10 Ways to Beat Sugar Cravings
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Do you feel like you are addicted to sugar? Constantly needing to ‘fuel up' to increase your energy?
Many people battle intense sugar cravings day in and day out. It can be very frustrating!
You end up on a sugar roller coaster…going up and crashing down…needing more sugar to get your up again.
Sugar cravings are caused by many things. It is hard to pick one reason why one experiences these cravings.
Beating sugar cravings can be done….You just have to find something that works for you!
Here is a list of 10 ways to beat sugar cravings. I hope one of them can help you!!!
1. Drink water
Sometimes sugar cravings are a sign of dehydration. Before you reach for the candy, have a glass of water and wait a few minutes to see how you feel. Make sure you choose a good filtered water. Looking for a filter? Check here for water purification ideas.
2. Eat more healthy fats
This is one of the first thing I think of when someone tells me they are craving sugar. Oftentimes, sugar cravings are a sign of not getting enough fat in the diet. Healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil and nut butters are good for us and help reduce our cravings for sugar and other simple carbs. One of my favorite recipes for my clients who battle sugar cravings is this ‘Sugar Buster‘ from Fearless Eating! Try it, it works!
3. Eat sweet vegetables and fruit (paired with a healthy fat)
Sweet vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes and squash, can really help toward satisfying your sweet tooth, even though they don't necessarily ‘taste' sweet. So can small amounts of fruit. In the afternoon, have 1/2 a baked sweet potato with pastured butter or a handful of blueberries with a small amount of real whipped cream. This may help you crave less sugar later in the day.
4. Get some rest
If you are in a chronic state of stress or sleep deprivation, your body craves quick energy….which is sugar or refined carbohydrates. Lack of sleep can lead to unbalanced hormones, increased cortisol and belly fat, overeating and more. Get to sleep early. Take a nap. Meditate. Do something to rest your body and mind. Your body needs sleep!
5. Evaluate the amount of animal protein you eat
According to yin/yang principles, eating too much animal food (yang) can lead to cravings for sweets (yin). On a confusing note, eating too little animal food can also lead to cravings for sweets. Try to see if increasing or decreasing quality animal foods helps with your sugar cravings. And always try to choose quality, pastured or grass fed meats if you can.
6. Eat regularly throughout the day and have balanced snacks
Eating nutrient rich foods with plenty of protein, healthy fats and complex carbs will help keep your blood sugar stable.
7. Add spices to your life
Coriander, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and cardamom will sweeten foods naturally and help reduce sugar cravings. Add a dash of cinnamon to the sweet potato and butter mentioned above! These spices in essential oil form will do the trick too!
8. Add magnesium rich foods or supplements
Most Americans are deficient in Magnesium, which is a mineral that is necessary for almost all bodily functions. Many researchers link chocolate cravings to magnesium deficiency. Two popular magnesium supplements are Magnesium Powder and Magnesium Oil. I use both of these. The first one is great in a warm mug of water (every member of my family takes it). I spray the oil on the bottoms of our feet. Epsom salt baths are also a good way to get magnesium You can also get magnesium from foods (if you have good digestion and are absorbing nutrients well), such as dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, bananas and halibut.
9. Add fermented foods to the diet
If you read Oh Lardy, you know we love our probiotic foods. Fermented foods have been shown to decrease and often eliminate cravings for sugar. Add foods such as cultured sour cream, sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented berries, carrots and more to your diet. Plain kombucha can also be helpful with cravings. (Try to steer clear of the fruit flavored ones as they can have plety of sugar). Not into making your own fermented foods even though it is SO easy? You can easily find fermented foods at retail stores or make your own! Taking a probiotic supplement is always a good idea as well.
10. Slow down and find sweetness in other ways
Oftentimes, a sugar craving is not a physical craving but a psychological one. Look into your lifestyle and see if you are craving ‘something sweet' from another aspect of your life…your career, your relationships, your lifestyle. If you find balance in other areas of your life, your sugar craving may go away.
Related Posts:
More Ways to Kick Sugar Cravings from Mix Wellness
What do you do to combat sugar cravings? Do you have any tips you would like to share? Please do so in the comments!
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Sources:
http://www.examiner.com/article/sugar-cravings-linked-to-magnesium-deficiency
http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/zapping-sugar-cravings
http://www.naturalnews.com/027234_cravings_food.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/food-cravings_b_3736780.html
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I just read 10 ways to beat sugar cravings. I have questions concerning sweet food and salty foods. is there reason why I got from sweet cravings to immediately have cravings for salty foods or vice versa? I swing back and forth all the time. Any suggestions? Thanks
There are so many causes for craving. Many times there is a yin/yang—balance thing going on. Often times too it is a nutrient deficiency. My best bet is to try different ‘remedies’ for several days each and see which one helps!
These are all excellent methods. I am finally getting a handle on the sugar cravings. I eat clean but when a craving hit, watch out, I’d eat the whole carton of fruit or chocolate or a chocolate unicorn if it was in the kitchen! Fat. Fat is what has helped me the most of all. I feel so much better with more healthy fats and I have discovered that I crave sugar much less. Examining our mental and emotional state and taking time to rest are essential. Thanks!
SUCH good tips. I need to take some of your advice. I’m hosting a candle giveaway that you should enter! http://homecomingmn.blogspot.com/2013/09/fremont-candles-givewaway-20-for.html
The thing that works best for me is to cut out all sweets and sweeteners for 2 weeks, including carrots, beets, and potatoes. After the 2 weeks I find that the physical craving is gone, then it’s just the emotional craving that remains. Thanks for the above ideas for that aspect!
I am really surprised to see that the possibility of a candida cleanse was not mentioned, as an overgrowth of candida in the gut can lead to sugar cravings (and also alcohol). Candida thrive on sugar!!
That’s a good one to add!! Thanks!
My best solution for sugar cravings is to eat a well-balanced diet, that includes plenty of protein and some healthy fats. I try to make sure that protein is the main component of my snacks. Being well-rested and not overly stressed is also helpful, as is drinking water.
I really like this list of suggestions – it’s very helpful.
Thank you, Susan!
Craving sugar is a physical thing!!!!! It’s is an addiction!
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