5 Ways to Knock your Sweet Tooth on the Head
Do you sometimes feel you’re being driven by an invisible force – usually in the direction of the fridge or treats cupboard? And you know you definitely would be able to stick to your healthy eating lifestyle if you didn’t get the irrepressible urge for something sweet.
Cravings tend to be for specific foods - usually high carb foods such a sweets, chocolate, ice cream, soft drinks or a sugary latte. They can rage when your blood sugar levels are out of balance or if you have a particular emotional attachment to a food. A tell-tale sign of a craving is that you feel a nearly uncontrollable need to eat a specific food. You HAVE to have it.
If you want to knock your sweet tooth on the head for good, you’ll need to address the different aspects that lead to cravings - physical, emotional, habitual and psychological. If it sounds hard work, it isn’t really. Once you understand roughly how food works in the body, you will be able to stop the physical need for treats, and you can start creating healthier habits around so-called treat foods.
Let’s look at some ways to reduce cravings for unhealthy, sugary foods and drinks.
1. Step off the rollercoaster
Balancing your blood sugar and stopping the rollercoaster is the first step. On a basic physiological level, your body needs a steady flow of energy throughout the day. When you eat too many foods that turn quickly into sugar (whether it’s sugar or starchy carbohydrates), this creates a blood sugar spike. The body then produces insulin to take the excess sugar out of your blood, and stores it as fat. Sometimes too much of this sugar is packed away, which leads to blood sugar levels dropping too quickly, resulting in tiredness, low mood, a drop in concentration – and cravings. The cravings are nearly always for sugary foods or starchy carbs; anything the body can quickly convert to sugar to get blood sugar levels up again.
Switching to a minimally processed diet based on whole foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, beans and pulses, vegetables and fruit, with small amounts of wholegrain starches like brown rice and wholemeal bread will automatically keep your blood sugar balanced and cravings in check.
When you work on your diet as a whole, your cravings and energy levels will come back into line the more you focus on eating real food, always having a source of protein and good fats and plenty of fibre from vegetables and scaling back starchy carbs. These foods ensure that your body gets a steady, small supply of glucose to fuel your cells. The result? No blood sugar spikes and crashes. Simply, you feel more energised and on a more even keel.
2. Reduce snacking
If you are unable to go four to five hours without food despite eating a balanced meal, it can be helpful to have a small, low-carb snack to keep your blood sugar levels balanced just while your energy levels rebalance themselves. Otherwise, stick to three balanced meals over a 12-hour period (unless you are actively trying to lose weight, then further time restrictions might be necessary).
Snacking is not the same as eating to stop a physical craving - snacks prevent and alleviate true hunger, while cravings alleviate withdrawal symptoms. You can choose to consume a specific food at a set point in time, and the snack is usually interchangeable with other foods. As an example, you could eat an oatcake with hummus OR yoghurt and berries and feel equally satisfied with either choice.
3. Address Your Triggers
Your habits follow a very predictable pattern. First, you experience a trigger – for example, the 3pm workday energy slump. Next, you act on that trigger – by reaching for the chocolate in your desk drawer. Lastly, you experience a reward, or have one of your needs met – in this case, you get an energy boost from the chocolate.
Ask yourself: what are my triggers? Are they emotional triggers? Food triggers? Triggers in certain places or situations? Identifying what your triggers are helps you take control of them and change the outcome. What is it that you really need? Could something else – perhaps less tangible – make you feel good? What strategies can you put in place now to support yourself when you get triggered?
In the above example, the real underlying need was to improve energy, which eating a sugary chocolate would not achieve in the long-term. What was really needed may have been a nap, a short walk outdoors, or 5-10 minutes of relaxation time.
If you are triggered or get a craving-related thought, do something else. That might be painting your nails, going for a walk, cleaning out the fridge, putting on some music, for example. Simply giving yourself a few moments may relieve the pressure and stop the chain reaction.
4. Become CEO of your thoughts and actions
Remember, YOU are in control of what you think and how you react to life. You may not be able to control every aspect of your external environment but you can control how you think about and respond to that environment. You are the CEO of your health, and CEOs don't take orders from a packet of biscuits!
When a craving-related thought enters your mind, be ready to respond with a more positive alternative. For example, replace “I’ve been really good, I deserve a reward” with “Being the right weight for me and in control is my best reward”. The more you use a phrase, the more it becomes a part of what you now do. For example, "I could eat it but I choose not to", “I actually don’t want this” or “I am not hungry, so I will not eat for the moment”. Practise this until it becomes second nature.
5. Be kind to yourself
Unless you are superhuman, there will be the odd time that you slip and have more than you should or eat something you later regret. Remember, the occasional slice of cake or a portion that is too big is not going to make you put weight but regular binges will. Plus, binges on sugary or salty food will make you retain water – making you look and feel heavier than you really are. It's just not worth it. If you have a slip, you can still rescue the situation and stop it turning into a binge, sabotaging all your good work. Say: "It's done. It's in the past and I choose to move on". Reaffirm your resolve to make a different choice next time.
Want to attend my Open Day?
I'd love to help you on your weight loss journey. I’m holding an in-person Open Day at the Self Centre in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on 24 January with a limited number of spots. To book a complimentary weight loss strategy session with me, where I will share with you some actionable steps that you can take today to get started, click here. Alternatively, if you are not local to Bury St Edmunds and are interested in working online with me, you can book a phone call with me instead to discuss the challenges you are currently facing by clicking here.
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