetener for all of these people and cover everyone's needs together all at once by recommending Zsweet®.

Zsweet® is naturally zero calories, zero glycemic index, zero net-carbs, vegan, kosher, gluten-free, GMO-free, MSG-free, will not promote candida growth or tooth decay, will not cause gastric distress and contains no known allergens. It's the all-in-one zero worries sweetener. You can happily serve Zsweet® to any family member or friend, especially those with dietary restrictions, with confidence and peace of mind.

Zsweet® is made using a natural culturing process; fermenting sugar to produce erythritol, a natural sugar alcohol; and then after adding natural non-citrus fruit extracts, Zsweet® crystalizes. The end result is similar to sugar in texture and taste. Unlike artificial sweeteners, aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, Zsweet® is not made in a laboratory and is not a man-made chemical compound that can not be found in nature. All of the ingredients in Zsweet® can be found in fruits and plants.
Why is Zsweet® better than plain old erythritol? A few reasons. First, plain erythritol is only 70% as sweet as sugar, but after adding our trade secret blend of natural fruit extracts, Zsweet® granular is 100% the same as sugar, and supersweet Zsweet® packets are twice as sweet as sugar.

Second, plain erythritol has a minty aftertaste or cooling effect as some describe it. Most people find this aftertaste very unpleasant in coffee and baked goods. Zsweet®'s blend has eliminated that aftertaste to produce a taste that is sweet like sugar with no lingering cooling sensation. This makes Zsweet® a great natural sugar alternative for cooking and baking. We recommend using recipes that are formulated for Zsweet® or erythritol to get the best results.

Third, even though clinical studies have shown that erythritol is the most mild sugar alcohol and thus not required by the FDA to carry a warning label, if consumed in large quantities plain erythritol can cause a laxative effect, especially for those sensitive to sugar alcohols. Zsweet® has been able to reduce the amount of erythritol to 1 gm per serving in our supersweet packets, therefore those with sensitivities can benefit from the high potency of the supersweet blend and keep their sugar alcohol intake to a minimum.

Zsweet® has been recommended by Dr.'s Nicholas Perricone, Andrew Weil and Julian Whitaker as a natural and healthy alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners. Zsweet® can be found at Whole Foods Market and other natural retailers nation-wide as well as online at www.Zsweet.com and overseas at www.Zsweet.eu.

Consider all the benefits, try Zsweet® for yourself, and see if you're as convinced as I am, that Zsweet® really is the best sugar substitute out there.

In The News Again...

Zsweet® was mentioned among other old & new sweeteners in the March 2009 issue of Parade. The article, "The Scoop on Sugar Substitutes" by Joy Bauer, highlighted some great facts about erythritol, such as it's being calorie free & not a cause of laxative effects like it's sugar alcohol brothers & sisters, xylitol, maltitol & sorbitol. Also mentioned is erythritol's sweetness being only 60-70% of sugar, but what was not mentioned is that Zsweet® has increased the sweetness of erythritol to 100-200% of sugar.
By using a special blend of fruit extracts, Zsweet® is the only erythritol based sweetener that can be purchased at the same sweetness as sugar, in our pouches and tabletop canister; or twice as sweet as sugar, in our supersweet individual packets. Other erythritol sweeteners have added sugar or other caloric fillers to try to increase the sweetness & eliminate the aftertaste of plain erythritol. Zsweet® remains zero calories, zero glycemic impact, zero-net carbs & 100% natural, while tasting the closest to sugar & being absolutely sugar-free.

"Blood, Sweat & Sugar" by Kristina Lindgren

Hey Orange County Locals, did you happen to pick up the March 2009 issue of Orange Coast Magazine?

Check out page 100 with a feature article about Zsweet® creator, Tim Avila. Kristina Lindgren takes a candid look into Tim's role in the natural sweetener biz, Zsweet®'s struggle as the lil' guy in a sea of brand giants, & Tim's passion & dedication to providing the world with an alternative to sugar that doesn't "taste terrible" as he puts it.

Also, the article features an informative sweetener comparison chart. Visit their site for distribution or subscribe.

Zsweet® in Good Housekeeping Magazine

This is old news, but still good news.

In the July 2008 issue of Good Housekeeping Zsweet® was highlighted as one of the new all natural, erythritol based sweeteners. We appreciate GHK educating it's readers on erythritol since so many people are unfamiliar with it, but so many people are looking for natural alternatives to stay healthy and sugar-free.

Side note: We also love that we were in the issue with Julia Roberts on the cover. She's so beautiful.



Courtesy: www.goodhousekeeping.com

Zsweet® Goes International, Cheers!

Great news for those in Europe who have been anticipating the arrival of Zsweet®!

Zsweet® is now available online to the 27 countries within the European Union; and for additional shipping charges; to certain bordering countries.

Shop for Zsweet® exclusively at: www.zsweet.eu.

Director of Zsweet® Europe - Cormac Walsh
Photo credit: Get On Fast, Ltd.

Available to:
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Czech Replubic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain Sweden
United Kingdom

The #1 Question...

One of the first things people want to know is, "What is Zsweet® anyway?".

Zsweet® is an all natural sugar substitute made of erythritol (ee-rith-ritol) and natural flavors. I know erythritol looks like a scientific name and we're all warned to be wary of things like that, but it's not. I also know what you're thinking about "natural flavors", I'll address that concern in a moment.

Erythritol is a natural sweetener, a sugar alcohol or polyol, that is derived from fermented fruits and vegetables. Unlike, artificial sweeteners that are synthetic, man-made chemical compounds formulated in laboratories by scientists and pharmacuetical companies, erythritol naturally exists in foods like cheese, yogurt, wine, beer, soy sauce and certain fruits and vegetables and the process we use to make erythritol for our Zsweet® is similar to the fermentation process used to make wine or beer.

Still can't picture how it's made? Plant or fruit sugar is mixed with water and then fermented with a natural culture into erythritol. It is then filtered, allowed to crystallize, and then dried. The finished product is white granules that resemble sugar in taste and texture.


You can't pluck an apple off a tree and get a mouth full of aspartame, saccharin or sucralose, but if you've eaten grapes or melons or any of the other foods I listed, you've eaten erythritol.

Now, regarding the natural flavors in Zsweet®, they are simply a blend of exotic fruit extracts. They're non-citrus fruits not commonly associated with allergies. The reason we don't list them specifically is because they're what makes Zsweet® taste better then plain erythritol, which has a strong minty aftertaste. We've been able to eliminate erythritol's cooling effect with our natural flavors and make it taste like sugar, so that's why they're trade secret.

People ask all the time, "Are the natural flavors artificial chemicals, MSG, or arsenic?" Heavens no! I get why people ask because some other products do sneak things in under that natural flavors label, but no, there's nothing like that in Zsweet®.

The whole reason Tim Avila created Zsweet® was so that people could have a natural alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners. He calls it a "no worries" sweetener and he's committed to that.

So that's it. Plain, simple and sweet!