Dear Craving Congregation:

A few years ago, I stopped drinking diet soda. It wasn’t a reaction to any study revealing ill side effects wrought by artificial sweeteners; it was because of what diet soda was doing to my desire for sugar. Strangely, within a few hours of consuming a diet drink, I found myself longing for a cookie, candy bar or ice cream, usually something that completely nullified any caloric advantage granted from the low-cal beverage. Switching back to sugared beverages,