Are Artificial Sweeteners Better
Artificial sweeteners, which are sugar-free and typically lower in calories than sugar, might seem like healthier options, but that idea is controversial. A 2012 scientific statement from the AHA concluded that using artificial sweeteners such as aspartame , saccharin , and sucralose can reduce the number of calories in your diet, thereby helping you lose weight.
However, there’s also evidence that eating these sweeteners, which are generally hundredsor even thousandsof times sweeter than sugar, can make you crave sweets even more. You undermine the benefit of using artificial sweeteners, for example, if you use a glass of diet soda to justify having a bowl of ice cream.
However, if artificial sweeteners can help you cut back on calories in a meaningful way, then they can be helpful in controlling weight and blood sugar. “For people who are trying to make small changes to their diet, artificial sweeteners are sometimes a good stepping stone, but they’re not a permanent fix,” Dr. Hauser says.
You may wonder which artificial sweetener is best. All of the sweeteners on the market are considered safe. There were reports during the 1970s linking saccharin to bladder cancer in rats that were fed extremely high doses of the sweetener. However, later studies didn’t find any evidence of the same effect in humans. Aspartame was also linked to cancer at one time, but that association has also been disproved.
An Imbalance In Blood Sugar
Another reason to crave sugar is if you have reduced glucose levels in the blood.
Sugar in the form of glucose acts as fuel for different cell functions. When the glucose supply is insufficient, the body will send hunger and sugar cravings as a signal to provide it a quick sugar boost.
This is especially common if your diet is full of processed foods and lacks fiber. Fiber controls the release of sugar, while processed foods will cause an immediate spike and fall in sugar, again causing you to crave sugar.
Using The Wrong Types Of Sugar Substitutes
If youre craving sweet soda, your first instinct might be to reach for a diet beverage as a healthy substitute. However, this may be a reason youre craving sugar.
According toHarvard Health, artificial sweeteners can change our relationship to the taste of food, making us more likely to choose artificial sugars in place of natural sugars, like those found in fruit. If you get used to sugar substitutes, you may inadvertently start reaching for other sweet foods with high caloric value, not realizing how many calories youre consuming.
The good news is, not all sugar substitutes are created equal. Check out our guide to thebest artificial sweetenerto learn more about how different types of sweeteners affect your body.
Also Check: How To Reduce High Sugar Level Immediately
Cut Off Energy Drinks And Fruit Juices Except For Green Vegetable Juice
Juicing strips off all the fiber that could help slow down the release of sugar, meaning you will not get that quick spike. This also means youll experience the rest of the benefits in the fruit.
Consuming fruit juice or energy drinks will cause a spike in blood sugar, followed by a drastic drop. This is because these drinks have no fiber, so the sugar will quickly be released into the bloodstream. This will trigger insulin release, which will quickly move glucose out of the blood, causing a drop with a subsequent craving for more sugar.
Swap Carbonated Drinks For Carbonated Water
Carbonated drinks such as soda are full of sugar and generally not good for you. However, it can be difficult to let go, especially if you are attending parties or in the summer when you want something to calm the heat. Luckily, carbonated water can do the trick. Just flavor it a little with any sweet spice, or add a splash of natural juice such as cranberry or cherry juice to give it color. You can also add a naturally flavored teabag.
Also Check: How To Bring Down Sugar Level Quickly
Prepare Alternative Foods To Eat
If you cant help yourself to break your sugar habit, prepare alternative foods to eat so that, when sugar cravings strike, you have something to eat. Instead of eating sugary snacks, try some healthiest foods such as apples, blueberries nuts, strawberries, dried fruit, or yoghurt. These alternative foods can curb your cravings for sweets and provide you healthy nutrition.
Go For A Brisk Walk Outside
Another thing that can work is to go outside for a brisk walk.
If you are a runner, running will be even better.
This serves a two-fold purpose. First, you are distancing yourself from the food that you are craving.
Second, the exercise will release endorphins, or feel good chemicals in your brain, which can help turn the craving off.
If you cant go outside, do a few exhausting sets of burpees, push-ups, body weight squats or any other body-weight exercise.
Summary
Going for a brisk walk or running may help reduce cravings.
You May Like: Sugar Increase Symptoms
Switch Spice For Sugar
Sweet spices, like ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, can trick your sweet tooth and satisfy your craving.
If you like to bake, you can reduce the sugar in many recipes without compromising taste by adding cinnamon, vanilla or cocoa.
Spices are also a great substitute for sugar in hot drinks. Try adding mint, ginger or cinnamon to your tea.
/7manage Your Sleep Schedule
It is not only your diet habit that triggers the urge to have sugar, your sleep schedule also has a crucial role to play in it. If you stay awake till late at night or cut down on your sleeping habit, you will crave carbs and sugar. That’s because sleep deprivation increases the production of hunger hormones called ghrelin. To lose weight and avoid sugar, sleep on time and take a rest for 7-8 hours.
Don’t Miss: How To Reduce Diabetes Instantly
What Are Sugar Cravings
A craving is not driven by hunger but by your desire for pleasure. Everyone has sugar cravings every now and then, which is what makes a healthy diet difficult to follow. The urge can be extremely powerful, and many fail to overcome it. This leads to a vicious overeating cycle of sugar addiction where your cravings never end. If you give in and eat something sweet, you end up wanting more, and no matter how many chocolates you eat, the satisfaction never comes.
In order to reduce your sugar intake, you have to first learn what causes sugar cravings, so you can make smart choices and avoid potential triggers. An imbalance of blood sugar is a well-known culprit of a sweet tooth. Once you ingest something sweet, your body digests it and in the process, the sugar gets absorbed into your blood. In this way, your blood sugar level increases. To counter this rise, your body releases a hormone called insulin. Sometimes, your body might release too much insulin which will further decrease your sugar levels below the normal range. This sharp reduction in blood sugar makes your body crave for more to bring it back to the standard level. And so the cycle begins.
Keep Meals Regularly Scheduled
“Have regularly scheduled meals. The worst thing you can do is let yourself get so hungry that you lose all control over your next food choice,” Alpert says. “Having meals or snacks every four hours helps to stabilize your blood sugar levels, keep you satisfied and in control until your next meal.” Losing control during a craving is one of the top reasons people give into them.
Read Also: How To Reduce Sugar Level Immediately
Fight Sweet Cravings With Bitters
Bitter taste receptors arent only on your tongue theyre found throughout your digestive system and on other organs. They largely go unused if you eat a traditional Western diet, but stimulating those receptors with bitter foods and herbs positively affects hormones involved in controlling hunger and appetite, which could help keep cravings in check.
Bitter herbs and aromatic bitters are also commonly used in traditional medicine to help stabilize and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. The pancreas, which makes insulin, actually contains bitter taste receptors.
To stimulate your bitter receptors, try adding a dropperful or two of aromatic bitters on the back of your tongue before meals and at your usual snack time. In terms of other herbal therapy, many herbs such as burdock root and dandelion root are naturally bitter, having been derived from bark and roots. Some bitter herbs also help support healthy blood glucose levels, such as andrographis, Dr. Rawls says.
When To See A Doctor
If you find yoruself feeling dizzy without sugar, or having regular cravings, it’s time to call a professional, as it could indicate a deeper problem. If you are craving sweets chronically, Goodman says this may indicate that you have hypoglycemia, for instance.
Even if it’s a sign of a nutritional deficiency, a professional can help determine what you’re lacking, how much you need, and ensure the lack of the vitamin or nutrient doesn’t lead to further problems. Magnesium deficiency, for example, has been linked to everything from osteoporosis to type 2 diabetes to heart disease. . When our body doesnt have enough magnesium, it will have trouble bringing energy into the cells and thus, feel deprived and crave sugar, Fahad explains.
Read Also: Reduce Sugar Level Immediately
Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
Experts say you should get between seven and nine hours of quality, restorative sleep each night. Luckily, going keto changes your sleep for the better so this should be easy.
Suddenly battling insomnia? Read this guide about why you have keto insomnia and how to get rid of it later.
Better sleep is just as important in the war on sugar cravings as the right macros.
How To Stop Sugar Cravings Naturally
Although it may seem sweet, sugar is anything but. Eating too much sugar can contribute to weight gain, development of Type 2 diabetes and increase in dental caries. Furthermore, the sweetener has no nutritional value and yet the average American consumes about 160 pounds of it each year. This may be due to sugars potentially addictive properties. According to research done by Princeton University, cessation of sugar may cause withdrawals and intense cravings. Taking the steps to stop sugar cravings naturally can improve your health and reduce your risk of chronic disease.
1
Eat regularly thoughout the day. When you skip meals, your blood sugar levels drop and as a result, your body craves sugar and refined carbohydrates. Eating within an hour of waking up and every two to three hours thereafter will help keep your blood sugar levels steady and your cravings at bay. Choose protein and fiber-rich foods, such as whole grains, nuts, skinless chicken breast or eggs.
2
Avoid refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates, like white bread and white pasta, cause dramatic spikes and drops in blood sugar levels, which can lead to hunger and sugar cravings. Replace refined carbohydrates with complex carbohydrates, like whole-wheat pasta, brown rice and whole-grain bread.
3
4
5
References
Also Check: Can Diabetics Eat Banana
Sugar Cravings At Night
A study showed that the desire to eat at night, specifically craving sugary, salty foods, may have to do with our bodys internal clock. This dates back to the days of our ancestors, when a caloric surplus in the evening was the bodys way of preparing for the potential shortage of food.
Some other reasons you may be craving sugar at night include:
- Not eating enough earlier in the day
- Habitual behavior
- Not getting enough sleep
Calculate Or Adjust Your Daily Macros
Since a shortage of fat or protein when youre cutting carbs leads to sugar cravings, you must calculate your daily macros and stick to them.
Fat will keep you fueled up and ready to go like sugar used to.
And meeting your protein goals will help you lose weight and prevent blood sugar dips by increasing satiety and curbing your appetite.
You also cant forget about fiber just because youre giving carbs the cold shoulder.
Fiber is your best friend on keto because it:
- Lowers the net carbs in foods since its passed rather than digested
- Helps you feel full
- Stabilizes blood sugar levels so cravings stay at bay
- Prevents constipation
Figuring out your ideal keto macros can be more challenging than giving up your favorite carbs.
Thats why a tool like the Perfect Keto Macro Calculator is a game-changer. Try it out and make sure youre feeding your body right.
And that includes water.
Read Also: How To Control High Sugar Level Immediately
What Should I Eat When I Crave Sugar
When you find yourself craving sweets, instead of giving in to the craving and devouring something loaded with sugar, try eating something that satisfies your sweet tooth while providing nutritional benefits.
Healthy foods that satisfy when youre craving sugar include:
- Fruit with nut butter
- Trail mix
- Whole grains
Aim for slightly sweet snacks that also have a protein and fat component. These types of foods will leave you feeling satisfied and on-track.
Embrace Sweet Fruits And Veggies
Nature created sweet flavors and theres no reason to demonize nature!
Mangoes, bananas, pineapples, papayas, sweet potatoes and other sweet, whole foods are packed with antioxidants and enzymes that are great for fighting wrinkles, eczema, bloating, inflammation and much more.
High sugar fruits naturally satisfy the sweet tooth and contain the vitamins and minerals we need to stay feeling and looking young.
The best way to get the benefits of the fruits?
Eat them when theyre quite ripe because ripe fruits alkalize the body .
Don’t Miss: Reduce Sugar Level Instantly
How To Stop Sugar Cravings Once And For All
Plus, the best foods to try when you’re in the mood for something sweet.
The average American woman consumes 48 pounds of added sugar every year. Thats four pounds a month! And dental cavities arent the only potential health problem we have to worry about. Eating too much sugar significantly raises your risk of life-shortening obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In fact, a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that people who exceeded the recommended daily limit of added sugar increased their risk of death due to heart disease by at least 30%.
Want to really take a break from sugar? Join our new membership club, GH+, to unlock access to Good Housekeeping‘s 21-day sugar detox plan, which will ease you out of your sugar cravings and help you form a healthy relationship with the sweet stuff.
Putting an end to sugar cravings and cutting back on added sugar is hard sweet foods tempt us at every turn and for many people, consuming those foods is a longtime habit associated with comfort or celebration. Sometimes sugar whispers at you from the grocery store aisle other times it screams at you from the freezer. The good news is, with some smart sugar strategies, you can significantly reduce your sugar cravings and take back your health.
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 youre less likely to go for candy to bring short-lived happiness. Whether its meditating, hanging with friends, reading, biking, or making music, find daily joy and youll 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 youre 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.
Recommended Reading: Sugar Tablet Before Or After Food
/7why Do We Crave Sugar
The desire to have sugar after dinner is mainly due to human biology. Studies suggest that the body’s internal clock increases hunger and cravings for sweet foods late in the evening. Eating food high in calories in the evening may affect your weight loss goal as our body handles nutrients differently depending on the time of the day. Surprisingly, your dinner habit can greatly influence your craving later. Making some tweaks in it can prove to be advantageous when you are trying to reach your fitness goal. Here are some tips that may help.
Know Your Food Triggers
Just thinking about your favourite foods can set in motion a range of physiological responses, as your mouth starts to produce saliva and your stomach prepares for digestion.
Cravings also lead to a surge in the hormone insulin. This then lowers your blood sugar levels, which makes you feel hungry, and you end up thinking you want a certain food even though you dont actually need it.
Read Also: Sugar Tablets Side Effects
Fill Up On Healthy Fats
Eat more nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, and salmon whenever you can. “Not only are these foods heart healthy and help with blood sugar control, healthy fats will displace excess sugar from the diet and keep the body satisfied for longer so you are less likely to have energy dips between meals prompting a quick sugar fix,” says Ashvini Mashru, MA, RD, LDN, and author of Small Steps to Slim. “A simple, healthy dietone that’s high in fiber and low in sugar, preservatives, and unhealthy fatsis all that’s needed to keep your body’s interior as smooth and sleek as the day it rolled off the assembly line,” adds Zinczenko.