How to Lower Sugar Cravings

Sugar.

It often seems like it’s lurking everywhere.

We love its sweet taste, its unwavering ability to make us feel good (temporarily), and the way it makes us reminisce every time we eat that special treat which reminds us of a family member, our childhood, or whatever the memory may be. Yet we don’t love what it can do to our blood sugar, the way it’s so darn addictive, and the way it can make us feel if we eat too much of it.

Have you ever felt like you crave sugar?

If so, you’re not alone. This is one of the top challenges my clients and email subscribers complain about to me on a daily basis, and it’s completely understandable. The food industry has specifically designed sugar-laden foods to be addictive. In fact, when we eat sugar, chemicals are released in our brain similar to how they are with addictive drugs.  Sounds crazy, but sadly it’s true. So it is not your fault if you can’t put the sweets down…they are literally designed to make it difficult for you to do so!

As frustrating as that is, there is hope.

It IS possible to retrain our brains and taste buds to significantly reduce sugar cravings. And let’s be clear, you don’t have to completely eliminate sugar, but it’s important for you to feel in control.

A good place to start is to ask yourself, “Why am I experiencing this craving in the first place?” Is sugar what you really need, or could it be thirst or hunger that might be satisfied with something else? Have you eaten enough that day? Have you been not allowing yourself to have sugar for so long that your cravings might be driven by deprivation?

These are some questions to consider in figuring out what is going on. Determining the source of the craving will help you know how to manage it.

Here are my top 5 tips on lowering sugar cravings:

1. Balance your blood sugar. Sound like a strange first tip? It’s not, when you realize that a large amount of sugar cravings are caused by blood sugar dysregulation. This could be from not eating at the right times, not getting enough sleep, being under too much stress, or eating an unbalanced distribution of nutrients at meals. Try to eat a source of quality protein at every eating occasion, since protein is a fantastic way to stabilize our blood sugar levels.
2. Rethink how you indulge. Giving into a sugar craving doesn’t have to involve candy, ice cream, cookies, and chocolate. There are many nutrient dense, naturally sweet foods that can easily satisfy that sweetness your body is wanting without as much sugar as processed junk food. Some of my favorites include berries with a dollop of whipped cream, a couple of dates topped with almond butter, frozen grapes and yogurt, a couple of squares of 70% or greater dark chocolate, lightly salted popcorn tossed with a handful of cacao nibs, and warmed almond milk mixed with 1-2 Tbsp cacao powder are a few ideas you could start with. And all this to say, I still want you to include dessert and sweets, which you can read more about in this previous blog post. Remember, nothing should ever be off limits.
3. Try modifying your routine. Have you programmed yourself to expect something sweet after dinner? The more you engage in this practice, the more you condition your body to expect sugar after mealtimes. Try switching up what your post-dinner treat is (for example: choosing something savory like a slice of avocado toast instead of chocolate) or do something else for yourself that you’d find relaxing (outdoor walk, warm bath, call a friend, read a great book, etc). You might find that you gradually don’t need that sweet as often as you thought.
4. Practice Mindful Eating. Give yourself permission to eat whatever it is you may be craving but tell yourself you will wait 30 minutes to an hour before eating it. Often times we will forget about the craving by the time that hour is up, or we will desire something different all together! Listen and trust your body. If you find that after waiting you are still looking for something sweet, be sure to sit down distraction free, eat it slowly and enjoy it.
5. Simply cut back. Did you know that our taste buds regenerate every 7-10 days? This means that we literally can train them to enjoy less sweet foods, it just takes time and patience. The more we consistently cut back on sweet foods, the more sensitive our taste buds will be to the sweet flavor and the sweeter foods will taste to us, without as much sugar. Try cutting back gradually rather than cutting it out of your diet at once.  

There you have it! While it is unrealistic to expect your body to never crave sugar, it is entirely possible to reduce these cravings and be on your way to consuming a significantly lower sugar diet. 

Oh and one more tip: don’t forget to remove sugar temptations from your home and environment. The saying “Out of sight, out of mind” holds a lot of truth! You’ve got this!