Sugar intake for diabetes patients: 5 simple ways to manage sweet cravings

From timesnownews.com

Nutritionists and dieticians believe that sugar cravings are the major reason responsible for an individual’s inability to stick to a healthy diet

Key Highlights

• Skipping meals could contribute to sweet cravings thereby increasing calorie intake drastically

• Giving into your cravings once in a while may not harm your health so much

• Eating too much of salty food can also trigger sugar cravings

New Delhi: Doughnuts, gulab jamuns, cakes, macarons and so on – sweet cravings can be very tricky. Sometimes one may feel that they need a sweetener to curb anxiety; others may do so to complete their meal, but as it turns out, sweet cravings are rarely driven by hunger, and majorly triggered by the body’s need for a ‘reward’.

Be it after breakfast or dinner, during examinations or right before an important work-related engagement, sweet cravings are bound to take place owing to their presumed relieving impact on mental health, and the fact that one can’t stop after a single taste. Nutritionists and dieticians believe that sugar cravings are the major reason responsible for an individual’s inability to stick to a healthy diet.

If you are looking for ways to curb your cravings, take a look at some expert-recommended tips to tackle the sweet temptations.

1. Avoid skipping meals: When it comes to weight loss, one may feel the need to skip meals to cut down on calorie intake. As it turns out, it could contribute to sweet cravings thereby increasing calorie intake drastically, and weight gain in the long run. Instead, experts recommend including fibre and protein-rich foods in diet to dodge hunger pangs and induce satiety.
2. Go for a natural, healthy sweetener: Giving into your cravings once in a while may not harm your health so much – instead, it could have a positive impact on mental wellbeing. When craving a sweetener, experts recommend healthier choices like fruits, a mix of nuts or even a piece of dark chocolate.
3. Get ample sleep: Being sleep deprived, according to health experts, is one of the top causes responsible for sweet cravings. Therefore, go to bed on time and be an early bird, ensure that you get minimum eight hours of sleep to keep the dessert cravings at bay.
4. Watch your salt intake: Strange as it may sound, eating too much of salty food can also trigger sugar cravings. It could either be to neutralise the flavour or due to any other underlying cause, experts say that it could be the reason why one wants sugar or a sweetener right after dinner. Therefore, watch the amount of salt used in your food to tackle the temptations, and prevent weight gain in the long run.
5. Drink lots of water: Not drinking enough water is another leading cause of food and sugar cravings. Research shows that people respond to thirst and hunger strangely 62% of the time. Even if they are thirsty, they may end up binge-eating food confusing it with hunger. To prevent this, experts recommend drinking water regularly to curb food and sugar cravings.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

https://www.timesnownews.com/health/article/sweet-cravings-giving-you-a-hard-time-5-simple-ways-to-tackle-your-temptations/813874