Ways to Naturally Stop Your Sweet Cravings

Chloe Bennet writes:
We’ve all been there before when you are trying to stop snacking on sweet things and then you keep reaching for the next available sweet. If you’re one of many people who experiences sugar cravings and you think you might be addicted to sugar and are fighting guilt about it, we understand.

So many of us struggle to stay away from sweets even though we know that high sugar consumption is bad for our health and increases our risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It’s hard to say no when we’re constantly faced with sweet options in our daily life, but it is possible.

With natural and holistic approaches, it is certainly possible to reduce your sugar cravings and reach for a healthier alternative. In this article, we’ll explore 6 natural ways to curb your sweet tooth.

1. Keep Your Blood Sugar Balanced 
It’s normal to crave sugar when your blood sugar levels are going from high to low during the day. In fact, low blood sugar means that you’re more low energy and will have you reaching for a sugar fix to raise your blood sugar back up. There are ways to prevent these up and down spikes and keep your blood sugar levels balanced. To do this, try to eat your breakfast the first hour after you wake up because your blood sugar will be lower so eating when you wake up will stabilize you. You should also be including protein and healthy fats in every meal, and avoid skipping meals which is a sure way to drop your blood sugar and lead to cravings.

2. Choose Healthier Alternatives 
You should have a healthy alternative to sugar with you wherever you are so that if you have a craving you can eat the healthier option instead of buying something sugary. You don’t need to cut out sweet flavours completely, but there are some great homemade alternatives that you can make, like treats with natural sweeteners or even dark chocolate.

3. Eat Sweet Vegetables 
A suggestion from Paula Fordham, a health blogger, is that “you should include some sweet vegetables in your diet that will make you feel like you’re eating sweet foods all day. These vegetables can be anything from roasted sweet potatoes to butternut squash, carrots, or beets.”

4. Be Aware of Your Emotions 
Studies have determined that there is a clear link between the way you’re feeling and your desire to eat high-fat and high-sugar foods. People tend to reach for ice cream or candy and sweets when they’re stressed or down, and that’s referred to as emotional sugar eating. The good news is you can also fight this. When you’re feeling a sugar craving, take a minute to be aware of the emotions that you’re feeling.

You should write down different alternatives to deal with this emotion, such as breathing or meditation exercises if you’re feeling stressed. If you’re craving sugar because you’re bored, maybe the alternative is to watch a funny video or read a good article online. If the core reason is loneliness or sadness, call a friend or family member to catch up, or write in a journal. It’s important to realize that the sugar craving won’t resolve the emotion, so you need to be able to explore these emotions in different ways to truly fight these cravings.

5. Sleep Longer 
It’s been well documented that a lack of sleep is linked to poor eating habits. When you sleep less, you have increased levels of certain hormones that are associated with eating more carbohydrates and sweets. Samuel King, a diet writer, says that “if you have poor sleep habits like going to bed really late, watching TV before bed, or sleeping less than the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep a night, you should consider changing your sleep routine. Try to get more sleep (and better sleep) for a couple of weeks straight and see what impact it has on your sugar cravings.”

6. Figure out the Root of the Problem If none of these steps have worked for you after giving them a proper attempt, there may be a deeper reason for them. There are certain gut imbalances that may lead to sugar cravings, so you should speak with your doctor or nutritionist about this to get rid of your sugar cravings once and for all. 
From original article here 

Dear reader, this blog is presented in a magazine style - we hope something for everyone. You will find a variety of articles, studies, thoughts, photographs, music and recipes! However, not all the recipes and food choice ideas featured in this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan