Saturday, August 2, 2014

Sugar, Sugar…How To Stop Cravings!


How many times has this happened to you? It’s 3pm and you reach for block of chocolate or can of soda. It’s an afternoon slump and you need something, right? Sweet things generally taste great! The down size is they are not so good for you. You know this, but how can you stop these cravings and work towards minimizing the sweet treat cravings?
3 things you can do right now to help yourself stop craving sugar.

Eat regularly
This has to be my # 1 when it comes to most people. Eating regular meals and snacks, you limit the likelihood of drops in blood sugar levels. Skipping meals ALWAYS leads to problems. It really urks me when people tell me they skip meals because they are trying to stop sugar cravings, lose weight, etc.  It is important to have at least three meals a day and if necessary a couple of small snacks between meals.  If you are concerned about calorie intake, save part of your main meal as a snack later on. Never skip a meal if possible, as this opens you up to the possibility of binge eating when hunger hits hard later on and it will.

Say “NO” to artificial sweeteners 
Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet are all fake sugar, and yes, they don’t contain as many calories, but they are in fact thought to increase sugar cravings. Not good. Foods containing these substances taste, sweet; therefore the body expects a rush of sugar to follow.  When this sugar hit doesn’t eventuate, cravings kick in and you will find yourself back at square one, wanting a sweet treat all over again. 
Brush your teeth or chew some gum 
I do this one all the time. Most sweet things don’t taste good after brushing your teeth, so this may put you off eating something sweet at least for a short time. It gives you are chance to reevaluate why/what you are craving.  Chewing gum can have the same effect and has the added benefit of occupying your mouth, so it is in fact impossible to put anything else in it.



No comments:

Post a Comment