Contents
- 1. Reduce Salt and Salty Foods
- 2. Reducing the amount of animal protein
- 3. Reducing the amount of food
- 4. Eat more often throughout the day
- 5. Don’t eat right before bed
- 6. Giving up sugar
- 7. Moderate but Regular Exercise Is Necessary
- 8. Increase Your Natural Whole Complex Carbohydrates
- 9. Don’t Suppress Your Feelings
- 10. Vigilance against “psychological provocateurs”
There are individual or collective causes of sugar cravings discussed in this article. Go through each item and see if the information is relevant to your diet or lifestyle. Reducing Sugar Cravings Doesn’t Take Herculean Efforts or Great Willpower. Being aware of the physiological and other factors that drive sugar cravings can help you lessen that craving.
1. Reduce Salt and Salty Foods
The need for dietary salt from natural sources (we are talking about sun-dried sea salt) depends on several factors: the lack of salt can cause fatigue, stimulate overeating and desire for animal protein. However, with the availability of quality sea salt, miso paste, tamari soy sauce, and natural pickles, it’s easy to go over a reasonable dose. Thirst and desire for sweets are the most obvious indicators of excess salt in the diet.
2. Reducing the amount of animal protein
The American public has long been foisted with the idea of the “four staples” and the myth that animal protein should be the staple of the diet. The philosophy of potatoes and meat as staples needs to be revisited as studies show that excess animal protein can lead to colon and prostate cancer. If potatoes and meat are staples in your diet, you might want to reduce portion sizes (to 2-4 ounces) and eat these foods three to four times a week (maximum) rather than daily.
3. Reducing the amount of food
Overeating leads to fatigue and lethargy. In this state, stimulants such as coffee and sugar become more attractive. Eating more often will help you fight overeating with minimal effort.
4. Eat more often throughout the day
Long intervals between meals are the most common cause of sugar cravings, especially the desire to eat sugar in the evening. Eating irregularly, you stop saturating the blood with glucose. Your blood sugar drops, and by the time you finally start eating, you have a strong craving for sugar. Irregular eating also leads to overeating and the need for fats as a sugar substitute. The intervals between meals should not be more than 3,5 – 4 hours.
5. Don’t eat right before bed
If your body is digesting food at a time when it needs to rest, you will need more sleep, more dreams, and it will be more difficult to wake up alert and fresh. Good deep sleep is the foundation of daytime wakefulness. Eating before bed makes it difficult to wake up and leads you to need sugar or caffeine stimulation in the morning. Dinner, 2,5 – 3 hours before bedtime, should be light.
6. Giving up sugar
This idea may seem obvious, however, as you continue to consume sugar, your blood sugar levels drop, which stimulates the need for more sugar, and so the cycle continues. Although fruits contain simple sugar, switching to fruit instead of sugar is a good first step. You should also eat the skin of the fruit, as the fiber slows down the rise in blood sugar.
7. Moderate but Regular Exercise Is Necessary
Daily aerobic exercise will increase blood circulation and develop willpower. Brisk walking, cycling, jogging, and other exercises naturally increase sensitivity to the effects of sugar. At least 5 times a week, devote 20 to 30 minutes to enjoyable exercise. Enjoy them. They don’t have to be a tedious task.
8. Increase Your Natural Whole Complex Carbohydrates
If your daily diet includes whole grains (brown rice, oats, millet, etc.), vegetables (roots, green leafy and round vegetables such as pumpkin, cabbage, etc.), as the main source of fuel for the body, then the desire for sugar will automatically decrease. Sweet vegetables such as carrots, boiled onions, corn, cabbage, parsnips, pumpkin, etc. can be a source of natural sugar in your diet. Include sea vegetables (seaweed) in your dietdue to which the blood is enriched with minerals.
9. Don’t Suppress Your Feelings
This does not mean that you should show all the feelings that arise in you – only the most significant ones and only to people who mean a lot to you. Food cravings, especially sweets, are a convenient way to drown out feelingskind of pain reliever. Sugar can be a source of sensual pleasure, providing temporary relief from mental problems and stress. However, sweets can lower energy levels and interfere with mental clarity, so that, ultimately, the ability to cope with emotional problems deteriorates.
10. Vigilance against “psychological provocateurs”
There are many powerful psychological associations associated with foods. Stay vigilant when it comes to relatives, ritual trips to the movies, familiar restaurants, childhood habits, etc.