3pm rolls around and your body is screaming for some sugar after a stressful day at work. You go to reach for the trusted chocolate bar but wait! Its sugar free September and it’s time to change those bad habits once and for all. Cravings can be hard but they are not impossible to fight. Here at The Muesli we have created some tips to help you fight those pesky sugar cravings and give sugar the boot for good!
1. Distract yourself.
Cravings often subside once your mind is distracted by another activity so why not go for a walk, read a book or clean the house. It will help clear your mind, relax the body and before you know it the cravings will no longer be present!
2. Incorporate alternatives into your diet
Missing that sweetness with your coffee in the morning? Incorporate cinnamon into your diet, either on top of your oats or in your coffee, it tastes sweet and balances your blood sugar levels. A teaspoon of coconut oil in peppermint tea is amazing and filling.
3. Skip artificial sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners can be responsible for greater sugar cravings due to tricking the taste buds but not the brain. Artificial sugars don’t trigger the realise of dopamine that normal sugars do resulting in the brain wanting a sugar hit even more.
4. Include smaller, healthier meals
Cravings can often be avoided by keeping the body fuelled and blood sugars levels stable. Eating every three to five hours stabalises blood sugar levels, leaving you satisfied and less likely to grab the 3pm chocolate bar. Make sure to include plenty of protein and carbs in your diet
5. Hide it from view
Often when we can’t see it we won’t crave it! So stash the sugar at the back of the pantry or better yet throw it out. If the sugar isn’t present when the cravings hit, you’ll have no choice but to eat a healthy alternative
6. Grab a piece of fruit
Fruit can provide the hit of sweetness your body craves as well as providing the body with plenty of fibre to keep it feeling full for longer. Choose a whole fruit such as an apple or some berries.
7. Sip on lemon or fruit infused water
Tired of the taste of water and craving a sugary beverage? Lemon or fruit infused water makes drinking water more enjoyable