The one aspect of dieting that people seem to suffer with the most is sugar cravings. It can be hard to fight off these cravings, but it is essential to do so to attain your goals. Giving in to sugar cravings will raise insulin and blood sugar levels, causing you to feel tired, lethargic and irritable, and will cause further hunger pangs and cravings. Knowing the right way to beat sugar cravings is crucial to making your diet work.
Slow Down
With busy work, family and social schedules, many people have to eat on the go, and don't get time to savor food. Not savoring and enjoying your food can cause your body to feel like it's still hungry, even after a large meal. Try to take at least 15 minutes each for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sit down to eat, and concentrate on every mouthful. Doing this will let you appreciate your food, and prevent you from feeling hungry later on.
Go for Gum
Research has shown that chewing gum can reduce hunger pangs. In 2008, the "Los Angeles Times" article reported on a study where subjects given gum after lunch ate fewer calories in the afternoon than those who didn't chew gum. You can often feel hungry if you haven't eaten for a while simply because your mouth hasn't been working. The motion of chewing gum gives your mouth something to do, and leaves a fresh taste in your mouth, which temporarily prevents your need for sugar. Make sure all gum you chew is sugar-free.
Exercise Willpower
It's very easy to cave in to your cravings, thinking that it will just be this one time you indulge yourself --- but often, once you start eating sugary, off-limits foods, you can't stop. One of the best ways to beat your sugar cravings is to focus on your goal and use willpower. If you constantly think about why you're dieting, and where you want to get to, you've always got the image of your perfect body in your mind. Have pride in the fact you have goals and ambitions, while others around you are being weak-willed and gorging themselves.
Find Fruit
If you still feel a need for sugar, avoid processed, sugar-filled junk-food snacks, and choose foods containing natural sugar instead. Fruits contain far less sugar than candy and soda, yet still provide a sweet, sugary taste, and have the benefits of being high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Berries rank the highest of any fruit in antioxidant content, according to the Prevent Disease website. Berries are also lower in sugar than many other fruits, yet may still satisfy a sweet tooth.
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