How Can I Overcome Cravings For Sweets

Most people have a sweet tooth and are addicted to eating sugar-laden treats and desserts every now and then. Though there are many causes for excessive sweet cravings, the chief ones are hormonal imbalances - especially in insulin and serotonin, unhealthy dieting, Adrenal Fatigue, various eating disorders from the Body Dysmorphic Disorder group of symptoms, and premenstrual syndrome. Sugar cravings cause people to put on extra kilos of weight. A number of them find it nearly impossible to fight their sweet cravings, but there are methods that can help them reduce or even eliminate these cravings altogether. Read on to know how you can effectively overcome your cravings for sweets and keep away from gaining extra weight.

Tips For Fighting Your Sugar Cravings

Keep yourself well hydrated, by drinking lots of water. It is not only vital to your health, but also one of the best ways to stop sweet cravings. Drink plenty of water to keep your stomach filled, so that you don’t feel hungry in between meal times.
Eating causes blood sugar levels to rise and eating quickly makes your blood sugar levels shoot up rapidly. The result is that your blood sugar levels decrease sooner and you start feeling hungry. Therefore, eat your meals slowly, to avoid spikes in blood sugar levels and reduce sugar cravings.
Beat your sugar cravings by eating fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy snacks. Though fruits contain some sugar, it is natural and breaks down easily in the body, as opposed to the refined sugar in candies and other high-calorie foods.
Less sleep results in less energy. To boost our energy quickly, we tend to gravitate towards sweets. On the other hand, getting restful sleep helps us stay energized and maintain our energy levels throughout the day, thus reducing sugar cravings.
Though it sounds contradictory, exercising helps to fight sugar cravings. The endorphins released by our body during exercising give us a feeling of high energy. Do make sure to drink plenty of water before and after exercising, to stay hydrated.
Getting bored is another cause behind your craving for sweets. Staying preoccupied will subsequently reduce sugar cravings as your mind would be focused on something else.
Remove all cakes, ice cream, cookies, and other high-calorie food from your refrigerator and food pantry. While shopping for food, make a conscious effort not to buy sweets.
Have a breakfast high in proteins, such as Greek yoghurt with fruit, eggs with toast and butter, oatmeal with milk and nuts, a protein shake or smoothie, and so on. You will stay away from sugar cravings in the morning.
Eat protein rich foods every two or three hours. You can have some nuts as a snack, a piece of string cheese, nuts or seeds, a piece of fruit, or even boiled egg. Proteins and fats help reduce the sugar consumption in your diet.
Reduce your intake of carbohydrates, in case you crave sweets after a meal. Such carbohydrates include rice, breads, pasta, chips, pretzels, etc.
If you are unable to control your craving, gargle with an antiseptic mouthwash or brush your teeth. Having sweets soon after will not taste good and will help you lose your craving quickly.
If you are simply not able to manage your temptation, opt for a quality sweet, rather than quantity. Eat a small piece of 70% dark chocolate, instead of a candy bar. While having ice cream, have a small scoop of gourmet ice cream, in place of an entire bowl of light ice cream. Your craving will be satisfied and at the same time, you would be consuming less sugar.

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