10 simple steps to curb sugar cravings
Follow these simple steps to help curb sugar cravings and enjoy a healthier life.
Eat foods that contain chromium. This mineral regulates blood-sugar and cholesterol levels, and helps to reduce sugar cravings. Good sources of chromium include lean meats, asparagus, cheese, broccoli, kumara, apples and wholegrains.
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Make sure you’re getting plenty of magnesium. Being deficient in magnesium makes sugar cravings worse. Try eating more dark, leafy greens such as spinach, brown rice, oat bran, soy beans, quinoa, avocado, and nuts and seeds.
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Get enough zinc. Eating too much sugar is linked to low zinc levels. Because zinc plays a part in how food tastes, if you have low levels, your taste buds want more flavour, which can lead to you craving sugar – so it is a vicious cycle. You’ll find zinc in beef, pork, wholegrains, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, yoghurt, chickpeas, eggs and oysters.
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Have healthy fats with your meals. Fats not only help to keep blood-sugar levels stable, they can also make you feel full. Good sources of healthy fats include avocados, nuts and seeds, extra virgin olive oil and natural fats found in animal products such as salmon and eggs.
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Eat fermented foods. Fermented and cultured foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchee (an Asian-style fermented cabbage) and yoghurt, can help beat sugar cravings because their sour taste overcomes the desire for something sweet.
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Use cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Adding these spices to your cooking will not only sweeten your food naturally, but they can also help to balance blood-sugar levels and reduce sugar cravings.
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Drink plenty of water. It’s important to drink adequate fluids as dehydration is linked to food cravings. We often mistake dehydration for hunger, and eat when we should be drinking.
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Get adequate sleep. When we’re tired and lacking in energy, we look for a quick boost – and often turn to sugary foods. Getting enough sleep will help you to avoid this.
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Try a supplement. L-glutamine is an amino acid made by the body that can help curb cravings for sugary foods (and alcohol). It prompts the body to suppress insulin and stabilises blood sugar.
Image: bauersyndication.com.au
Eat regularly. If you miss a meal, when you get hungry, your blood sugar drops, making it more likely you’ll want something sugary to boost your energy levels. Try to eat regularly, and if you snack between meals, opt for fruit or a high-protein snack such as nuts.
Image: Andrew Finlayson/ bauersyndication.com.au
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