Indulging in sugar can be one of the hardest habits to break. Believe me, in most cases it is not because you are incapable of self-control or just have this ridiculously unavoidable sweet tooth. Many times the overbearing craving for sugar that you encounter comes from the foods you are eating, the times you are eating them, and the nutrients that they are lacking. Let’s take a look at the 4 ways to empower yourself to take control of sugary desserts and hopefully get rid of that sweet tooth once and for all.
Protein
Who knew that the little voice in your head telling you to indulge in that sweet treat is really just mistaking your needs. When your body is telling you that you need sugar, it is actually trying to tell you that you do not have enough protein in your diet. Protein helps to stabilize your blood sugar which is a crucial factor to avoid indulging and unsatisfying cravings that develop when your blood sugar levels are low.
Stress
Many issues that our bodies experience with everything from insomnia to sugar cravings are stress induced. This may not come as a surprise, but it is definitely something to be aware of. Often times we crave sweets because there are certain endorphins and relaxants that are released by sugar, usually referred to as the “sugar high”. Sugar has a way of making you feel more alert, energetic, and desensitized to stress which in turn makes it sound appealing. The not so great part is the crash in and damage that it does to your health. We all are well aware of the fact that sugar is not good for you.
Time
The amount of time you leave in between meals and snacks can lead you straight down a disheartening path. You could be doing so well with your eating habits and healthy diet but then one day you are caught up at the office and realize hours have passed and you have not eaten, this is a major way that cravings for sugary and processed foods work themselves into our minds. Your blood sugar needs to stay stable in order to keep yourself from naturally yearning for things that are not good for it.
Little by Little
If you are the type of person that can go cold turkey and just cut out all unnatural sugar, more power to you. Many of us do not necessarily care to do that, nor have the mindset that allows us to carry out those decisions. Also everything in moderation is always key. There have been several studies on dark chocolate and the numerous health benefits and antioxidants that it has to offer. So maybe rather than just cutting out sugar completely you can exude that energy towards picking the most beneficial sweets and little by little backing away from the overwhelming sugar indulgences. For those of you that are not a fan of dark chocolate, we recommend substituting natural sweeteners such as Stevia for the sugary foods you decide to consume. Surprisingly, this zero calorie sweetener will almost always suffice. Eventually backing away from those and allowing natural fruits to satisfy that sweet tooth that will always be there would be awesome. It is totally possible, just all about how you train it!