Some of us have a sweet tooth year-round. Others come and go with the holidays, when we crave something nostalgic from our childhood, or we feel the need to indulge in the candy that’s only available during that special time of the year. The Easter Bunny recently stopped by many of our homes with a basket full of treats that is now sitting around, tempting us to indulge. To control your cravings for sweets, try these tips to help you make it through.
- Eat regularly: Skipping meals or waiting too long in between meals may be a factor in our sweet cravings. When we get to a point of uncontrollable hunger, we often reach for sugary, fatty foods to help fight our hunger. Eating every three to five hours can keep our blood sugar stable and help us avoid making poor food choices.
- Choose fruit: One of the biggest mistakes we can make in our efforts to control sugar cravings is to surround ourselves with convenient, though unhealthy, snacks. From granola bars with high fructose corn syrup to anything inside a vending machine, the temptations may be all around you. Combat this accessibility to poor food choices by stocking your fridge with fresh fruit. If you like to keep a snack in your desk for when hunger strikes, consider dried fruit or a trail mix.
- Get moving: Sometimes beating a sugar craving is as simple as walking away. Walk away from the kitchen, walk away from your desk, walk away to anywhere that will take your mind off of the food you are craving. Fresh air and a change of scenery often do the trick!
- Chew gum or lick a lollipop: Many of us eat out of boredom. If you are in the mood to chew on something, consider popping a piece of gum, which has been shown to reduce food cravings. If you can’t get a sugar craving off your mind, give in with an organic lollipop. You can find these at almost any store. They are made with all-natural ingredients and only cost you about 22 calories! And by giving in a little bit, you won’t feel like you’ve denied yourself of anything and avoid the risk of going on a sugar binge later.
- Consider quality over quantity: If you find your sugar craving too tempting to resist, pick a quality sweet, like a dark chocolate truffle, that will calm your craving in just a few bites. By picking a sweet that satisfies, you’ll save yourself from eating half a bag of waxy chocolate that never quite fulfills the craving.
When a sweet craving strikes, be prepared by trying these tips. You can also avoid temptation by choosing not to purchase unhealthy, sugary sweets. Fresh fruit, trail mix, or quality chocolates are examples of when less can actually be more. You have the power to control your cravings for sweets!
Resources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/13-ways-to-fight-sugar-cravings
