Trouble Kicking Sugar Cravings? This is for you...
ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS about making dietary changes is kicking the cravings. 🥾⠀ ⠀ 🙈 Specifically, SUGAR CRAVINGS!! That’s because sugar fires off feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, which make it hard (like, REALLY hard) to say no! ⠀ ⠀ 🍩 But unfortunately, excessive sugar consumption wreaks havoc on our bodies. It negatively affects our mood, suppresses our immune system, and not surprisingly, leads to weight gain. ⠀ ⠀ 🧠 Even though most of us know sugar isn't good for us, WE STILL WANT IT! ⠀ ⠀ ❓So how do we stop cavings for sugary foods and choose healthier options? ⠀ ⠀ 1️⃣ THE FIRST PART of managing cravings is identifying what is causing the craving in the 1st place:⠀ ⠀ →Is it b/c you're stressed?⠀ →Are you actually hungry for a solid meal?⠀ →Are you lacking particular minerals or nutrients in your diet?⠀ →Or are you looking to food as a distraction, instead of getting something done?(🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️ this is so me)⠀ ⠀ 2️⃣ THE SECOND PART is to eat foods that help to lessen the sugar cravings in the first place! ⠀ ⠀ ✅ THESE FOODS ARE: ⠀ ⠀ 🥑 HEALTHY FATS : Substituting sugar with healthy fats can help crush your cravings while providing your body (and brain) with a positive boost. Sarah Wilson, author of I Quit Sugar, eats two tablespoons of coconut oil after lunch or dinner, to satisfy her sweet tooth. Naming it her “full proof trick” that “kills her appetite for about four to five hours”. (I do this with MCT oil and it works!!). Other healthy fats include avocados, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil nuts, seeds, fatty fish and omega 3's. ⠀ ⠀ 💧H2O - Sometimes our body can get its wires crossed, and what feels like a food craving may actually be a sign of thirst. Drinking water when your sugar craving hits, can help in curbing your appetite, while also help you to lose weight. ⠀ ⠀ 🥦 FIBRE - Filling yourself full of fibre will not only improve your digestive health but it will help in controlling your cravings too! High fibre foods include ALL veggies, fruit, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and quinoa.
3️⃣ THE THIRD PART is to make sure that you're not depriving yourself of all things sweet and delicious! Whatever we deprive ourselves of, we CRAVE (with a vengeance!). Instead, satisfy your sweet tooth with foods that are sweetened with natural sweeteners such as raw honey, real maple syrup, stevia leaf extract, dates, coconut palm sugar or monk fruit. There are lots of great, healthy recipes using these sweeteners ~ all it takes is a quick Google search! Or better yet, check out my Instagram page for my favourite sweet treat recipes (baked goods are my vice, so you'll find a lot of healthy baking recipes there!).
Or go here to download my Healthy Snack Guide for healthy store-bought options!
♥️ Hope this helps!
xo Tara
