How to Survive with No Sugar in Diet
By Riya Puri 22-Jan 2020 Reading Time: 6 Mins
The human body gives many signals, amongst which some of them are good for our body whereas some of them are not. Sugar cravings are one of these subtle and challenging body signals. Sugar cravings are like little monsters who are going to grab you and torture you, until you feed them with sweets. The sugar releases endorphins that calms and relaxes your body thereby relieving you from stress and anxiety.
So, it is very challenging to overcome this craving. You must understand that sugar and sugary foods do no good to your body rather just provide you with those extra doses of calories. This little understanding will help you ward off the usual sugar cravings and will help you settle for what’s best for you. Here we bring you following tips to curb sugar cravings:
Eat food rich in fibre – Eating fibre rich foods makes you feel fuller for a long period of time and slows down the absorption of the food you eat, thereby helps to curb with cravings as well. Thus, more the fibre intake less are the cravings. So, consume foods rich in fibre like fruits and vegetables, prunes, whole cereals, beans and legumes.
Stay hydrated- Majority of the human body is made up of water, thus it is essential for you to replenish your water stores to avoid bloating. It is advised to consume a minimum 2-3 litres of water in a day to stay hydrated. Also, sometimes the thirst can be misinterpreted as a craving for sugar or so, thus drinking ample amounts of water can also result in reduced cravings.
Make healthy choices – When craving for something sweet rather than going for a chocolate or a sweet loaded with sugar, one must opt for a healthier substitute which can curb the craving as well as can satisfy the taste buds alongside.
Invest in sugar substitutes:
Fruits – Fruits contain their own natural sweetness which is a very good substitute to munch on when you suffer from sugar craving. Fruits also are high in fibre and other essential vitamins and mineral content which do furthermore good to your body.
Dry fruits such as prunes and dates- You may have one prune or a date in a day in order to curb your sugar craving. Prunes and dates are very high in fibre and also contain minerals like iron and potassium which are essential for the body.
Dark chocolate- Many of us tend to eat chocolates when they crave sugar. So, you may have two pieces of dark chocolate in a week to curb craving. Having dark chocolate is considered as a healthier option as dark chocolate is 70% coco and less of sugar. Also, dark chocolates contain antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory effects which makes it a healthier option as compared to other sugary food items.
Diet rich in protein- Foods high in protein fills up your stomach and keeps you full for a longer period of time, thereby helping you to curb sweet cravings. Thus, consuming high protein sources such as milk and its products, eggs, lean meat i.e. fish and chicken, pulses and legumes, etc. can help with sugar cravings.
Sleep- Lack of sleep can also lead to hormonal imbalances which may lead to cravings. Thus, sound sleep of 6-8 hours is recommended to stay healthy and fresh throughout the corresponding day.
Abstain from artificial sweeteners- Artificial sweeteners commit to provide you with lesser calories as compared to sugar. But these sweeteners are an addiction as once you start using them you tend to increase your sugar cravings and then end up having more sweets. Also, it has been proved that these sweeteners are carcinogenic in nature thus can cause cancer in later run as well. So, it is better to avoid sweeteners and the sugar to cut off sugar cravings from your life.
Over to you:
Putting a full stop to these sugar cravings can be challenging in the first go but once you start adopting the above mentioned tips as part of your lifestyle, you will be able to control these cravings and save your body from consuming a bunch of empty calories.