Do you tend to opt for a donut and sweet vanilla latte in the morning? Does your lunch typically include a soda? Do you always have dessert with dinner and maybe even a sweet treat before bed?
Do you also find that the more sugary foods you eat, the more you crave them and the hungrier you feel? It is indeed a vicious cycle!
The good news is, there are actual ways you can STOP the cravings for sweets and junk food and retrain your taste buds to want healthy foods. Use the following tips to help you get healthy once and for all!
Avoid Refined Carbohydrates
When we eat foods high in simple carbohydrates like pasta and bread, it causes a blood sugar spike, which leads to more sugar cravings. Easier said than done at times, but in order to get a handle on your taste buds and overall health, you need to cut out refined carbohydrates and replace them with complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, sweet potatoes, black beans, and brown rice.
Eat More Protein
Research has uncovered an interesting fact: your body will force you to eat in order to get enough protein! That’s why when you eat a lot of carbohydrates you still feel really hungry and keep eating. It’s because your body NEEDS way more protein to be healthy than you are giving it. Eat more quality plant-based protein from vegetables, beans, nuts or lean animal protein if you are not vegetarian. You’ll find that a lot of your cravings will quickly subside and you’ll feel fuller longer.
Eat More Healthy Fats
Healthy fats found in foods like olives, fatty fish, eggs, nuts, and avocados are important for your overall health. And, like protein, they will help to satiate you. Fat is also important for brain health. Many mood disorders, like depression, stem from a lack of healthy fats in the diet in some individuals. When we feel depressed or anxious, we tend to reach for unhealthy comfort foods laden with trans fats and refined sugars and usually low in essential nutrients. So be sure to eat plenty of healthy fats.
Stay Hydrated
We think of hydration as getting enough water in the diet. But hydration is about ensuring we have a proper balance of electrolytes. Just as our body will crave all kinds of foods in an effort to get enough protein, it will also try to get you to eat to get enough electrolytes and other important minerals like calcium and potassium. Try using a salt substitute or sea salt instead of refined table salt.
When you know WHY your body is craving certain foods - because it is trying to get you to eat what it REALLY needs - then you can take the appropriate steps to stop the cravings and get healthy once and for all!
SOURCES:
- https://www.rallyhealth.com/weight/7-ways-to-kick-your-sugar-cravings
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/13-ways-to-fight-sugar-cravings#1
- https://www.readyseteat.com/inspiration-and-tips/how-kick-sugar-cravings-curb