Sugar continues to be the number one cause of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and obesity. Much has been written in the past about why sugar is the devil and today lets try beat the sugar cravings forever!
1. Clean out your pantry
Set your kitchen up for success and remove the temptations from your sight. It doesn’t mean you can’t buy these “foods” (if, for example, family members or roommates choose to eat them), but you can put them at the back of the fridge/freezer, or in a separate section of the pantry. Out of sight, out of mind, is real!
2. Prioritise real food
Ensure your meals contain a portion of protein and good fats. Protein and fat are our satiety macronutrients – they keep your blood sugar stable and you fuller for longer. It really is as simple as using quality proteins such as free range eggs and/or grass fed meats, using oils such as coconut or extra virgin olive oil and/or topping your plate with a handful of nuts and seeds or half an avocado.
3. Drink more water
Often thirst is mistaken for hunger. If you are hit with a sugar craving, drink a glass of water first and wait 15 minutes – you’ll be surprised at how much the urge subsides. Stay hydrated during the day and aim to drink at least 1.5L of fluid/day. You can’t count coffee, but you can include herbal teas in your daily quota.
4. Change your after-dinner routine
If you find that the majority of your sugar cravings occur post dinner, it’s time to change your nightly routine. There are a number of things which you could try:
Once dinner is over, mentally put a KITCHEN CLOSED sign up. Take this sign as you would any other closed sign and do not re-enter!
If your nightly routine is sitting on the couch, scrolling/watching TV and snacking then look at what you can do to avoid that. Swap the snack for a cup of herbal tea, brush your teeth as soon as dinner is finished, go for a walk, read a book or use the opportunity to go to bed earlier. Increasing the hours of sleep you obtain will help decrease the hunger hormone ghrelin, therefore helping to minimise ongoing cravings.
5. Be prepared
If cravings strike at a particular time of the month, be prepared with a healthy refined sugar free sweet treat. It’s much easier to avoid a chocolate or bad dessert when you have some Chocolate Truffles or Ginger biscuits pre-prepared. For a store-bought alternative, Woolies Carb Clever nut muesli with coconut cream or Carb Clever nut/seed bar are delish!
When we feed our bodies sugar it continues to crave it. Beating a sugar addiction requires willpower and holding onto how good our body feels and how much sustained energy we have when our lifestyle is free of it.
If you need help with a personalised meal plan or weekly dinner options, contact me, MamaWanda on www.crossoversa.co.za