If you are ready to reduce your sugar intake or live a sugar-free lifestyle, but worry that you will crave your favourite treats and will not be able to stick with the programme, there are simple and delicious ways to do it without feeling like it is a sacrifice.
There are a multitude of recipes that are easy to make and tricks that will curb even the strongest sweet tooth. You just need the knowledge and the right ingredients to keep yourself on track so you can reap the amazing rewards of a sugar-free diet.
One of them is swapping your fruit juice for a piece of fruit. Fruit juice is void of any of the fruit's fibre, which is essential to lowering the impact of the juice on your blood sugar levels. So opt for whole, fresh organic pieces of fruit, instead. Another would be getting more sleep to balance your hunger hormones.
Studies have shown that shorter sleep duration is associated with an elevated body mass index. The reason for this is because your appetite-regulating hormones are negatively impacted by sleep debt, causing you to crave easy sources of energy that often come from sweets.
Here are some other tips from bloggers Cara-Lisa Sham and Jordyn Muirhead on how you can live a sugar-free lifestyle.
Jordyn Muirhead’s tips:
- When going to the shops do not buy anything that contains refined sugars. If you don’t buy it, you won’t have it in your house.
- Buy a healthier sweetener as an alternative that you can add to something if you desperately need to. Things like xylitol, honey, stevia.
- Drinking more water and eating more whole foods prepared at home will fill you up and leave less space for sugary items.
- Eating healthy fats like avocado, nuts, coconut oil, sometimes can aid with safety and sugar cravings.
- Beware of too many high sugary fruits as well; you don’t want to overload your system on fructose. Some of the best fruits are avocado, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries.
Cara-Lisa Sham’s tips:
Combine foods
If the idea of stopping yourself at a cookie or a baby candy bar seems impossible, you can still fill yourself up and satisfy a sugar craving, too. I like combining the craving for food with a healthful one.
Reach for fruit
Keep fruit handy for when sugar cravings hit. You’ll get fibre and nutrients along with some sweetness. Stock up on raw nuts and seeds, goji berries, and cacao nibs. Have them handy so you can reach for them instead of reaching for the old (sugary) something.
Balance your blood sugar levels.
Sugar cravings can also be due to insulin spikes which affect hunger and cravings. When we eat, we want to ensure that the foods consumed have little or no effect on our blood sugar levels. Consuming healthy fats is a brilliant way to feel sustained and to keep your blood sugar levels stable by preventing insulin spikes.
Eat regularly
Waiting too long between meals may set you up to choose sugary, fatty foods that cut your hunger. Your best bet? Choose protein, fibre-rich foods like whole grains, legumes, and fresh vegetables.
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