Do You have Sugar & Food Cravings?
Cravings for food in general is nothing to be ashamed of. It's completely normal to have sugar cravings during the day and nighttime. In fact, it's perfectly normal for women to have so-called pregnancy cravings during the whole "ordeal," sometimes known as weird pregnancy cravings. But regularly eating something such as a white-powdered donut each morning might leave you craving for an additional one 3 or 4 hours later; these are definitely sweet cravings you are dealing with. Do you find yourself reaching for a candy bar to satisfy your chocolate cravings? Or do you grab for those salted crackers to appease your salt cravings?
If you have discovered that eating sugary or salty snacks only causes you to desire more of them, know that you are not alone. Consuming a ton of simple carbohydrates, lacking fats or proteins, can rapidly satisfy hunger cravings as well as provide you with a fleeting energy boost. However, they nearly as fast leave you starved again and craving more. The vicious cycle just continues.
How to stop sugar & food cravings for good? Here's sound advice.
Why Do You Crave Sugar?
There exist several logical reasons why most people crave sweet things. Let's examine a few of them.
That appetite can be hardwired in our DNA. Christine Gerbstadt, MD, states: "Sweet is the first taste humans prefer from birth." In fact, carbohydrates command the incredible power to stimulate the release of that feel-good brain chemical serotonin. Although sugar is a carbohydrate, carbohydrates also come in additional forms as well, like vegetables, fruits, and grains, which are packed with nutrients and fiber your body requires.
The taste of sugar in addition releases endorphins which not only help calm and relax us but also give us a natural high, according to Susan Moores, a nutrition consultant and registered dietitian in St. Paul, MN.
Sweets are irresistible, tasting good as well. And that particular preference only becomes reinforced each time you reward yourself with something sweet and yummy, which could cause you to crave it more. So, with that appealing feature, why wouldn't you crave sugar?
The real problem occurs not when you indulge in desserts now and then, but the times when you go too far. That's way too easy to do, especially with all the sugar poured into several processed foods, such as sauces, yogurt, breads, and juices. And Americans unfortunately do overeat it indeed, averaging about 17 teaspoons of added sugars daily, according to the well-known American Heart Association, which actually advises restricting added sugars to around 6 teaspoons each day for women and 9 for men.
How to Stop Sugar & Food Cravings with 8 Tips
If you find yourself craving sugar often, here are a few tips to master those cravings.
- Submit to it, but not completely. Satisfy your cravings by eating a little cookie or a small chocolate bar, suggests Kerry Neville, a registered dietitian. Enjoying only a little of what your body desires could assist you in steering clear of that critical feeling of being denied. Do your best to stay with a 150-calorie snack, adds Neville. But if you positively could not get a small serving size, be creative and divide your treat in half, having the second half the next day.
- Combine foods. If the whole idea of simply stopping at a little candy bar or a cookie appears impossible, know that you could fill yourself up as well as appease a sugar craving. "I like combining the craving food with a healthful one," explains Neville. "I love chocolate, for example, so sometimes I'll dip a banana in chocolate sauce and that gives me what I'm craving, or mix some almonds with chocolate chips." You'll satisfy your sweet tooth and even have healthy nutrients from those types of foods.
- Go cold turkey. Eliminating all simple sugars may work for certain individuals. However, it's not that easy. "The initial 48 to 72 hours are tough," states Gerbstadt. Although some people do benefit from going cold turkey in curbing their cravings within a short time frame, others learn that they continue to crave sugar but with some determination can tame their taste buds over time to be appeased with less.
- Chew gum. If you wish to prevent yourself from submitting completely to your sugar cravings, just try chewing some gum, suggests registered dietitian Dave Grotto. "Research has shown that chewing gum can reduce food cravings," he adds.
- Reach for fruit. Do yourself a favor by keeping fruit handy nearby for when those sugar cravings strike. Look, you'll get nutrients and fiber together with some sweetness. Also, shop for foods such as dried fruits, nuts, and seeds, says certified addiction expert Judy Chambers. "Have them handy so you reach for them instead of reaching for the old [sugary] something."
- Rise and leave. When a sugar craving begins, go away. "Take a walk around the block or [do] something to change the scenery," to distract your mind from the food you are craving, suggests Neville.
- Select quality over quantity. "If you need a sugar splurge, pick a wonderful, decadent sugary food," states Moores. Though, keep it little. For instance, pick a small dark chocolate bar instead of a monster-sized candy bar. Next, "savor every bite--slowly," adds Moores. Grotto concurs. "Don't swear off favorites--you'll only come back for greater portions. Learn to incorporate small amounts in the diet but concentrate on filling your stomach with less sugary and [healthier] options."
- Eat regularly. Do not wait too long a period between each meal, for this might cause you to choose fatty, sugary foods to reduce your hunger, says Moores. Rather, enjoying a snack every 3 to 4 hours could help keep your blood sugar stable as well as assist you "avoid irrational eating behavior," states Grotto. Your best options? "Choose protein, fiber-rich foods like whole grains and produce," says Moores.
But won't consuming additional food translate to overeating? Not if you use Neville's tip and divide your meals. For example, have only part of breakfast, such as a slice of toast with butter, for a late-morning snack. "Break up lunch the same way to help avoid a mid-afternoon slump," suggests Neville.
In addition, you might want to reconsider your daily drinks. They could be a huge source of sugar, regardless of what they are. Instead, try plain iced water.
