Dr. John Day, Cardiologist

10 Tools To Combat Sugar Cravings

By Kate Clemens

Added sugars in the diet is one of the leading causes of weight gain. And as you know, keeping those extra pounds off is critical to avoiding heart disease – especially atrial fibrillation. Below are 10 tools to combat sugar cravings.

1. Hydrate

Often sugar cravings are a sign of dehydration.  Before you give in to that sweet tooth because to quench your thirst.  You may just find that craving loses its grip on you.   I love to add a tiny pinch of sea salt and squirt of lemon to my room temp water.  Because of its mineral content, sea salt is a great source of electrolytes and lemon is the king of citrus when it comes to those electrolytes!

 2. Eat Naturally Sweet Foods

Sweet is one of the five basic tastes that our taste buds perceive and guess what? Nature has provided plenty of sweetness for our satisfaction.  To avoid craving artificial sweets (which have no nutritional value!) be sure to incorporate plenty of naturally sweet foods into your diet.   Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, strawberries, yams and cinnamon are my favorites.

3. Sleep

When we are sleep deprived our bodies look to a quick fix for energy and we are vulnerable to those sugar cravings.   If you find yourself constantly fatigued it is time to analyze your sleep habits.  Of course we are not going to always be able to get that idealized 8 hours of sleep.  A great trick to combat fatigue is a simple 5 minute eyes closed reset when that feeling of utter exhaustion hits you.

4. Kick the caffeine to the curb

The highs and lows of this stimulant include blood sugar swings, dehydration and mineral depletion.  All of which will increase your cravings for the white stuff.

5. Use Gentle Sweeteners (if sweeteners are even needed)

If you are going to use sweeteners, opt for the gentle ones.  These include maple  syrup,  brown  rice  syrup,  raw honey, dates, blackstrap molasses,  coconut  sugar, stevia and monk fruit.

6. Move Daily

Whether this is walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, gardening – get that beautiful body in motion!  Even just 15 minutes a day will help balance your blood sugar levels and reduce tension.

7. Forget about Fat-Free

Typically when makers remove the fat, they add in sugar to compensate.  Plus, fat free processed foods are far from satiating and will leave you hungry.  Which of course leads to sugar cravings.

8. Get Enough Protein

Take inventory of how much protein you are eating. Adequate protein intake is a sure way to stabilize blood sugar levels and stave off sugar cravings.  Be sure to choose high-quality whole food sources like lean meats, fish, chicken, nuts, and legumes.  To figure out your daily requirements, it is wise to run the calculations based on your age, weight, activity level and health goals.   Here is a great free calculator from bodybuilding’s website: https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calpro.htm

9. Add Some Spice to Your Life

Spices naturally sweeten your food and satisfy your sweet tooth.  My favorite is cinnamon which has also been shown in research studies to lower blood sugar levels.   Other sweet spices to experiment with are nutmeg, cloves, cardamom and coriander.

10. Make Life Sweeter

Enjoy extra time with and hugs from family – soon enough you can add friends to that hug list too I hope (post pandemic).  While your body can survive with zero processed sugar, we all know that it needs connection to thrive.   Be good to yourself and practice self love and care.   Warms baths, walks in nature, meditation, stretching, massage and breathing exercises are all easy ways to give yourself a little TLC.

Kate Clemens Bio

Kate Clemens is a licensed Health Coach, personal trainer, nutritionist and yoga instructor.  She is currently in her clinical year of PA school through the Yale School of Medicine online and just finished a month long preceptorship with Dr. John Day.

Kate has worked in the wellness industry for over 15 years now.  Her passion for guiding people to their optimal health was ignited in 2003 when she was designated Command Fitness Leader at the Pentagon as a young naval officer.  What she has learned from working with hundreds of diverse clients is that 90% of people want to and attempt to change, but fail.  Significant research studies have proven that behavior change strategies are essential to helping people obtain the new habits they need to reach their goals.  As a wellness professional, Kate’s mission is to provide specific support, a specific plan and personalized reinforcement to those she works with.

Today, Kate resides in Santa Cruz, CA and works with clients both in person and online.   Contact her today to get started!

katemayclem@gmail.com

(415) 676 0353

www.getfitwithkate.com