Did you read last week’s blog? If not, check it out HERE
Today I wanted to go over what you can do to manage sugar cravings and how you can cut them way down, so that you can go from feeling like a sugar demon who is controlled by cravings to instead, a woman in control, managing your energy levels, moods and cravings like a ninja.
15 Ways to overcome your sugar cravings:
- Eat your fruit: Fruit indeed has fructose in it, but you see the difference is, fruit has so much MORE in it then just fructose. It has fiber which slows down digestion and keeps blood sugar levels fairly balanced. Way better then an empty calorie sugar laden treat!
- Eat balanced meals: By having balanced meals every few hours throughout the day this will help to keep your blood sugar levels even and under control, kicking cravings out the door. Think of balanced as meals that contain some protein, some fat and some carbohydrate. Ex: Peice of fresh fruit with nuts
- Ditch the sweets and pop: Do it slowly, do it gradually but saying goodbye to these empty acidic calories will be a smart decision. Consider adding fruit into your water if you miss sweet drinks at first ?
- Phase sugar out: Cold turkey is not always the right decision for everyone as sugar is very addictive and it’s easy to fall off the wagon. Sometimes phasing out the addictive sugar with healthier options creates a nice migration into new habits and revamped taste buds
- Add fiber to your foods: By choosing foods with fibre in them ex:(whole grain bread compared to white bread, or fruit as a sweet treat) you are providing your body with more roughage for digestion as well as slowing the metabolism of sugar into your bloodstream, thereby helping to keep your energy and blood sugar levels balanced
- Start the day right: Have a balanced breakfast with some protein, fat and complex carbohydrate. This will set you up for the day feeling energized and not dealing with a sugar drop a couple of hours later!
- Take a shot of ACV if you have a craving: A lot of folks swear by this. Try to take a shot of apple cider vinegar when you get your next craving and see if it helps!
- Keep it wholesome: The more natural and unrefined foods you can eat, the better. It’s very often in processed junk we find that sugar is added to everything. Ex: Choose whole grain steel cut oats over the packaged and sweetened/flavoured individual oatmeal packets
- Keep it out of the house: If you often crave sugar, get it out of the house. It’s never wise to have junk food in the home, if it’s easy to access, it’s easy to give in when temptation for junk hits. Instead have healthy treats on hand!
- Pay attention to your hormones and cravings: When we become more mindful of our cravings, we may be able to notice patterns. Perhaps you crave sugar only in the evening when you didn’t eat enough throughout the day, or perhaps your hormones feel out of whack and you are craving loads of sugar. By becoming mindful we can see patterns and work towards fixing them
- Try some chromium: Chromium picolinate has been known to help with keeping blood sugar levels balanced and may even help with cravings
- Have some and move on: If your craving sugar like nobody’s business, have some and move on. Don’t guilt trip yourself or beat yourself up. Try to choose a healthy option, enjoy it, eat it and don’t worry about it. It’s when we eat loads of it everyday that we run into trouble!
- Move your body: It will help to reduce stress and reduce your appetite, (hello endorphins!)
- Choose natural forms of sweeteners: Refined sugars often lack nutrients and offer our body nothing except a spike in our blood sugar level and other negative affects. Natural forms of sweeteners are less refined and can offer some vitamins and minerals along with fibre depending on the type
- Consider a yeast imbalance in the body: If you are often craving carbohydrates it may be time to remove the sugary foods, replenish and rebalance your gut flora. (I can help).
*TIP: Make sure to try and listen to your body and decipher what it is trying to tell you. Sometimes cravings can be our body giving us a sign that something is off – ex: craving a nutrient, mismanaged energy levels etc.. try to become mindful of what your body is trying to tell you.
Remember all things in moderation. Sugar won’t hurt you if you have it in small amounts, but remember it is in so many other foods these days so we have to be mindful and try to choose the higher quality foods.
PS: Are you a busy lady that would like some help in the nutrition/wellness department? I’d be happy to chat with you and help! – Feel free to touch base with me and we can chat about your questions today! ?
Till next time friends,
Keep it healthy!
