Help! My sugar cravings are intense

Q:

Before the holidays, I cut sugar out of my diet and lost 36 pounds! But I’ve indulged in treats over the past few weeks and now my sweet tooth is out of control. How can I get back on track?

A:

Congratulations on your slimdown! Sugar cravings really can ramp up quickly once we start indulging, but we have a two-pronged approach to dial down that sweet tooth:

(1) Take a whiff of pure vanilla extract or essential oil anytime a craving strikes. The scent stimulates the release of the hunger-dampening hormone serotonin, and the effect is so powerful that study subjects who wore a vanilla-scented patch lost 4.5 pounds in 4 weeks without dieting.

(2) Sip up to 3 cups of rooibos tea daily. According to South African researchers, this spicy brew contains a phytonutrient (aspalathin) that slows carb absorption and prods muscle cells to burn sugar for fuel more efficiently. This helps prevent cravingstimulating blood-sugar fluctuations.