We all go through it — the sudden urge to taste something sweet.
Perhaps it is a craving for a delectable dessert after dinner, or even as
simple as adding sweet sugar to our morning cup of Joe. The energy and joy we
feel as the sugar settles in can become an addictive feeling that we crave time
and time again. Unfortunately with sugar “highs” come the sugar “lows” when we
feel tired and the urge for something sweet starts all over again. It’s time to
uncover the truth about sugar cravings and how we can finally tame our sweet
tooth and break our sugar addiction.
Sugar Addictions
How it works – Sugar fuels every
cell in the brain so the brain perceives sugar as a reward, which causes our
sugar cravings to want more. Simple sugars found in syrup, soda, candy, and
table sugar quickly gets absorbed into the bloodstream, causing our blood sugar
levels to spike (known as the “sugar high”). Once the blood sugar is moved out
of the bloodstream and into our cells for energy, (with the help of the hormone
insulin), it causes a drop in blood sugar levels. These rapid changes in blood
sugar levels leads to the crash, or sugar “low”, leaving us to feel tired and
wiped out and in search for more sugar to regain the “high”. This sets us up
for bad eating habits that are hard to break.
The Good News! – Sugar is not needed
as much as we think. We can retrain our taste buds to enjoy things that are not
as sweet or find ways to curb our sugar cravings. The best way to do this is to gradually cut down foods or drinks with added sugar.
This change is more doable for long term so that we are not likely to fall back
into bad habits. Try one less sweet food or drink from your diet each week. For
example, pass dessert after dinner or use less sugar in your coffee or cereal.
Over time, you will lose the need for the sweet, sugary taste!
Most Americans consume about 19 teaspoons or more of added sugar a
day, which equates to up to 285 calories. You should be aiming for no more than
6 teaspoons daily for women and 9 teaspoons for men, cutting it down to 100
calories and 150 calories, respectively. Try some of these tips to cut down on
added sugar consumption:
No need to completely give up
on sweet treats. Simply replace table sugar or sweet processed foods with the
“good-for-you” sweets such as fresh berries or fruit in oatmeal instead of
sugar. Try dried, frozen, or canned fruit without added sugar. Also, a
low-sugar yogurt can help provide you with natural sugars to satisfy your
cravings.
·
Protein helps! High protein foods digest more slowly,
keeping you feeling full for a longer period of time and curbing the sugar
cravings. Lean proteins such as lean meats, low-fat yogurt, eggs, nuts, or
beans are good choices and also do not make your blood sugar spike up and down
the way refined carbs and sugars do.
·
Fill up on fiber. Like protein, fiber helps in keeping you full and
giving you more energy. Fiber does not raise your blood sugar, preventing any
crashes or sugar “lows”. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are some good
examples to aim for. Smear some peanut butter on an apple for a protein/fiber
combo!
·
Watch out for hidden sugars. Get in the habit of
reading food labels and filter out high sugar foods before they hit your
shopping cart. If sugar is listed in the first few ingredients, the product is
likely to have more than 4 total grams of sugar, or 1 teaspoon. Sugar can also
be labeled differently with names like: agave nectar, brown rice syrup, high
fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, malt syrup, molasses and words
ending in –ose (glucose, lactose, sucrose, etc.) Foods that are not commonly
seen as sweet may contain high amounts of sugar such as ketchup, barbecue
sauce, pasta sauce, and reduced-fat salad dressings, which is why it is
important to read food labels to help control added sugar intake.
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