Now that the indulgent holidays are over I'm back to my diet... remember, the one I said was so easy? Well, I have to admit that I gained back four of the six pounds I lost because once I gave myself permission to make up for depriving myself, I went a little crazy with cheese, cookies, pastries, and pretty much anything else that was within reach.

But, with a trip to Miami looming in a couple of months (Egad! Swimsuits!), I am determined to get back on the wagon by cutting calories and eating healthier. This all has led me to explore the world of alternative sweeteners, because I realize that the biggest part of my weight problem is that I'm addicted to sugar and sweet things. When I say "alternative sweeteners," I'm not talking about Equal or even Splenda — artificial chemical sweeteners that scare me a little. I'm talking about the growing number of natural alternatives on the market to refined sugar, such as stevia, agave, sucanant and the like.

I've put together a little cheat sheet of some of these sweeteners to help me (and hopefully, you) navigate this new world.

Sucanat  Made from the crystallized syrup of organic [0] sugar cane, sucanant's name is derived from Sugar Cane NATural. Because it's minimally processed, it's good for people following a whole foods diet, and it has a slight molasses flavor and retains some vitamins and nutrients that have been stripped from refined cane sugar. It can be used one-for-one in recipes calling for white or brown sugar, or sprinkled into coffee or on breakfast cereal, but since it has 15 calories per teaspoon it is similarly caloric to regular sugar.

Stevia  This noncaloric herb is far sweeter than sugar (Stevia extract is thought to be about 300 times sweeter than white sugar), so a little goes a long way. What's more, it does not raise blood sugar levels, so it may be appropriate for diabetics. You can find packaged sweetener in powdered, liquid and tablet form under the SweetLeaf brand.

Agave Nectar  This liquid is collected from the same plants that produce tequila, and has a more neutral flavor and a less-syrupy consistency than honey. It's as caloric as sugar, but is sweeter, so you can use less of it when baking. It also has a lower glycemic index than table sugar. Some say that pregnant women should avoid using agave nectar [1].

Maple Flakes  These flakes of dehydrated maple syrup have half the calories per teaspoon of sugar or maple syrup (7.5 calories compared to 16 calories in a teaspoon of sugar and 17 calories in maple syrup) and are a low-glycemic food. They have a strong, sweet maple flavor that's ideal for sprinkling over yogurt, hot cereal, pancakes or waffles, and can also replace the sweetener in marinades, salad dressings or baked fruit desserts. The Canadian company that makes them, Decacer [2], also offers a version that's flavored with cranberry.

What's your favorite natural, unrefined sweetener?

Image courtesy Decacer [3].