Artificial sweeteners used to be a big part of my lifestyle. As a southerner, tea without sweetener was nearly blasphemous, lol. I added it to my coffee, oatmeal, yogurt, etc. But then I got sick. I'll spare you the details, but artificial sweeteners, primarily Splenda, were a big part of my illness. It took thousands of dollars and countless medical tests to pin it down. The severity of my illness made me completely change what I put in my mouth.
My choices were only two: Use a real sweetener, or retrain my sweet tooth. I did both.
The first surprise happened in a restaurant after I ordered Iced tea. It was not sweetened, and it was actually very good! You'd think tea is tea, but it isn't. If you get served a good tea, make sure to ask what brand it is! Now I drink all of my tea, cold or hot, without any sweetener.
Water. I remember a time when drinking plain water made me gag, too
So I bought a water filter and a glass jug and started keeping filtered water in the refrigerator, along with a tray of ice made from filtered water. I drink water more than anything else now, most days it's all I do drink. You get used to it, you really do
You might have to force yourself at first, but you'll love it before long!
If I end up with something that really does need sweetener, I reach for agave or honey. But I use much less than I used to.
So I guess it all comes down to retraining your sweet tooth. It might seem difficult at first, but it gets easier and soon you'll prefer it. Really