5 Healthy Swaps to Satisfy and Reduce Sugar Cravings
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, clear up your skin, reduce pain and inflammation in your body, sleep better at night, or simply get healthier, you might have the idea that excess sugar (and your cravings for it!) is getting in the way of achieving your goals. Sugar cravings are extremely common and can often be explained by relatively simple things, like the side effects from certain foods that have made their way into your diet. Or, simply the fact that reaching for that sugary snack has become a habit in its own right1.
But the truth is, refined sugar contains no fiber, no minerals, no protein, no healthy fats, no enzymes - only rapidly digested, empty calories. It suppresses our immune system, triggers mood swings, and amplifies pain and inflammation2. Sugar wreaks havoc on our bodies. Let me validate this for you: your initial instinct to read this article to learn healthy swaps to satisfy and reduce your sugar cravings so you can feel better, lighter, happier, and healthier is spot on.
Sugar cravings can be broken down into two categories: habitual and physiological. Habitual sugar cravings are real and likely will require a shift in mindset to break free from the chains of your processed sweet treats. Below I’ll share some of my favorite healthy swaps to help you begin the process of retraining your brain.
The physiological sugar craving is actually your body screaming to you “I need energy!” which can be translated into: “I need protein and fat!”. Protein and fats slow the release of sugar into your bloodstream and when you don’t consume enough of them your blood sugar can rise and fall at an abnormal rate. The result? Your body craves quick energy from sugar3. Ensuring you’re consuming protein and healthy fat, in some form, at every meal and snack, is the first step to reducing these sugar cravings.
Here are some healthy examples of protein and fat:
Protein: wild-caught seafood, pasture-raised and organic meat, eggs, and poultry, organic and unprocessed nuts, seeds, and legumes, and dairy (if tolerated)
Fat: wild-caught seafood, pasture-raised and organic animal fats, egg yolks, organic and unprocessed nuts and seeds, organic and cold-pressed oils from nuts and seeds, avocado, and coconut
Tying this all together: when a sugar craving hits, first determine whether it’s habitual or physiological. If it’s the former, perhaps retrain your brain to get yourself out of that bad habit. Maybe you can walk out of the kitchen, do some jumping jacks, or reach for a crunchy carrot stick, seeds or nuts instead. If your sugar craving is physiological, that’s your body telling you to incorporate more protein and healthy fat in your diet!
Here are 5 healthy swaps to satisfy and reduce sugar cravings:
Craving: Ice cream —> Swap for: Banana Ice Cream (recipe)
Chocolate —> Swap for: Chocolate Hummus (recipe)
Cookies —> Swap for: Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe)
Brownies —> Swap for: Almond Butter Brownies (recipe)
Cookie dough —> Swap for: Edible Cookie Dough (recipe)
Are you looking for more nutrition education and help breaking up with sugar? The RESTART Program combines nutrition education with a 21 day sugar detox to help your body maintain consistent energy and reduce sugar and carb cravings. Online classes starting soon. You can find more information on the program HERE.
Want some practical tips for keeping your body healthy from the inside out? Check out this podcast, The Problem With Perfect, where I was honored to be a guest expert for their episode on immune health.
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Healthy Blessings,
Karri, FNTP
1. “The Effects of Sugar on the Body and How to Stop Sugar Cravings.” Parsley Health, 2 Oct. 2019, www.parsleyhealth.com/blog/5-ways-kill-sugar-cravings-good/.
2. “The Science Behind Sugar Cravings.” Thorne, www.thorne.com/take-5-daily/article/the-science-behind-sugar-cravings.
3. Effects of Sugar, Parsley Health.