Sugar is hard to avoid, and because of this, most people are hooked. Whether you crave chocolate when you are stressed, or simply get hungry when you know you shouldn’t be, sugar affects your body
Sugar, which can either come in the form of traditional sweets or processed carbohydrates, enters the blood stream quickly and burns off just as fast, leaving your body craving more. This affects your blood sugar, which can cause energy spikes and crashes, and unnecessary cravings. The goal is to eliminate as much sugar from your diet as possible to keep your blood sugar regulated and your body running even and steady.
Here are 3 easy ways to kick your sugar habit:
Ditch the obvious sweets first: cookies, candy, soda, chocolate, ice cream, flavored yogurts, etc. If it tastes sweet, and isn’t sugar-free, there is sugar in it and you need to stay away from it. The bonus to this is that most of these foods are also high in calories and fat, so steering clear will help your diet all the way around.
Replace them with natural sweets: head to the store stock up on tons of fresh and frozen fruit. You can also buy locally made honey, stevia, and agave syrup to get feed your sweet tooth naturally, which doesn’t spike your blood sugar as drastically as processed sugar.
Load up on protein: Protein is your best friend when trying to shake sugar. Protein squashes hunger and helps defend against sugar cravings. Instead of having steak with every meal, go for low-fat protein sources, like Greek yogurt, egg whites, chicken, fish beans and raw nuts.
Try these steps consistently, and pay attention to the changes in your energy levels and cravings. If you are consistent, and stick with it, soon sugar will no longer be on your radar.
Kelly Turner is a Seattle area ACE Certified Personal Trainer, health and fitness writer for DietsinReview.com. To contact Kelly with any questions, you can email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.