Do you find that snacking on sweet treats only increases your craving day after day and makes you fear for your figure and your health? Discover our tips here to permanently detox from sugar and end your cravings once and for all.
Why Do We Crave Sugar?
There are many reasons why we crave sweets. This appetite for sugar can be deeply inscribed in us because the sweet taste is the first taste towards which all human babies around the world react by mimicry of pleasure. And the fact is carbohydrates stimulate the release of serotonin, a brain chemical that provides an essential feeling of well-being.
The taste of sugar also releases endorphins which calm and relax us. Sweets also taste good. And this preference is reinforced when you reward yourself with sweet treats or accompany the happy moments of your life with sweets, which can make you want to eat them even more to regain that wonderful feeling of fullness and well-being.
But, if sugar seems good for morale, it is only sometimes good for health when consumed excessively and daily. Sugar would thus promote obesity, dental caries, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. Scientists even accuse sugar of being as or even more addictive than drugs.
And, the fact is sugar calls for sugar. After eating a sweet, our body feels like it is experiencing a short-term energy boost. But, quickly, the hunger and the craving for sugar return even stronger than before… How to put an end to this vicious circle? If you think you are addicted to sugar, here are some tips to tame your addiction…
Give In To Desire…But Not Just Any Old How
Not wholly depriving yourself of what you love most can help you avoid feeling frustrated. But there is no question of rushing on a whole chocolate bar! Try to stick to a tiny serving of treats daily, which should be 150 calories. Prioritize quality over quantity by questioning your authentic desires.
Choose a treat that you will enjoy and take the time to savor every bite of it very slowly., becoming aware of all the flavors and all the sensations felt at that moment. Close your eyes during your tasting session and allow yourself this timeless moment! You will find that a minimal amount of your favorite candy, savored in full consciousness, will bring you much more satisfaction and comfort than a large amount of candy swallowed in a hurry!
Satisfy Your Cravings In A Healthier Way
The problem with sweets is that they often provide “empty” calories! In other words, calories are in the form of simple carbohydrates and “bad” fats, without the nutrients of interest that our body needs to be healthy. Irremediably, these empty calories then turn into adipose tissue, fat that our body will store in the stomach, hips, thighs or buttocks.
To reverse this trend, the trick is to combine the sweet food that makes you crave with a portion of healthier food, vectors of nutrients of interest. By doing so, your craving and hunger will be appeased with a lesser amount of sweets. For example, if your indulgence is chocolate, dip a banana or other fruit in a little melted chocolate or eat a square of chocolate with a small handful of almonds. You’ll quell your cravings while consuming healthy nutrients with these healthy, filling foods.
Gradually, you can consume only the fruit or the almonds without the chocolate accompanying them or by replacing the chocolate with a bar of dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa, which will bring you less sugar. Also, try replacing your usual treats with tiger nuts. This is a sweet-tasting tuber that tastes like almonds. Rich in minerals and fiber, tiger nuts will appease all cravings and sugar cravings healthily!
Do A Detox
If you want to detox from sugar, apply the same method that works for people who suffer from addictions to drugs or alcohol, which consists of a complete withdrawal from the object of the addiction. In other words, eliminate all simple sugars from your diet.
As with any detox, the first 48-72 hours can be difficult, but some people find that stopping sugar intake suddenly helps reduce sugar cravings after a few days. Others still crave sugar but can find satisfaction with less sugar over time. During this withdrawal, drop all artificial sweeteners to disaccustom your taste buds to the taste of sugar.
Some studies also show that sweeteners could increase hunger and cravings for naturally sweet foods. One more good reason to banish them from your diet! To help you in your approach and so as not to crack, eliminate beforehand all the sugary products from your cupboards at home and plan an activity that will occupy your mind. Courage, you will get there!
Eat Better And More Regularly
Waiting too long between meals, skipping breakfast, eating too many high glycemic index foods or not eating enough protein can cause you to crave sugary and fatty foods that suppress hunger. Instead, eating healthily regularly, even split up over the day, can help stabilize your blood sugar and stave off sugar cravings.
What are your top picks? Choose the most satiating foods rich in protein and fiber, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes and lean meats. Also, banish from your diet ultra-processed industrial foods and refined starchy foods (white pieces of bread, white pasta, sugary cereals, etc.), which tend to increase sugar cravings. Eat regularly throughout the day, spacing your meals at most 5 hours apart and feel free to have snacks if you feel hungry between meals.
To avoid absorbing too many calories, you can split your meals by keeping, for example, the yogurt generally reserved for your breakfast for the middle of the morning! This way, you will avoid cravings and the irrepressible sugar cravings that often come with them! Planning your meals over the week and preparing them in advance can help you avoid craving sugary foods at mealtime. Think about it!
Take Stock Of Your Emotions
Many people eat sugary foods when they are stressed, depressed or angry.nWhen you crave sugar, take the time to take stock of your emotions and write down what you are feeling in a notebook at that precise moment. If it turns out that your sugar cravings are associated with negative emotions, do not hesitate to seek help from a psychologist to find solutions other than food for your emotional problems.
And, if you don’t want to consult, replace sugary foods with a good walk in nature, a workout or a nice relaxing bath. In a word, find another way to soothe your emotions and relax that doesn’t involve consuming sugary foods.
Try The Gym
To help you with your sugar detox, call on the properties of Gymnema. This Ayurvedic plant native to the rainforests of India has the power to inhibit the taste buds that detect sweet flavors for a few hours. It is so effective that it appears as a tasteless supplement when one eats sweet food after taking this plant. This is enough to reduce sugar cravings drastically!
It is mainly found as a powder to be placed under the tongue as soon as a craving for sweets arises! However, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before consuming it to check that there are no contraindications to using natural appetite suppressants.
Mix The Solutions
You may need more than one strategy to thwart your sugar cravings. Since everyone is different, the important thing is to have a panoply of things to reduce sugar cravings effectively. You have to find what works for you while being kind to yourself. It may take some time for you to get your sugar cravings under control. So don’t blame yourself if you crack, and be kind to yourself!