Fight sweet cravings

So I’ve always wondered why I have such a craving for sugar, especially after eating. I haven’t gone a day without finding something with sugar to satisfy my urge. Some days I get a little carried away.

Why did this happened?

Sweet cravings arise for a number of reasons. To beat these cravings, it is important to understand why they occur.

Part of your cravings is due to habit. You must have satisfied this craving in the past after a meal with something sweet. Then all of a sudden it becomes part of your thinking. After every meal, dessert should come. The good news is that ALL habits are learned, so this habit can be unlearned as a result of practice and repetition.

Your cravings will continue to exist if you eat simple refined carbohydrates or foods high in sugar. The day you stop eating sweets is the day you take control and stop cravings. Cravings exist because we feed them and allow them to exist. Yes, it is an addiction, but we choose to have it.

Take a look at what is happening inside your body when you make this choice. I hope you think twice before giving in.

The intake of simple carbohydrates causes an increase in the level of sugar in the blood, since these foods are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. This, in turn, gives you a temporary sugar rush; it feels good … however our body does not like this imbalance and a series of hormonal responses occur.

Your body produces more insulin, a storage hormone. To facilitate this insulin surge, glucagon, a releasing hormone, is reduced.

What does this hormonal game mean to you? Every time you consume simple sugars and refined carbohydrates, you are simply retaining fat.

Even worse? This cycle will continue once your blood sugar levels hit rock bottom. You will crash due to excess insulin. Your body reacts once again because at this point your energy level hits rock bottom, you have trouble thinking clearly, and you end up with cravings. Inevitably, you will crave sweets as these foods will raise your blood sugar faster and lift you out of your depression.

The high / low blood sugar cycle repeats, over and over and over again …

Think of a roller coaster. This is what happens inside your body every time you eat candy.

The only way to stop the cravings … is to get off the ride.

Strategies to eliminate your sweet tooth

1. Clean the kitchen.

Keeping candy around the house will actually sabotage your chances of being successful. Replace garbage with support options. For example, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, string cheese, high fiber crackers, etc.

2. Keep a food log.

Are you eating every 3 or 4 hours? Skipping meals will lower your blood sugar levels. Make sure every meal and snack includes the right balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Sometimes the craving occurs due to a lack of protein and / or fat in food and snacks. Simply eating an apple is not enough. Combine your apple with a handful of walnuts or a few cubes of diced cheese.

3. Wait.

Did you know that a craving lasts about 15 minutes and then goes away? Make a list of things you can do to distract yourself for 15 minutes. When a craving hits … grab a bottle of water and do that activity, you can even set a timer. Once you hit 15 minutes … your cravings go away and you’re EMPOWERED!

4. Are you stressed?

Some cravings are related to STRESS. Practice other ways of dealing with stress: taking a walk, spiritual connections, a cozy fireplace, hot baths … all of these stimulate neurochemicals that activate brain regions that stimulate the pleasure associated with eating something sweet.

5. Break old habits.

One way to take control and make a change is to keep a journal, sure to enjoy a big glass of water or a hot cup of tea, but do so while writing what you are wanting … why you are wanting it … give the yearning a name and talk to it … find out what you want … tell it why you are not welcome right now … I know, it sounds corny, but it helps you gain information and control over such thoughts and beliefs then it has the power to change them.

By simply “doing” something different after dinner, you can overcome this habit. After dinner, brush your teeth, chew gum, drink some hot tea that tastes naturally sweet (this has been my lifesaver … a licorice-based tea tastes wonderfully sweet).

Get away from the environment where you normally had your sweet dessert or treat. If you normally eat it while watching television, turn off the television and entertain yourself with a good book, play with your children, listen to music, write in your journal …

You’ll be amazed at how powerful a few little lifestyle habits will give you the control you need to deal with and overcome those nagging cravings.

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