I’ll be the first to admit that during Girl Scout Cookie season I purchase and entire case – yes a CASE, 12 whole boxes of thin mints, and eat them slowly over the course of a month or two or three. And I will openly admit that after that very last box is gone I struggle to get back to a health maintenance of daily sugar intake. Sound familiar?
Well, I thought I might not be the only one.
So I wanted to share my top 10 ways to beat sugar cravings with you all today:
1. Drink plenty of water
We should all be drinking half of our body weight in ounces each and every day. That’s the bottom line number that our bodies need to keep hydrated, keep blood circulating and keep our vital organs flushing and pumping along. Water is an excellent natural detoxifier especially if you add a few wedges of lemon to it.
2. Eat more healthy fats
Often times sugar cravings are a sign that we’re not getting enough healthy fats in our diets. Healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, and nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter, etc.) are good for us and help reduce the cravings for sugars and simply carbs. My favorite suggestion for anyone battling sugar cravings is to first drink a glass of water, then eat a piece of toast with peanut butter.
3. Eat sweet veggies + fruits
Sweet veggies such as bell peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash… are a very effective way to satisfy those sweet cravings. Especially when paired with a healthy fat like peanut butter.
4. Get more rest
I know as a busy Mama its a struggle for me to get those 8 hours of zzzzz’s each day, but it’s important for so many reasons! A lack of sleep can lead to hormone imbalances, increased cortisol, extra belly fat, overeating and more. Go to bed early, take a nap, meditate – do something to rest your body and mind. And most importantly your body needs sleep!
5. Review your animal protein intake
Eating too few animal proteins can lead to a serious sweet tooth. But on the other side of that, eating too many animal proteins can lead to sweet cravings as well. Try the addition and subtractions methods to see which category you currently fall under.
6. Eat multiple times a day
A balanced diet should include 3 medium sized meals and at least 2 small sized meals, or snacks. I typically don’t go more than 2-3 hours without refueling my body and leveling back out my blood sugars. Which is an excellent practice to get into no matter what your energy level. If your energy level is high you need to be eating more dense meals. If your energy level is low you should focus on lighter meals for those snacks with plenty of proteins.
7. Add fermented foods to your diet
I used to shy away from any kind of fermented food, simply from a taste stand point. But once I learned the health benefits of fermented foods I try to eat them as often as possible. Fermented food have also been proven to decrease and/or eliminate sugar cravings when eating regularly. Foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented berries or carrots are all excellent options. Plain kombucha can also be helpful, but try to avoid any fruit flavored ones as they are typically loaded with sugars.
8. Add spices to your life
Coriander, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and cardamom will sweeten foods naturally and help reduce sugar cravings. One of my favorite steak marinades is heavy on the coriander and cardamom and tastes divine!
9. Enjoy a nice Epsom Salt Bath
Most of us are severely deficient in the mineral Magnesium which is vital to every body functions. Most chocolate cravings can be traced back to a magnesium deficiency. My favorite way to get magnesium is with an Epsom Salt Bath – but dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds and bananas are also excellent sources.
10. Shakeology
The very best way to get all of the nutrients and vitamins listed above is in the form of a simple superfoods drink, that I happen to drink and LOVE each and every day – Shakeology. It’s packed with those amazing free radical fighting superfood + a full day’s dose of nutrients and vitamins to keep any type of body in the very best health. And I’ve found it to be such an amazing super weapon in combating sugar cravings because it contains everything I just listed out above. If you haven’t at least tried this amazing shake I highly encourage you to do that now! There is a bottom of the bag guarantee so you’re never at a loss if you end up not loving it – which you will. And if you have a sweet tooth – like i do – I highly recommend the Chocolate or Vegan Chocolate options.
Have a happy and healthy day my friends!
