We all love sweets. But why do we crave them even when we aren't hungry? And how can we fight this issue? I want to give you some information on why we all get addicted to sugar, and then share some tips to help overcome it.
Why do we crave sugar/sweets?
We are set up as babies kind of being stuck behind the eight ball, as our body will naturally prefer sweet tasting things. Sugar and carbohydrates in general release serotonin, a good brain chemical. The taste of sugar also releases endorphins, which calm and relaxes us. Hence the reason why people stress eat. Your body naturally knows that the endorphins will help you in your time of feeling stressed. The problem people have is they tend to over indulge in these things instead of just having a little bit here and there.
What can we do to help fight the sugar addiction?
1. Give in a little. Have a very small serving size of food you're craving, that way you won't feel as though you're being deprived of anything which can lead to overeating down the road.
2. Combine healthy foods with a sweet. Instead of having double servings of sugary foods, have a half serving of something sweet along with a half serving of something healthy and on your meal plan. This will help you get full faster and the cravings to go away for the sweet food.
3. Grab some gum. Research shows that chewing sugar-free gum when you get cravings can help significantly reduce your intake of the food. Bananas, apples, oranges work great.
4. Keep fruit handy. Fruit has a naturally sweet flavor and your body will get way more benefits from eating the fruit than it will the sugar.
5. Eat frequently. Skipping meals is probably the number one cause of people eating sugar. Try to prevent yourself from becoming too hungry between meals. Your blood sugar drops which tells your body automatically to have something sweet in order to raise it very quickly.
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