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Sugar cravings are a very real thing, and often times they seem hard to break. Here are a few of the most helpful tips I have learned to help curb your sugar cravings.
My Top 5 Tips for Curbing Sugar Cravings:
- Ditch the fake stuff. Artificial sweeteners can be 300x (if not more) sweetener than real sugar. And while they may be calorie free, they really can mess with your palette. They basically bombard our tastebuds with such an over the tops sweetness, it can be very difficult to then appreciate the subtle, real flavors and sweetness in whole food. In the long run they have you wanting more and more sugar, and that my friends is counter productive. (Notice I didn’t even begin to touch on the fact they are full of chemicals and correlated with all types of crazy diseases).
- Rest. Here’s the deal. Our bodies are crazy smart. Like crazy-crazy. When the body is tired it looks for energy (it is trying to do us a favor) and it knows the the quickest way for energy to get into the body is via sugar. Ever notice that when you are tired you crave processed carbs and/or sweets? This is why. The next time you feel like you need to rest, do yourself a favor and rest.
- Add more sweet food. This one is especially true for my dieters and low carb peeps. When we have a diet very low in carbohydrates and sugar we tend to want sweets. By simply adding some nutritious sweet foods to your day you can cut that craving way back. Some great examples are sweet potatoes, squash, brown rice, oats, and carrots.
- Protein. Ok. Are you ready for this one? Both eating too little and too much protein are linked with sugar cravings (how annoying is that?!). So the key is to really become your own detective. If you find yourself craving sugar, just take note of how much protein you have been eating. If it seems high, try cutting back. If it seems low, experiment with adding some more in. I’m telling you, being interested in ourselves is one of the best ways to figure out what our bodies need.
- Add non-food sweetness. Often times we reach for sweets because we are looking for a little sweetness in the day. C’mon, fess up! How many of my moms out there love a little chocolate after the kids go to sleep? It’s an easy way to add a sweet moment to the day. But if you are finding that the food-sugar in your life is just too high, ask yourself, “how else can I bring sweetness to my day/life?”. It can be as simple as a phone call with a dear friend, a walk, a girls night out, a great book, etc. The options are endless, but the key component is that you remember to keep yourself on the top of your own list.
How do you deal with sugar cravings? I wold love to hear some of the tips and strategies that work for you.
Greta
I was horrified to look at my yogurt container and see it contained 25 grams of sugar! Then I started adding up all the Splenda I dumped in my tea every day. This was all so overwhelming–so I’m trying to take a break from sweets–real and chemical. Whole Foods has liquid stevia, which is amazing in my tea! And I find after a day or so, I really am not looking for a sweet treat like I used to–so perhaps I am successful? We’ll see–
alyse
I eat a lot of quest bars, are those really bad for you? Sugar wise?
lynne
I am all for this one!! How I love sweets!! I totally agree with this 100%!!! Two Thumbs up!!!
Ann
How is using stevia with trying to stay away from sugars? Will it want me craving more sugars or is it as if I’m eating a sweet piece of fruit?
Andrea Egan
I have struggled with sugar cravings and sugar addiction my entire life. I feel for struggling alcoholics or other substance abusers because I think the cravings and addictions are similar. It is difficult for me to have even a little taste, as that sets off a vicious cycle of sugar binging. I find It is important to eat regularly throughout the day to keep my blood sugar levels stable. If I overeat, even if it is on protein, I tend to want something sweet at the end of a big meal. I also find that any simple carb like white bread or white pasta will set off a sugar binge. Know your triggers and avoid them.
Catalina
You are not the only one. I’m in absolutely the same situation. I agree with what you said. As I check this website I drink one of LaCroix flavored water that has nothing in it. I’m not even a fan of pop but this makes me feel like I have a treat. I also try to have some treats sweetened only w dates or other dried fruits.
Shelley
Hello folks. I am no spring chicken and have loved sweets my whole life – until recently. I started a clean, whole foods way of eating (more plant-based) almost 2 years ago. Here is what I have found, at least this is how it has worked for me. The cleaner and healthier I eat, the less I crave sweets. So
much so that I only think of sweets when someone actually puts some in front of me – say cake or ice cream at a birthday celebration.
Sometimes sauces call for a sweetener and I use raw honey or maple syrup. Although it adjusts the flavor of the sauce or dressing, it is not overly sweet and does not make me crave it. I have heard others (on-line) say the same thing. It certainly has been true for me. Over the last 2 years I have lost 40 lbs., never craving anything – maybe a little in the beginning, but not for long. Now I only think of the healthy recipes that I really like. However, I never used sugar in coffee or tea and I was never a big fan of soda, so that was not an issue. It is a blessing to be rid of that desire for sweets, not just as it relates to weight, but for overall health. By the way, I have never written a comment before about your website. Dani, I think you do an excellent job and I love your recipes and your 101 videos. Thank you.
Dani
Thank you, Shelley! And thank you for sharing your story 🙂
Andrea
I’m just waiting on blood work to start a low carb life changing modified diet. So my sweet tooth will be going crazy. I can use my truvia I hope the list says Splenda but will see. I can’t have carrots, potatoes etc that you mentioned above. Any other ideas what I can have to help with cravings? I know I’ll have to cut back on my coffee that’s where I use the sugar anyway. Thanks