How To Deal With Sugar Cravings. Practical Advice

How to deal with sugar cravings. Practical advice

The love of sweets can become a habit that can be difficult to combat. It is known that a large amount of sweets can lead to weight gain and the development of serious diseases, such as heart disease. The amount of sugar consumed should be controlled, the amount of calories obtained from easily digestible carbohydrates should not be large.

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The love of sweets can become a habit that can be difficult to combat. It is known that a large amount of sweets can lead to weight gain and the development of serious diseases, such as heart disease.

The amount of sugar consumed should be controlled, the amount of calories obtained from easily digestible carbohydrates should not be large. Here are some tips to help you do this.

1. Get enough sleep

Lack of sleep can affect appetite by increasing the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin. In other words, if you sleep less than the recommended 7-8 hours at night, your cravings for food increase during the day.

A 2012 study found that just looking at candy or pizza activated reward centers in the brains of awake people, as opposed to well-rested study participants.

2. Read food labels

Much of the sugar you eat can come from hidden sources such as salad dressings and bread. These supplements can lead to some addiction to these foods, thanks to the effects of sugar on the reward system in the brain.

“The first thing people notice when they limit their intake of foods with added sugars is that their cravings for sweets are reduced,” says David Ludwig, a professor at Harvard School of Public Health. T. Chan (Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health).

3. Quality instead of quantity

“For something sweet, choose something small and tasty,” says Susan Moores, a nutritionist and nutritional consultant based in Minnesota. And, according to her, at the same time, one should “not overdo it” with the quantity, but choose small pieces and savor them, and not devour huge portions of chocolate or other sweets, since large portions cause cravings for sweets.

4. Find alternatives to sugary foods

For healthy sugary foods, choose natural sources of sugar while reducing the amount of sugar added. This can be done, for example, by changing foods and drinks in the diet.

For example, replace flavored yogurt with Greek yogurt, which can be made a little sweeter by adding fresh fruit. Likewise, try not to buy sugary drinks, such as soft drinks or energy drinks. Instead, enjoy a glass of mineral water flavored with your favorite fruit.

5. Consume more protein

As Alissa Rumsey of the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says, in addition to fats, protein is also usually absorbed more slowly than carbohydrates.

“If you eat mostly carbohydrate foods that aren't enough protein, they will be digested faster and cause your blood sugar to rise,” says Ramsey. After a spike in blood sugar, she says, blood sugar drops, which can contribute to sugar cravings. To prevent this from happening, she recommends stabilizing your blood sugar by including more protein in your diet.

Based on materials from MedicalDaliy.