Handy Tips To Control Your Sugar Cravings
If you think it’s just you who craves for a high sugary snack every two hours, think again! You are not alone in this long, tiring battle against sugar cravings. Most people have sweet cravings either by afternoon or late at night. This is usually the time when blood sugar levels fall and the body starts sending signals for more energy consumption. Hence, the craving.
Read in detail about the harmful effects of sugar cravings and also explore some easy to follow ways to control it.
How does sugar craving affect your health?
When you consume sugar-rich foods, the blood sugar levels rise. To counter the rising blood glucose levels, the body releases more insulin. It causes the blood sugar levels to drop down lower than normal. This dip in blood sugar level is sensed by the brain causing a craving for more sugar. As a result, you end up eating more, loading more calories, and eventually gaining weight.
How to avoid the cravings?
Eat small frequent meals. These meals must be taken on time so that the body learns to follow the biological clock.
Keep a strict check on what you eat for breakfast. Having too little, or consuming more carbohydrates than proteins would leave you with sugar cravings by afternoon.
Add quality proteins like an egg, chicken, cheese, or paneer, and healthy-fat spreads like almond/ peanut butter or avocado spread to your diet. These protein-rich foods supply small quantities of glucose to the blood and help to stop those sugar cravings.
Analyzing your routine and figuring out the time of the day when the cravings are most strong can also help you counter them.
Some tips to help you reduce your sugar intake:
- Eat a fruit, a piece of dark chocolate, or take a glass of fruit smoothie whenever you have a sugar craving.
- Keep your sugary dips and syrups at a place where you cannot see them easily.
- Read food labels – Avoid bakery and processed foods that contain corn syrup, molasses, honey, high-fructose corn syrup, malt sugar, and dextrose.
- Engage yourself in some activity. Exercise or a walk in fresh air to keep your thoughts off food.
- Combine a sugary food with a fibrous food, and drink plenty of water.
- Try eating sugar-free chewing gums.
It may sound a herculean task to evade those constant sweet cravings, but the key is to follow the right, healthy eating practices. It will, on its own, ease up your sugar pangs without you even realizing it.
For any queries related to healthy eating, you can consult a Dietician at www.healthcaremagic.com
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