Next time your sweet tooth starts taking control, fight back with these tips to break your sugar addiction:
Reach for Water and Fruit
Instead of reaching for a cupcake, fill up with a glass of water and fruit. The combination will not only fill you up, but also help re-train your brain to enjoy the natural sugar threshold fruit provides.
Dive into Distraction
When you notice you’re tempted to indulge with a sugary snack, dive into a distraction such as partaking in a hobby, cleaning, brushing your teeth or tackling a new task. Even walking away from the kitchen or reminding yourself you only want it out of habit can help you make a better choice.
Get Moving
A simple walk around the block or doing some stretching can depress the urge of a sugar spree.
Take a Deep Breath
If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed with a sugar craving, escape to a quiet place and take some deep breaths. This will lower your stress levels and minimize your craving. You can also try breathing in different scents to help calm you down, like peppermint or grapefruit. Smell and appetite are closely linked, so, sometimes the right scent can help settle a craving.
Eat
That’s right, I said it! Eating frequent, balanced meals packed with protein, fiber and healthy fats will tame your sweet tooth and level hormones that can drive sugar addiction.
Get Some Shut-Eye!
Sleep plays an important role in maintaining proper hormone levels of Leptin, an appetite-inhibiting hormone, and Ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone. Aim for a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep per night and listen to your body, if you feel tired try to fit in more shut eye.
Author:
Sarah Mattison Berndt, MS, RD, CD
Owner Fit Fresh Cuisine & Hybrid Athletic Club
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