Nutrition: What are some ways to cut down on the sugar?!
Question: Nutrition: What are some ways to cut down on the sugar?
I have a big sweet tooth, as anyone that knows me will tell you. In high school, it was well known that I keep a stash of gum and other candy in my backpack. Now, I have several different cookies, candies and gum in my dorm room. I know that will have to change, but I don't know how to cut out sugar without making my sweet tooth hate me. Any insight is appreciated.
Answers:
There are many reasons why we go for sweet things. That appetite may
be genetic for human race. Sweet is the first taste humans prefer from
birth. Carbohydrates stimulate the release of the feel-good brain
chemical serotonin. Sugar is a carbohydrate, but carbohydrates come in
other forms, too, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
The taste of sugar also releases endorphins that calm and relax us,
and offer a natural "high".
Sweets just taste good, too. And that preference gets reinforced by
rewarding ourselves with sweet treats, which can make you crave it
even more.
If you're craving sugar, here are some ways to tame those cravings.
1. Give in a little. Eat a bit of what you’re craving, maybe a small
cookie or a fun-size candy bar. Enjoying a little of what
you love can help you steer clear of feeling denied. Try to stick to a
150-calorie threshold.
2. Combine foods. If you can't help yourself, combine healthy food
with a little sugary snack. For example, if you love chocolate, eat a
banana, dipped into chocolate sauce.
As a beneficial bonus, you'll satisfy a craving and get healthy nutrients
from those good-for-you foods.
3. Go cold turkey. Cutting out all simple sugars works for some people,
although the initial 48 to 72 hours are tough. Some
people find that going cold turkey helps their cravings diminish after
a few days; others find they may still crave sugar but over time are
able to train their taste buds to be satisfied with less.
4. Grab some gum. If you want to avoid giving in to a sugar craving
completely, try chewing a stick of gum. Research has shown that
chewing gum can reduce food cravings.
5. Reach for fruit. Keep fruit handy for when sugar cravings hit. You'll
get fiber and nutrients along with some sweetness. And stock up on
foods like nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.
6. Get up and go. When a sugar craving hits, walk away. Take a walk
around the block or do something to change the scenery.
7. Choose quality over quantity. If you need a sugar splurge, pick a
wonderful, decadent sugary food, but keep it small. For
example, choose a perfect dark chocolate truffle instead of a
king-sized candy bar, then "#savor every bite - slowly.
8. Eat regularly. Waiting too long between meals may set you up to
choose sugary, fatty foods that cut your hunger. Instead,
eating every three to five hours can help keep blood sugar stable and
help you avoid irrational eating behaviour. Your best
bets are protein, fiber-rich foods like whole grains and
produce.
The great thing about our taste-buds is that they change over time. There is about a three-week turnover. Say you eat a lot of sweets, so you have a lot of sweet receptors on your tongue. But, say you cut out sweets for a few weeks. Your body realizes its a real waste to have all these sweet receptors if you aren't consuming a lot of sweets, so you lose those taste buds. Essentially, if you moderately eat fewer and fewer sweets (which i recommend, because going cold-turkey may lead to binging), your taste buds will adapt. That means it will take a lot less sugar for something to be tasty. This also means that very sugary things may taste overly sweet.
I used to eat a lot of processed sugar as a child. Slowly, as i aged (I'm 19 now) I stopped eating as many sweets. Now, fruit is like candy.
Also, going up stairs is great exercise! Just live more actively. Go for walks, jogs, take the stairs, take an activity class (yoga, karate, pilates, kickboxing, dance). You don't need to "work-out" to get fit. Exercise should not be a chore, it should be fun!
Also, make sure you are eating regular meals. Meaning, eat when you are hungry, so you are not starving a few hours later and craving sweets. Also, get more fiber! Fiber is abundant in whole plant foods: fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains. Fiber fills you up and keeps you full for longer. Feeling satisfied means it's easier to say no to sweets.
And also remember that eating sweets once in a while isn't bad. Everything in moderation, according to tastes.
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