I am not a fan of the artificial sweeteners. However, I’m also insulin resistant, so using things with sugar (or any other high-glycemic sweetener) is very bad for me.
My first reaction is to just not sweeten things. Since I have to be careful with carbs, I eat them when I feel like I’m getting the most bang for my buck (so to speak), so sugar in tea loses, while real maple syrup on the occasional waffle, wins.
When I do sweeten, I go for something relatively natural and low-glycemic. The first thing I tried were the malt syrups, but they just don’t do it for me, taste-wise. My current favorite is crystallized sap from the coconut tree, which tastes somewhat (but not exactly) like sucanat or brown sugar. Another good one is Xylitol, which actually has some health benefits. They both have a lower glycemic index than sugar. (Xylitol is 7, coconut crystals 35, white sugar 68, HFCS 100)