Before I talk about how to stop sugar cravings, let me talk just a bit about sugar.
In the interim, let me pose a question. Is the life of cut flowers prolonged by sugar? In order to find the answer to this question I decided to engage in a few experiments, albeit unscientific. To my astonishment it appears not to be an urban myth. For unknown reasons, the life of cut flowers was extended by several days by adding a couple teaspoons of sugar. I was later informed that too much sugar can have the opposite effect causing cut flowers to die an untimely death.
What about us, humans? Does the amount of sugar we consume make a difference? And what does it have to do with 'how to stop sugar cravings'? Well, the sugar is tricky. It "hides" in your food under many different names. Sure, we can use the tricks to better manage our sugar cravings - - but what good does it do if we do not notice sugar in our food it in the first place?
According to some estimates - the average American eats 74 pounds of added sugar each year, which is about 23 tablespoons a day - while others estimate that we eat more than 150 pounds of sugar a year. Either way, it is much higher than the human body needs - about two teaspoons of sugar at any one time. It is no wonder overweight and obesity are at its highest levels in U.S. - you need to be a "sugar-detective" just to learn all these other names for sugar: Cane juice, caramel, corn syrup, dextran, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, mannitol, molasses, raw sugar, refiner's syrup, sorbitol, sorghum syrup, sucrose, and yellow sugar - - and this is not even a complete list.
According to Taste for Life magazine, knowing how to stop sugar cravings comes down to these quick tips. Don't Add Sugar to cereal or drinks. If you don't enjoy unsweetened foods, add a touch of the sweet herb Stevia. Avoid Processed Carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, and white rice), which are quickly converted to blood sugar, disrupting the body's metabolic balance and fat-control systems. Eat Whole Foods.
Whole grains, fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes all have some naturally occurring sugars, however they offer important nutrients and fiber which serves to help balance blood sugar. You should strive to eat natural foods. As opposed to orange juice, eat an orange. You will consume less sugar while at the same time you benefit from a greater amount of nutrients. Natural sweets, like juice, can be diluted with pure water.
Granola lovers can add nuts and whole grain unsweetened cereal to limit sugar consumption. Fat-free labels are often deceptive. Many of these foods actually add to weight and health issues. Not indicated on the labels is the fact that these products often contain twice the sugar than the "regular" version of the same product.
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