With Christmas just around the corner, and the sweet taste of Halloween still lingering on our lips, we have the distinct feeling that we’ve just bought a one way ticket to sugar town.
No matter how strong the resolve to avoid the white stuff, sometimes, it just takes one bad weekend to reintroduce bad habits and before you know it, you’re chain eating chocolate fingers! It’s no secret that we’re all eating too much sugar and this is not good news for our health, with associated problems ranging from obesity to diabetes.
So, what can we do to break the habit and satisfy the need to snack without caving into cravings?
Step away from the candy Santa’s and try some of our top tips to kick those cravings!
Out of sight, out of mind
Sometimes, just the sight of something tempting can be enough to weaken the resolve. But don’t fall short! Here are some top tips:
- Having naughty treats around the house makes it very easy to give in. Do yourself a favour and clean out your cupboards.
- Don’t give in to the supermarket ‘buy one get one free offers’. They’re cheap and tempting, but don’t give in! Sweet treat offers can usually be found at the end of the aisles so whizz your trolley past them!
- Make sure you don’t have tasty triggers waiting to trip you up at every opportunity. Instead, fill a bowl with fresh, colourful and inviting fruit to nibble on when you get a snack attack
Pack a protein punch
If you find your energy levels peaking and falling throughout the day and you constantly crave a sweet treat to perk yourself up, consider stabilising your blood sugar levels. Filling up on a protein rich breakfast is a good place to start. Beginning your day with a hearty bowl of porridge or poached eggs on wholegrain toast will give your body the steady, slow release fuel it needs, stopping you reaching for the pick n’ mix.
Water, water everywhere
Often, we assume that we’re hungry when, in actual fact, we’re dehydrated. Most of us don’t drink nearly enough water. Reaching for the donuts can be your body’s response to the need to keep your fluid levels topped up. Try glugging a glass of water the next time you feel a pang and see if the craving subsides.
Swap it out
Sometimes, the urge to snack is just too great and that’s OK. Having an on-the-go boost is great for energy levels – just choose wisely!
Instead of sugar laden sweets or even cereal bars that claim to be healthy, opt for natural options, such as:
- nuts and seeds
- crudités
- fresh fruit
- nut butter on oatcakes
- make your own snacks to take to work using protein-packed ingredients
Do you suspect that you have a sugar intolerance or allergy? Symptoms can be wide-ranging and sugar intolerance can be hard to spot. Make sure you read our handy sugar guide which talks through the signs of a sugar intolerance or allergy.
Taking steps to cut down on sugar but still feeling tired or suffering with low energy? Have you considered it could be due to something else in your diet? Why not try the yorktest Food Intolerance Test to find out whether trigger foods could be causing you problems?
