Are sugar cravings derailing your attempts to avoid sugar and eat a healthy diet? If the answer is yes, you are not alone my friend.
Sugar can leave us feeling revved up one minute and then crash and burn the next in which we lose our energy, focus and our willpower. Excessive sugar and sugar imbalances can leave you feeling tired, run-down and depressed. It can also lower your body’s immune fighting capabilities and interfere with nutrient absorption. Excess sugar is converted into triglycerides which are fatty acids in the blood stream that can lead to cardiovascular disease. And sugar is highly addictive making it very difficult for people to kick the sugar habit once and for good. But not to worry because in this article you will discover 8 tips to help you crush those sugar cravings like a boss!
Eat a protein packed breakfast – Often we crave sugar first thing in the morning. Our bodies tend to be dehydrated after our long slumber but that dehydration can be mistaken as a desire for sugar. Eating sugary foods first thing sets us up for cravings just a few hours later when our energy dips and our brain calls for more sugar. Start your day out right and include protein with your breakfast such as 2 eggs and a bowl of fresh fruit, whole milk plain yogurt topped with almonds and blueberries, or a veggie frittata that is also packed with nutrition and fiber from the vegetables.
Avoid low-fat food products– Foods that have had fat removed from them including low or nonfat yogurt, pastries, and baked goods often have increased amounts of hidden sugar to make the food taste good. For example, a six-ounce serving of many popular brands of yogurt can have as much as 6 teaspoons of added sugar!
Enjoy Health Fats – Healthy fats including avocados, nuts, aged cheese, olive oil, coconut oil and grass-fed butter will help you feel satisfied and full between meals, help you reduce snacking and fuels your brain helping you to have heightened mental focus throughout your day.
Drink 8 to 10 cups of water daily – Often the need for hydration is mistakenly perceived as a need for sweets. In nature the most hydrating foods are fruits. They contain natural juices and nutrients that act as electrolytes helping the body to move water in and out of our cells. It makes since that our brain might think that sugar is the answer but in fact sugar dehydrates our cells even more. Instead of reaching for the candy bowl or the donuts in the office breakroom, be sure to include 8 to 10 ounces of water daily and include some hydrating whole fruit like an orange, melon, apple or berries.
Skip the alcohol – Being a California gal, living not too far from the Napa Valley, I really enjoy quality wines. But alcohol and wine in particular affect the pleasure centers in our brain much like sugar. I recommend avoiding alcohol while detoxing from sugar cravings and then on occasion enjoy a low sugar cocktail or glass of wine if desired.
Swap This for That – When sugar cravings hit, choose a snack that will satisfy your craving for hours to come. Instead of a candy bar in the afternoon, choose an apple with a handful of nuts. Instead of a sugary beverage or soda, choose a glass of water with fresh squeezed citrus like orange, lemon or lime.
Get moving! – Low intensity activity such as walking helps to move excess sugar out of your blood stream. Activity induces endorphins in the brain that calm our nervous system, give us natural energy, and make us feel happy much like sugar does but it is longer lasting and does not have the negative side effects.
Get plenty of rest – Balancing metabolic hormones including ghrelin (the hunger hormone), leptin (the satiety hormone) and insulin is key to stopping sugar cravings. These hormones become imbalanced due to diet and also due to a lack of quality sleep. Shoot for 7 to 9 hours of sleep to keep your hormones working in harmony and reducing cravings.
Well, there you have it my friend – 8 tips to crushing sugar cravings. I hope this article was helpful.
As a nutritional therapy practitioner, Lacee works with people one-on-one to identify their nutritional needs and help them utilize the power of healing with real food. For, more information, click here for a FREE Consultation.
