Xylitol isn't the only natural sweetener. Have you heard of stevia? This South American calorie-free herb is purported to be 300 times sweeter than the white crystals we're trying to rid our bodies of, namely sugar. Stevia is legally available as a dietary supplement (it's on grocery shelves), but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is concerned over its safety and has not approved stevia as a food additive, says Julie's Health Club's recent blog.

Hence, you can swirl it in your tea, but you won't currently find an official diet soda sweetened with stevia ... yet. Coca-Cola and Cargill are jointly developing a stevia product called Rebiana, and they'll likely be knocking on the FDA's door to allow it as a food additive. Japan's been using stevia as a food additive in products for years.

In worries over artificial, chemical sweeteners, I gave up regularly downing diet soda months ago. But I miss fizzy pop. Wouldn't it be great to have a natural alternative not sweetened with a chemical from a lab? Enter Zevia. With a tagline, Nature's Answer to Diet Soda, Zevia cannot be labeled as a soft drink, but it's stevia-sweetened and has no food dyes, phosphoric acid or artificial flavors. No sugar, carbs, sodium or fat, either. Zevia's Cola, Twist and Orange flavors come in aluminum cans (environmentally-friendly) and are currently available in a dozen states and over the internet. Wanna try it? Right now, you can order a Zevia six-pack on the internet for free --if you pony up the shipping and handling.