When it comes to kicking your sugar cravings, you can feel as hopeless as an ant trapped in a sugar bowl. It's a double edge sword: the more you crave sweets, the more you eat, and the more sweets you eat, the more likely you are to have cravings. The secret to curing your insatiable sweet tooth comes from identifying your craving triggers, adding more healthy foods to your diet and substituting gentler, natural sweeteners for your usual sugar fix.
Stevia has been approved by the FDA, but only in moderate doses. Like all sweets, even stevia-sweetened items should only be consumed as an occasional treat.
Blank journal
Organic fruit and vegetables
Stevia
Step 1
Start a food and mood journal. You may find that your cravings have more to do with your emotions than the actual food. Writing down what you eat, crave and feel can not only help you to see connections between your cravings and emotions, but also help to vent your frustrations before you reach for that cupcake.
Step 2
Add in more good food to crowd out the bad. Think your small after work sweet snack is helping you outsmart your cravings? Sorry to burst your bubble, but when it comes to cravings, junk begets more junk. The smartest way to outsmart your sweet tooth is to smother it in fresh produce. Adding in raw, organic fruits and vegetables not only helps to keep your body healthy, but it also quells your cravings in the long run. Bonus: Once your taste buds have recovered from all that chemical junk in your system, a fresh piece of fruit will be just the sweetness you crave.
Step 3
Try a new sweetener. Still craving your favorite cookies, cupcakes and candy? The natural sweetener stevia is derived from a South African herb and can be substituted in any recipe calling for white sugar. Stevia contains zero calories and causes no change in blood sugar, making it a truly guilt-free indulgence.
Warnings
Things You'll Need
References
Warnings
- Stevia has been approved by the FDA, but only in moderate doses. Like all sweets, even stevia-sweetened items should only be consumed as an occasional treat.
Writer Bio
Michelle Shea Walker is a certified holistic health coach, wellness writer and vegan/gluten-free blogger. Her health coaching business, Health Happiness & Hula Hoops, has been featured on Fitness Magazine’s website and boasts some of Chicago’s hottest burlesque starlets as clients. Based on her life-styling motto that “Health is beauty,” she specializes in helping young women increase their energy, decrease their stress and discover a healthy glow.