Q: I have impulse control issues when it comes to sugar, especially during the holidays! Any tips to help my cravings?
A: I know sugar cravings can be really difficult to manage, especially if you have a long-time habit of eating sugar every time you are hungry. Change is slow, and takes time, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
Eat 3 main meals and 3 snacks throughout your day. Make sure the meals and snacks are healthy, like foods rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and protein (like fish or chicken). Eating this way will help you to not get hungry and start craving sugar.
Exercise daily. Even if that just means a brisk walk around the block, but make sure to avoid exercising at night.
Don’t keep sugar snacks at home. Having cupcakes, cake, candy bars, etc. around the house is just too tempting! Instead, have a good amount of veggies and fruit on hand.
Treat yourself. It’s ok to eat the sugary foods you crave every once in awhile.
Sleep is top priority. Proper sleep means at least 8 hours a night.
Increase your protein consumption. Eating protein fills you up and actually makes you crave sugar less.
Look for hidden sugar. Like that found in processed foods like crackers or sauces. These are foods we don’t normally think of as containing sugar, but they can, sometimes in large amounts.
Drink plenty of water. When you’re thirsty avoid fruit juices or sodas, as both contain a lot of sugar.
Here’s a link with more helpful tips:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1663
– Answer from Dr. German, a verified MD on JustAnswer
Daily Answer is excerpted from the JustAnswer archives and features information provided from a Expert on JustAnswer.
