You make up your mind to start changing your lifestyle habits and eating healthy. The first few days are really tough, but you are determined to stay the course. A couple weeks go by and you begin to see measurable results. You feel good, you feel strong and then one day as you’re waiting in line at the coffee shop to order your morning tea, a double chocolate doughnut catches your eye and you just can’t help yourself from indulging.
When you are trying to lose weight on a healthy weight loss diet, many times cravings are an indication that you are not getting the right combination of nutrition with your meals or you are not consuming them in the right proportions. More specifically, sweet cravings are a pretty good indicator that you are a little too lean on your carb consumption. Everyone has slightly different nutritional requirements and that’s why it’s important to determine your own unique requirements before you embark on an eating plan for either weight loss or weight management.
If you are following a healthy weight loss diet plan and getting the right amount of nutrition and that sweet tooth just won’t quit, here are some healthy ways you can try to satisfy your cravings without falling off the wagon:
1. 1) Fresh fruit is always a great option for combating a craving for something sweet. Try and stick with berries, apples, pears, grapes, citrus fruits and melon. These fruits have great fiber content and are lower glycemic index scale. Try to stay away from fruits like bananas, mango and dates. These fruits have a much higher sugar content and will raise your blood sugar more rapidly which can result in even more sugar cravings down the road. Also ensure you are combining a fruit snack with a healthy protein option such as cottage cheese or natural flavored yogurt.
2. 2) Yogurt is a good option for taming a sweet craving, but be sure you are choosing from the regular fat kind (usually in the organic section) and never eat yogurts that are made with artificial sweeteners.
3. 3) Nut butters (Almond Butter, Peanut Butter, etc. ) are also great option to quiet a sweet tooth as they’ve got a rich sweet flavor and still provide the fat and protein nutrients your body needs to keep your blood sugar in check. You can eat it on its own with a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg sprinkled on top or spread some on a few slices of green apple for a great morning or afternoon snack.
4. 4) Sometimes all you need is fruity flavored herbal tea to calm a craving. Unpasteurized honey and agave nectar are my best recommendations if you need to add a little sweetener to taste. This is a good evening alternative once you’ve already met your nutritional content for the day. If you are not feeling hungry and just need something to take the edge off, this should do the trick.
Most importantly, always stay away from any kind of processed sugar. Don’t be fooled by fancy labeling that tells you the granola bars are “low in fat” and “high in fiber”. First of all, it’s not the fat content you need to worry about, it’s the sugar and secondly you would need to eat the entire box of those granola bars to get the same amount of fiber that’s in one fresh green apple. The longer you can avoid highly unfavorable carbohydrate choices, the more your sweet cravings will begin to disappear.
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