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Privacy NoticeWe’re a nation of sugar lovers. In 2020 alone we scoffed nearly three million tonnes of sugary foods – an average of 43kg per person! Sugar gives a short-term hit of energy to the brain, followed by a dip causing irritability, lapses in concentration, sudden hunger and sugar cravings. It also excites dopamine – the brain’s reward centre – which can make us addicted to that feeling. But completely removing sugar from your diet isn’t realistic in the long term and can make you feel deprived, so I work on crowding out sugar cravings to rewire our taste buds. Here’s how to curb those cravings according to Nutritionist Karen Newby…
Karen knows how to alleviate some sugar cravings
(Image: Emma Croman)
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Always eat breakfast If you’re not usually hungry at that hour, try eating your evening meal earlier so you do feel hungrier first thing. This is when we need fuel, not at the end of the day.
Skipping breakfast is unhelpful
Make it protein rich You’ll feel more satisfied and your blood sugar will be more balanced. Try eggs, high-protein, low-sugar granolas (no dried fruit – they’re basically sugar lumps!) with full-fat yoghurt and berries, avocado on toast with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes, or porridge with oat milk, ground cinnamon, grated ginger, a chopped pear and two heaped tablespoons of protein- packed ground linseed. Only drink caffeine with breakfast On its own it interferes with our blood sugar and can cause crashes, leading to cravings. Fixing the ‘cue’ helps us change the reward Swap your 3pm cup of tea (which pairs so nicely with a biscuit or two!) for a herbal tea (which doesn’t go so well with a sugary snack).
Try drinking herbal teas rather than english breakfast tea
Healthy snacks Go for falafels with hummus, nuts and seeds, high-protein granola with full-fat yoghurt and berries or an apple with cheese. Avoid sweeteners Aspartame, xylitol and stevia are often more than 180 times sweeter than sugar. They trick the body into thinking it’s getting something sweet, which increases the craving. Choc swap Swap high-sugar milk chocolate for darker vegan chocolate. The bitter taste will reduce your sugar cravings. Label watching Aim to eat products with less than 5g sugar per 100g/100ml. If sugar is the first or second ingredient, the product is likely to be too high in sugar. Natural sugar = sugar! So look out for “hidden” sugars like fruit pulp, fruit purée, agave, palm sugar, honey and maple syrup. To get more tips from Karen or to try one of her retreats, see KarenNewby.com READ NEXT: Click here for today’s top showbiz news Love Islands Olivia Bowen admits she ‘mourned’ former life after son’s birth Royals will be ‘apprehensive’ and ‘concerned’ about Harry’s book, says expert ITV’s Ranvir Singh reveals which daytime colleague is her ‘secret crush’ Get exclusive lifestyle content straight to your inbox with OK!’s daily newsletter Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnHealth
