It’s all too easy to let sugar cravings get the best of you, especially around the holidays. But a diet high in sugar is not connected to longevity, feeling great, or looking great! That’s why we’re sharing some preventative tips for beating sugar cravings.
Sleep more
Research has shown that increasing duration and quality of sleep helps individuals make healthier food choices and decrease their appetite for sugar. A big part of this has to do with how the human body produces the hormones leptin and ghrelin. Ghrelin increases appetite for carbohydrates, and leptin suppresses hunger. When you are sleep-deprived ghrelin increases and leptin decreases, impairing your ability to resist those cookies sitting in the office kitchen. A lack of sleep also disrupts blood sugar, leading to more cravings.
Eat more real food
Eating a diet high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats are your best bet for curbing sugar cravings. These foods keep you feeling full and your blood sugar stable, preventing large crashes that signal “eat sugar!” to your body. Fat and protein combined every meal is your best bet for satiation and managing energy. A wide variety of fruits and vegetables will help you avoid any micronutrient deficiencies that can be responsible for cravings.
Skip the high-intensity workouts
The body requires sugar to create energy for high-intensity, unsustainable training. Intense training demands sugar to perform and recover, which is one great reason to focus on strength training and aerobic training instead.
Chill out
Sugar consumption is often tied to stressful events and used as a coping mechanism for chronic stress. Ingesting sugar may feel good in the moment, but often leads to a slump and negative mood after. Managing stress and noticing when you use food as stress-relief is step one to breaking this cycle.
Do things that make you smile
Making time for activities and people you love is a really important part of managing stress and preventing cravings. When your life is full of things that bring you purpose, you’re less likely to go for candy to bring short-lived happiness. Whether it’s meditating, hanging with friends, reading, biking, or making music, find daily joy and you’ll stop trying to fill the void with sugar!
Just as habits take time to build, they also require consistency to break. While tricks like “drink a glass of water” or “brush your teeth” when you feel a sugar craving may help, more often than not the solution is crafting a lifestyle that prevents cravings in the first place.
If you’re trying to reduce the amount of sugar you consume then find an OPEX coach near you. They can help you set an action plan that encompasses your exercise, nutrition, and behaviors, and put an end to band-aiding a lifestyle that is fueling cravings.
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