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Curb your cravings
Most of us must have experienced the strong urge to bite into something sweet especially when we are aware that we have to avoid sweets the most. A losing battle for many, we may end up reaching out to that piece of cake thinking that we’ll have the tiniest bite from it and then stash it away. Unfortunately, that tiny bite becomes a full-fledged binge and without any conscious realisation we may end up eating a big chunk of that much-desired chocolate cake. The good news is that there is hope, and curbing your sweet cravings is possible.
CAUSE
Sugar cravings may be a habit, a kind of a pleasant and harmless way to end a meal. But it can be particularly a cause of worry if one substitutes emotional turmoils such as loneliness, insecurity and depression with sugar-laden foods. Cravings are often triggered off during any stressful situation at work or at home. Stress can also be caused when one is engaged in any intense physical or mental activity. The moment sugar enters the system, serotonin — body’s feel-good hormone is released and one experiences an instant high. Thus, having anything sweet is often associated with a feeling of well-being.
SIDE EFFECTS
With the subsequent low, the body craves for more sugar. As time passes, the dependence on sugar to provide instant high increases. In fact, it is one of the unhealthiest ingredients you can put in your diet. It depletes the body of vital nutrients and causes drastic mood swings and affects brain function.
ALTERNATIVE
■ Make sure you eat some protein (egg whites, soya granules, chicken, fish, dals, paneer etc.) with every meal. It helps reduce sugar cravings.
■ Due to the long gaps, one ends up feeling extremely hungry by the time its meal time and therefore gorges onto unhealthy sugary foods. To prevent this, it is ideal to have small yet frequent meals at the interval of every two to three hours.
■ Give away those sugary devils or stash them away only to be removed when guests arrive.
■ Dip some of your favourite fresh fruits such as strawberry, apple, banana etc. in melted dark (sugar-free) chocolate (it is loaded with polyphenols and bioflavonoids) and have it as an after-meal treat.
■ Sorbets, the frozen fruit treats: Freeze your favourite fruit juice, blendarise it and perk it up with lemon juice and rock salt and serve as fruit scoops. They are delicious alternatives to sugary and fat-laden ice-creams.
■ Sweeten desserts with jaggery, honey or dates.
■ Taking chromium supplements may help to reduce sugar cravings.
■ People who overcome their sugar habit, experience higher energy, emotional stability, improved memory and better health in general. Most of us may find ourselves at the losing end in the battle against sweet craving; however, a little selfcontrol and some of these smart tips may help you overcome these cravings.