I already wrote about how to stop salt cravings, or how to end chocolate and cheese cravings, but….
It is time we talk about the most common craving I get asked about: Sugar Cravings!
I get it, it’s the holidays, which means we’re eating gingerbread cookies at home and pumpkin pie at work. With your sugar consumption increasing, you probably noticed your cravings for sugar increasing as well. Yikes!
These cravings come from imbalanced blood sugar, which could be due to stress, caffeine, lack of sleep, or a diet high in sugar and simple carbohydrates (white flour products, white pasta, white rice, etc.).
Here are 4 ways you can balance your blood sugar and escape from the sugar spike and crash cycle:
- Rather than reach for the sugar and caffeine, eat nutrient dense foods to help balance your blood sugar. For this, think protein + veggies + healthy fats. Examples include:
- Hummus and veggies or crackers (my favorites are Mary’s Gone Crackers Super Seed)
- Mixed greens salad with protein (chickpeas, lentils, quinoa, tuna, etc.) with a healthy fat dressing (olive oil with vinegar or lemon juice)
- Green smoothie with 1 piece of fruit, ½ cucumber, 1 celery stalk, leafy greens, a healthy fat (avocado, seeds or nuts), and then any fancy extras (protein powder, maca powder, cacao powder)
- Scrambled eggs with green veggies (asparagus, green bell pepper, etc.) or dark green leaves (kale, spinach, etc.) sautéed in olive oil
- Cut back on your caffeine consumption. Sure, in the short term this might make you feel worse (headaches and fatigue) but in the end it will help you have stable energy throughout the day provided you stick to nutrient dense foods.
- Practice stress reduction techniques such as mindfulness, belly breathing, and meditation.
- Create a nighttime routine, just like you would for a child, and stick to it. Stop drinking liquids at least one hour before bed to avoid late night trips to the bathroom.
Besides unstable blood sugar, cravings come from the fact that sugar actually is addictive!
Let me know in the comments below what foods you are craving and if these fixes have worked for you!
If you have been struggling with imbalanced blood sugar or sugar cravings and haven’t been able to kick it, then work with me! I’ll help you figure out what is keeping you stuck.
