Crush those Sugar Cravings…

Sugar cravings are caused by the high rises and rapid drops in your blood sugars. This occurs when you eat refined carbohydrates, when you skip meals or lack balance in your meals/snacks. The key to avoiding sweet cravings is to avoid spikes and crashes in blood sugars. Here are some hints on how to stabilize your blood sugars:

• Eat a protein source with every meal and snack. Protein comes from our meats, fish, eggs, beans, tofu, nuts, seeds, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt and cheese. Protein will help anchor the food into your body causing minimal spikes in blood sugars. For example, have a small amount of natural peanut butter or an egg on your toast in the morning instead of just honey.
• Eat every 3-4 hours. This means having 3 small meals and a mid-morning snack and a mid-afternoon snack. You need to come prepared to work with healthy snacks. Try a few nuts or a pre-portioned yogurt with a piece of fruit. Eating frequently will also help keep energy levels high.
• Make sure to eat whole grains – avoid white, refined grains like muffins, croissants, scones, crackers and pasta made with white flour. Whole grains keep you full longer and keep your blood sugars stable by slowing digestion. When buying breads/cereals/bagels, etc. make sure they are high in fiber. The first ingredient in your bread should read whole grain flour, not enriched wheat flour.
• Make sure to get adequate calcium in your diet. Your needs are approximately 1000-1200mg/day. One serving of dairy has 300mg/day. Aim to get 3 servings of low fat dairy/day.
• Try brushing your teeth after a meal or when you are having a sweet craving. This signals to the brain that you are done eating. Bring a toothbrush to work.
• Try drinking water, diluted juice or herbal tea with your meals. Being adequately hydrated can help decrease sweet cravings.

But certainly, don’t deprive yourself completely of sweets. Aim to follow the 80/20 rule – eat healthy food 80% of the time and allow yourself some ‘not-so-healthy’ food 20% of the time. This make an eating plan maintainable - we all need to enjoy a bit of chocolate cake once-in-a-while!