Last month I wrote about 3 supplements to help handle sugar cravings.
I may have put the cart before the horse, because we hadn’t yet discussed behaviors that deter sugar cravings. In the last article’s comments, Janelle said she avoids having sweets in the house. That’s a great strategy! When you are comfortably at home without a sweet, you’ll deal with it. But if there’s an ice cream sandwich in the freezer…well you know what will happen!
photo credit – andrey_armyagov, canva.com
So here are some tips on getting through the day without the sweet stuff:
1. Eat a healthy breakfast.
Always eat breakfast within the first hour or so of waking up. And avoid a carb-heavy breakfast, as that will begin a roller coaster of highs and lows, leading to sugar craving. Quality eggs, meat, yogurts, and meals based on protein and fat make for a great way to start your day! I have a 5 minute ‘what to eat for breakfast’ video if you’d like some more ideas.
2. Avoid snacking.
Your body was designed to eat well and digest. So take the time to eat a proper meal, and give your body about 4 hours before the next meal. If you are always nibbling, then your cells are so washed in glucose that they stop letting it in. The trouble is when you sense your cells (i.e.- your brain cells not responding well), you’ll eat more. It’s a vicious cycle.
3. Eat fiber, fat and protein with each meal.
This is the best way to feel full. Example: A pile of steamed vegetables drizzled with pastured butter, a chunk of sweet potato, and a pair of free-range chicken legs.
4. Choose quality carbs.
If you’re going to eat carbs, they should be in a whole food form. A baked potato (sweet potato or yam is lower glycemic), soaked, rinsed and cooked brown rice (a 1/2 cup portion is best), a vegetable or a fruit (apples and berries are best.)
Eating things like pasta, bread, crackers, muffins and cookies will all raise your blood sugar, and then you’ll come crashing down. Plus you’ll be more prone to PCOS, weight gain, acne and moodiness.
5. Get your workout.
Exercising helps your cells uptake sugar, training them to be more responsive to insulin.
6. Get your sleep.
It’s important to get to bed by 10 PM and get at least 8 hours of sleep. This gives your body a chance to heal (and the adrenals start healing early thus the 10 PM bedtime.) Studies also show that you tend to make poor food choices (i.e. the late night ice cream binge) when you are sleep-deprived.
What helps keep you on your best diet?
Great, simple tips! I find that skimping on protein & fat at meals is the biggest thing people do. I also recommend if you are hungry and want a snack, make sure it’s balanced with protein too!
Thanks, Lauren. Checked out your site @ http://www.mindfulmealsblog.com. Looks great!
Thank you for these tips! Even though I try not to have sugar around, I still crave it way more than I’d like to. :-/