Many people know they need to eat less sugar. Yet, even with great understanding of this topic and the desire to change dietary sugar habits, many people describe this as a major challenge on their road to outstanding health.
If you crave sugar, you might like to try some of the following tips to help break this pattern.
Eat more fats
Try eating more wholefood fats at the meal before you typically crave sugar. For example, if 3pm is your tough time, then amp up the fats at lunchtime. If it is after dinner, then increase the fats you have with your evening meal. Fat is incredibly satiating, and you’ll notice it will fuel you for longer through your day.
Be prepared
Have subtly sweet food on hand that serves your health for the time you know the cravings set in. Take some time on a Sunday and prepare a batch of bliss balls, for example, so you have a snack ready to go that satisfies the desire for sweetness on the taste buds but is rich in wholefood fats. This means you don’t need to eat many of them to be satisfied.
Amp up your greens
Bitter-tasting foods, such as green veggies, help quell our desire for and enjoyment of excessively sweet food. Try adding an organic green drink powder, made up of ground-up vegetables to your day, so you get a concentrated nutritional boost plus the flow-on effects of the greens. This is one reason why I formulated Bio Blends Organic Daily Green and Radiant Reds powder.
3pm slump
If it’s energy your body is really searching for, it might be time to take a brisk walk – one of the best ways to naturally boost your energy. It’s great for circulation, increases oxygen supply to the cells of your body, and helps you feel more alert. Try going for a walk around 3pm, which is often the time people start to crave sugar.
Decrease adrenaline production
Adrenaline is one of our stress hormones, which is produced when we perceive that there is pressure or urgency, or when we consume caffeine. The production of adrenaline triggers the release of glucose into the blood, to help fuel us to get away from the supposed danger we are in. However, for many people today, their stress is perceived – they are not in fact being chased – so this glucose goes unused and is then stored as fat, thanks to insulin. This whole process can leave us feeling tired and reaching for the closest carbohydrate-laden food to satisfy the craving for the sugar we have just used up. Be honest with yourself about how much caffeine you are having and explore your perceptions of pressure and urgency so that you make less adrenaline. Remember, improvements in health stem from little moment-by-moment decisions.
Nutritional biochemist, Dr Libby Weaver (PhD), is a 13-times bestselling author and speaker. Her practical and supportive online courses have helped over 10,000 women around the world find freedom from their health challenges.
Her brand new course, Detox by Dr Libby is packed full of up-to-date research on detoxification and how applying practical changes in your life can allow you to feel and look your very best. For more information, go to drlibby.com/detox.