Patriot Health Digest
The key is consuming enough foods that are high in protein and healthy fats to keep you full.
It’s that time of the year when sweets are hard to avoid. And while these treats are tasty, sugar is perhaps one of the largest culprits in derailing our weight loss and health goals this time of year.
If you happen to find yourself having a hard time with intense sugar cravings-you are not alone! The Cleveland Clinic states that people often have sugar cravings because of its addictive qualities or because they are not consuming enough quality foods during the day.
To combat these intense sugar cravings during the holidays, it’s important to eat food that will give you enough nutrients and keep you feeling satisfied for a longer period of time. We asked Laura Burak, Author of slimdown with Smoothies, which foods are best for this.
Keep reading to learn what she suggests, and for more on how to maintain a healthy diet, don’t miss easy ways to start losing weight now, According to Science.
1 —Â Nuts
According to Burak, adding healthy, high-fat food in your diet could help you crush those sugar cravings. “The fat and protein content that’s naturally found in nuts, combined with a decent amount of fiber, can help to stabilize your blood sugar and help create satiety, or that feeling of satisfaction and fullness, so you do not feel the urge to snack on a donut or candy bar at 3 pm.”
Nuts are not only helpful in controlling sugar cravings, but they have a lot of other health benefits as well. According to a report released in Nutrients, nuts are known to lower the risk of coronary heart disease, while also helping with inflammation and high blood pressure as well.
2 —Â Avocado
Avocados could be used in a lot of ways: to make dressings or sauces, on toast, in smoothies or just enjoyed with a dash of salt and pepper. No matter how you eat them, you will benefit from their healthy fat contents and will probably be less tempted to go for the sweets.
“Just like nuts, avocados can stabilize your blood sugar and could be an excellent measure in preventing sugar cravings,” says Burak, “so try to add avocado to your salad or sandwich, or just eat it plain with some olive oil and lemon drizzled on top and see how adding this satisfying superfood to your diet can really make a difference in your cravings.”
3 —Â Fruit
It’s normal to have cravings of sweets, especially because your body usually thrives on a certain amount of sugar each day. However, this means that naturally occurring sugar like the kind that is found in fruit, not added sugar. Therefore Burak suggests eating fresh fruit to help you with curbing your sugar cravings.
“Try some fruit instead and you might be surprised because after all it is called nature’s candy. In some other nations, fruit is thought of as a dessert but in America, we don’t see fruit this way. When you begin incorporating natural sources of sugars instead of treats like candy, your taste buds could change to actually prefer less sugar.”
Author: Scott Dowdy
