The good news is – if you are a sugar lover, you are not weak or lack discipline. Rather, you are bouncing around your blood sugar, which creates the intense craving for more and more sweet foods. The reason the brain craves carbohydrates or sweets, is because it needs glucose (sugar) to rebound for its hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) state.
In a nutshell, here is the cycle:
The Stimulus (refined flours, sugars, stress, fatigue)
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Blood sugars drop triggering a response in the brain to bring sugars back up. This is when the craving occurs!
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A sugar or a refined carbohydrate is often grabbed (cookies, crackers, candy etc.). In response to this food choice, insulin is secreted to deal with the excess sugar.
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Excess sugar is stored as fat…. Typically around the belly region.
In order to successfully lose weight, get rid of cravings and be in optimal health, blood sugar needs to become balanced. Here are very effective ways to balance blood sugars and zap your sugar cravings for good!
Sugar busting tips
- Make sure every meal you have contains protein. Protein is a “stabilizer” for blood sugar. In addition to “dampening” the effect of insulin, protein also helps to fill you up. Opt for 3-5 ounces per meal.
- Replace processed sugar foods with naturally sweet foods. Keep unsweetened applesauce, berries, apples and naturally dried foods on hand for the perfect sweet snack.
- Drink plenty of water. Make sure you hydrate with at least 2 liters of water per day. You can opt for sweet teas such as berry, apple, cinnamon spice and/or Bengal spice.
- Do not skip meals. Skipping meals tends to fluctuate blood sugar levels causing the urge for cravings to go up.
- Identify the times of day where you are having cravings. Typically cravings occur between 3-4 pm or after dinner. Design a plan to be prepared for that time (i.e. a few frozen grapes to grab, 1 small piece of dark chocolate).
- Say good-bye to artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners do not dampen sweet cravings and research shows they may contribute to weight gain.
- Use sweet spices such as cinnamon in your coffee instead of sugar. If you must use some sugar, opt for coconut sugar, which is lower on the glycemic index.