I tried Stevia a while back, paid an outlandish price for it at the GNC Health Food Store. Well, guess what! I didn't like it. It had a strange off-taste that I cannot even describe (because I've never tasted anything similar to compare it to).

I gave some of the packets to two friends of mine who were SS'ing (in fact, they were the ones who introduced me to this WOE), and they didn't like it either.

I ended up throwing away the remainder of the box. I wish now that I had hung on to it, I would happily send it to anyone on this board who wanted to try it.

Splenda is going to be my next "try" because I have read in a couple of places (including on page 170 in the "Fast and Easy" book) that Splenda will not spike insulin (unlike aspartame, saccharine and other artificial sweeteners).

More good news about Splenda - the other day when I was at Costco, I noticed that they have now started carrying it! I have always bought my Equal there, but had never seen Splenda there before. I compared the prices of the two boxes of Equal and Splenda, and they were virtually identical (for the same amount of packets).

I didn't buy it right then and there because I still have a LOT of Equal left from my previous purchase, and rationalized that I should not buy the Splenda until I am running low on Equal. Now I wish I had just gone ahead and bought it, and to hell with the added expense.

But I think I'll first buy a small box of Splenda at my regular grocery store just to make sure I do like it and have no bad reaction to it. If it checks out OK, then I'll be making a trip back to Costco real soon.

I am afflicted with extreeeeeeeme "sweetoothitis" and I find that I use a LOT of Equal throughout the course of a day. From what I've been reading about aspartame lately, it does cause insulin to rise (which is exactly what we are trying to AVOID).

So I'll be very anxious to see how the Splenda works out for me.