Do you find yourself craving sugary snacks and drinks? After you have a treat, does that satisfy your craving or does it lead to you having more? Sugar is a tricky substance. We know it’s not good for us, but when we eat it our brain perceives it as pleasurable and a reward. This often leads to us wanting and having more! Before you know it, you’re half way into the carton of ice cream or you have eaten a whole candy bar or two. I’ve been there! Although not as obvious, highly refined foods, like white rice, white breads, potato chips and French fries are considered simple carbs. They are broken down very easily in our bodies and converted to simple sugars. This leads to the spiking of our blood sugar levels. In response, a corresponding spike in insulin occurs to allow cells to rapidly absorb the sugar for energy. This leads to a sudden drop in blood sugar levels and initiates the body’s desire for more! So, is that it, we’re addicted, we’ll always be stuck in this cycle and we can’t do anything about it? Wrong! We can take control. There are things we can do to gradually change our habits and reap the health benefits that go along with maintaining a more consistent healthier blood sugar level.
Changes you can make to reduce sugar cravings include:
- Adjusting your diet to include more protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables! Complex carbs, protein and increased fiber all help slow digestion, slowing the release of sugar into your bloodstream while making you feel more satisfied.
- Substituting pureed fruits rather than sugar as a sweetener! This is a great option when having a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. You can substitute a ½ cup of pureed fruit for 1 cup of sugar when baking, although it may require a bit of trial and error and adding some additional water to make it work.
- Staying hydrated. Dehydration can often be confused with hunger leading to unnecessarily reaching for a snack or treat.
- Getting active! Cravings have been found to decrease with an increase in physical activity.
- Getting a good night’s rest! When you wake up tired or your energy starts to fade towards the end of the day, reaching for the quick sugar fix can definitely test your willpower.
- Staying satisfied! Avoid allowing your hunger to grow substantially between meals. Grazing on healthy snacks can help minimize cravings.
Whatever changes you make, they need to be sustainable. Some people choose to cut off their sugar and refined food intake cold turkey, which can have some staying power if you can last the initial 48 hours. For others such a drastic change may be too much, leading to them giving up as they are unable to cope with the symptoms of withdrawal. Making the gradual changes to the lifestyle choices suggested above is a less intrusive option that can definitely lead to your desired long-term results.
You’re in control!