How to Beat Sugar Cravings?
Sugar craving is one of the common problems, which has taken a lot of people under its control. If you also come into the category of people who are trying to curb their sugar cravings, you certainly can do that. And the fact that you are not alone in the race will motivate you and assist you in marching towards your objective of overcoming your sugar addiction.
Sugar is the first food towards which you feel allured right from your childhood. It’s perfectly alright to consume sugar in small amounts but problem arises when you consume sugar in exceedingly high amount.
Scientific results prove that sugar triggers the release of serotonin hormone in your body, as a result of which you feel good and energized for sometimes. But as and when its impact vanishes, you again start craving for it and feel sluggish and restless till you consume it.
Harmful Impacts of Sugar
In today’s world of competition where companies are fighting hard to sell their products, use of salt and sugar in foods has increased at a very fast rate. Strange thing about both of them is that their consumption causes an increase in desire to consume more of them. Sugar has numerous harmful impacts on your body; let’s have a look at some of them.
- Sugar leads to increase in the level of blood sugar level in your body which is responsible for diabetes.
- Excess amount of sugar gets transformed into fats which make you look obese.
- Sugar adversely affects your immune system and makes your body susceptible of becoming victim of numerous incurable diseases including cancer.
- Sugar affects the functioning of your body, as a result of which it becomes hard for your body to digest calcium and magnesium.
- Sugar might cause hormonal imbalance in your body which might lead to either over or under production of hormones in your body.
- Sugar is also foe of healthy and glowing skin and hair. Excess consumption of sugar promotes hair fall and premature signs of aging.
Why Sugar Cravings Occur?
Sugar cravings should not be underestimated and should be taken as seriously just like other serious health issues. Let’s have a look at some of the common reasons responsible for sugar cravings.
- When thyroid gland in your body becomes dysfunctional, you start craving for sugar every now and then. No matter how much amount of sugary foods you feed to your body, you just don’t feel satisfied and keep craving to have more of them.
- Yeast infection also causes unbearable cravings for sugar in you. Due to consumption of sugar, number of yeast multiplies in your body and your problem keeps getting worse.
- Due to prolonged stress, or sickness, functioning of adrenal gets affected. Release of hormones from adrenal gland removes stress from your body and make you feel energized and happy. But when adrenal gland fails to function perfectly well, your body start looking for other sources of energy and therefore give birth to cravings for sugar.
- Women going through menopause, and PMT or perimenopause are also likely to become victim of sugar cravings because during these times there is reduction in release of hormones named estrogen and progesterone which are directly responsible for increased insulin resistance. Hormonal changes occurring in your body lead to increased cravings for sugar.
Ways to Beat Sugar Cravings
Sugar craving is just like an addiction which needs to be taken as seriously as other addictions such as alcohol, cigarette etc. are taken. Let’s have a quick look at some of the ways through which you can beat your sugar cravings.
Eat Regularly
Get into habit of feeding your body with something healthy and nutritious after small intervals of time. Consumption of protein rich foods and healthy fats can effectively keep you fuller for longer duration and curb your cravings for sugar. Long gaps between meals foster your cravings to consume unhealthy sugary foods, so prefer keeping you full all the time.
Proceed Slowly
Don’t be hasty and proceed slowly. Bring some new and healthy changes on weekly basis, targeted to bring reduction in your consumption of sugar. Gradual sugar control process will program your brain and will naturally curb your cravings for sugar. If you feel like consuming sugar, you can satisfy your cravings by consuming small portions of these sugary foods.
Healthy and Nutritious Snacks
You can overcome your sugar craving by consuming healthy snacks such as raw nuts and seeds, hard-boiled egg, guacamole with veggies, raw veggie salad with hummus, cup of cottage Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, organic goat cheese etc. Besides that, eat ample amount of high fiber fruits and vegetables. They are rich in various vital nutrients and fiber.
Healthy Beverages
You can swap coffee or other sugary beverages with herbal tea, green tea etc. Along-with providing nutrition to your body, these beverages will divert your mind and will remove your cravings for sugar.
Proper Sleep
Sleep adequately for eight to nine hours in a day. Lack of sleep develops negative emotions such as frustration, anger, sadness, loneliness, laziness, exhaustion etc. in you. These negative emotions promote emotional eating and gradually make you become addicted to sugar.
Throw Sugary Junks
Mostly you feel tempted to eat sugary foods because you have them available at your home. Should you stop reserving sugary foods in your kitchen cabinets and refrigerators, you can take a great step ahead towards keeping your cravings under control. Swap sugary foods items with healthy and nutritious foods such as nuts, seeds etc.
Exercise regularly
Exercises are vital for a perfectly hale body. Practice exercises for thirty to forty minutes in a day. Exercises enhance the functioning of various organs and maintain balance in the release of hormones in your body. Exercise on daily basis will also trigger mood enhancing hormones in your body which will cheer up your mood, and will not let your body become emotionally handicapped in the hands of sugary foods.
Refrain From Refined Foods
Prefer refraining from refined, unhealthy and processed foods. These foods contain sugar in high amount. Make healthy replacements and swap unhealthy foods with organic and whole foods. In addition to them, purge soft drinks, energy drinks, alcohol and soda drinks also. All of them have high content of sugar.
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