Satisfy Your Sweet Cravings
Aug 29, 2023
Wouldn't you love to be able to satisfy your sweet cravings without gaining weight or sacrificing nutrition? I've got some points that can help you do just that.
The key is to make sure you're eating for nutrition before you go for a sweet treat. Have at least five fruits and vegetables a day. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bonus food comes afterward. Even a little dark chocolate will help with the sweet tooth craving.
Here are a few suggestions when you feel that sweet tooth coming on:
Pair sugar with protein - Research shows that Eating a small sweet with a protein-rich meal or in combination with a protein - like fruit with cottage cheese - seems to diminish the craving for more sweets later on.
Reach for fat-free sweets - Try mixing your own low-fat, low-sugar treats. Try hot cocoa with almond milk, cocoa powder and a little stevia or honey. Or have an ice pop. Make your own by freezing natural fruit juice or fresh fruit. Also, have fresh fruit for dessert rather than sugar-laden sweets.
Spice it up - Use natural sweetness enhancers like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, mint, vanilla and almond. Reduce the sugar in cookie and cake recipes and add a dash of extra nutmeg. Or sprinkle a cut-up fruit with cinnamon instead of sugar. Buy plain non-fat Greek yogurt and add fresh fruit and a drop of vanilla flavoring.
Scrutinize low-fat labels - Low-fat foods often replace a few grams of fat with extra carbohydrates, like sugar. As a result, some low-fat foods have the same number of calories (or more) than the standard version. So compare nutrition labels for sugar content.
Add fake-sweetener last, or better yet, not at all - Studies show that those who used Aspartame or other artificial sweeteners got headaches after drinking aspartame-sweetened beverages, and those with a history of depression felt more depressed and irritable and had more trouble sleeping after taking aspartame and other sweeteners.
If sugar is your vice and you want to find out if you are addicted, take the Sugar Struggle Quiz. The quiz will point you in the direction of your next steps to end your struggle with sugar. I will also provide you with a list of the 20 sugar-free foods and sugar-free recipes that have helped keep me on track.
Click here to take the Sugar Struggle Quiz.
Until next time...Take Care of You!
Do you find yourself eating for every other reason than being physically hungry? Do you find that food is the thing that gives you courage and comfort when nothing else can? The thing is, in order to change any habit, you have to be aware of what the habit is that you want to change.
Do you struggle with eating emotionally? Getting the mindset right is the hardest thing. Figuring out the why around emotional eating is key. When you have your mindset right, your food and your life will follow.
Unpacking the "layers of stuck" in your mind will set you on a path to emotional eating freedom.
This workbook will help you develop a healthier relationship with food by identifying triggers to emotional eating and help to develop healthier coping mechanisms so that you can learn to live your life with food.
Click the button below to get your copy of the workbook.
