If you’ve been trying to work on being healthier, eating well and cutting sugar from your diet; trust us when we say we’ve been there. It’s easy to fall back into the trap and give in to your sugar cravings because quitting that stuff is not easy! Desserts, sweets and chocolates are tempting and once they become a habit, it truly is hard to quit. But don’t give up just yet!
Eliminating refined sugar, artificial flavours and sweeteners and refined carbs will test your patience and willpower but we may have all the solutions for you. First things first, it is important to understand what a craving is. A craving is a desire or a longing or an intense need, in this case, for sugar. It is also important to understand that just because you are having a craving does not mean you have to eat sugar. You need to build up the resistance and really try to understand what is happening. Ask yourself what you are feeling. Do you just want something sweet or are you hungry?
Once you have asked yourself and answered your own question, then you can take a number of steps. You can start by having a glass of water followed by taking five deep breaths. This is usually great for creating a brief distraction and the water will automatically fill you up. Another step you could take is to do some form of physical activity, even if it is brief. Take a short walk or any form of physical activity that will get you moving.
If you’re really hungry or really want to give into the craving, then eat something, but ensure it is filling. It is also advisable that when you do your grocery shopping, you buy some healthy snacks that you can reach for when the cravings start to kick in. This could be dried figs, nuts or seeds or a piece of fruit. This will prevent you from giving in to the sugary snacks. Other healthy alternatives include cucumber sticks, sliced apples with peanut butter, vegies or even a hard boiled egg.
One of the most important steps is to dodge the enablers. It is inevitable that sugary snacks will be all around you; be it at the office, at home or whenever you’re out and about. It is then your job to tell those you interact with on a regular basis about your mission and goals and get them to support you; rather than make you feel bad when you don’t have a slice of their birthday cake or brownies they may have baked the night before.
Moreover, it really does take a lot of willpower and strength to give up sugar or eat right, but once you turn it into a habit, there’s no going back. Remember, it takes 21 days to form a habit!