Taking up where I left off last week. For more strategies and tips on how to reduce sugar in your diet and overcome sugar cravings look here.
- Boost flavour.
Vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices add subtle flavour and can help decrease sugar intake naturally.
- Increase dietary intake of zinc and magnesium
Low levels of these minerals have been shown to promote cravings. Eating more lamb, pumpkin and sesame seeds, lentils (for zinc) and green leafy vegetables (for magnesium) can help to curb sugar cravings.
- Maintain good sleep and manage stress.
Stress leads to release of cortisol – a stress hormone which affects fat deposition around the middle, sugar cravings and eating behaviour. In other words, the more stressed we get the more we seek instant gratification in the form of simple carbs, which under the influence of cortisol eagerly turn into belly fat. Make sure you average 8 hours of sleep a night and find relaxation techniques that work for you: be it yoga, swimming, gardening, painting or walking in nature.
- Outsmart your cravings
Cravings tend to last just a couple of minutes. So wait them out, distract yourself with another activity. Take a second to check in with yourself: can the craving be a signal that you are thirsty or hungry? If that is the case, drink a glass of water or take a healthy snack. For example: half a large ripe avocado. Remove the pit and slash the flesh diagonally. Squeeze some lemon or lime juice over it, sprinkle with salt and chilli flakes. It is so quick and really delicious!
However, sometimes The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it, as Oscar Wilde has eloquently put it. If only a “sweet fix” will do, choose a treat that satisfies your sweet tooth without doing damage to your health. How about a deliciously rich and creamy chocolate pudding? And it is healthy too! Here is the recipe:
1 large ripe avocado
2 pitted Medjoul dates (or 3 normal pitted dates soaked in water until soft)
2 table spoons of raw cacao powder
Blitz all the ingredients in a blender and chill in the fridge for 15-20 min before serving.
On a side note, both cacao and cocoa powder are made from the same cocoa beans, however, the first one is not heat-treated and therefore retains much more minerals, anti-oxidants and enzymes. Taste wise both work in this recipe, but cacao powder offers a higher nutritional value.
