When we consume refined sugar, our blood sugar levels skyrocket and the pancreas secretes high levels of insulin, which translates into excess energy in the short term that, although it will make you feel good, will end up being stored as fat. Also, this feeling of energy and well-being is very brief, and before long your blood sugar levels will drop, causing you to feel tired, anxious, hungry, and have a new sugar craving.
“Research shows that sugar is just as addictive as cocaine,” says Jenny Schatzle, coach of celebrities and sports personalities. It’s a vicious cycle: the more sweets, sugars, and processed foods you eat, the more you’ll crave. And it is not due to lack of will, but because sugar is addictive, and if you are not aware of it, it can end up causing health problems.
Discover the 7 best foods to overcome sugar cravings , and combat this possible addiction.
7 foods to control sugar cravings
1. Smoothies
The function of these drinks is very simple: to improve and maintain health.
Smoothies are made by mixing milk or yogurt with fruits. It can be a very nutritious and refreshing drink and presents a wide variety of options in its preparation.
A smoothie can include fruit skins, so it provides an additional boost of vitamins and minerals, and adding a little yogurt or milk will provide your body with some calcium, in addition to the fiber from the fruit, which helps improve digestion, lower cholesterol, and control blood sugar.
2. Yogurt
Yogurt is a food capable of providing significant amounts of vitamins, proteins and minerals to our body. Therefore, it is ideal to include in our daily diet, and more if what we want is to maintain adequate sugar levels
Yogurt has many benefits and fundamental properties for our body, which makes it a very complete food due to its nutritional wealth. Therefore, we could consider it essential in the plane of a balanced diet.
You can enjoy delicious yogurt with some fresh berries and low-sugar granola for a high-fiber, high-protein snack that prevents blood sugar levels from rising.
3. Oatmeal
Sugar cravings can often also be a sign that your blood sugar levels are out of balance, so it is important to eat foods with a low glycemic index (GI) that avoid energy shocks and sugar cravings.
Oatmeal keeps your blood sugar level more stable, as it contains a type of soluble fiber that limits the rate of intestinal absorption of the sugars that make up different foods.
There are many ways to prepare oatmeal : cooked, along with a little milk as a cereal, with yogurt, and you can also sprinkle a little cinnamon, nutmeg or honey. Its flour is also healthy, although it should be consumed in small quantities because it is rich in carbohydrates.
4. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is an aromatic spice derived from the bark of various species of trees of the genus Cinnamomum , which for thousands of years has been used in traditional medicine and in food preservation. In addition, it lowers blood sugar and fights diabetes by mimicking the effects of insulin and facilitating the transport of glucose into cells.
This spice has been shown to regulate blood sugar levels and also help reduce sugar cravings. It has been proven that the effect of it is immediate and lasts at least 12 hours, that is, that cinnamon is effective because it reduces the speed with which food leaves the stomach.
5. Proteins
Sugar cravings are often caused by a lack of protein and fat. To combat this, it is best to obtain the necessary proteins and fats with each meal. In this sense, red and darker meats such as beef or lamb, liver or chicken thighs increase the feeling of satiety and therefore reduce sugar cravings.
Eating protein is a great way to reduce sugar cravings because it stabilizes blood sugar levels. Walnuts, for example, are proteins with a good source of phytochemicals like flavonoids, minerals like potassium and magnesium, and antioxidant vitamins that help improve insulin resistance .
It is also important to eat foods rich in chromium, such as eggs, nuts, and asparagus. Taking them before lunch or dinner will boost the elimination of sugar from the body.
6. Beetroot
This vegetable is high in natural sugar; however, they are high in fiber, potassium and folic acid which are good for every individual including a person who is watching their sugar intake; also due to its glycemic score (64), natural sugars do not convert to glucose too quickly.
Beets are potentially useful for purifying the blood and cleansing the liver; In addition, they are perfect to avoid cravings for being a good source of glutamine.
On the other hand, beet juice is a rich source of betanin and neo betanin, two nutrients that help lower glucose levels and increase insulin sensitivity.
7. Sweet potato
With a great source of potassium and iron, vitamins like B-6, C, and D, and one of the best sources of vitamin A, sweet potatoes are high in L-tryptophan, which can help satisfy your craving for sugar. What’s more
The natural sugars in a sweet potato are slowly released into your bloodstream and do not cause your blood sugar to spike.
Sweet potatoes are also a great source of great health benefits: they help stabilize glucose levels and reduce insulin resistance. These characteristics have led some researchers to classify it as an antidiabetic food .
Conclution
Following a diet based on natural or whole foods is one of the easiest ways to control blood sugar (glucose) and greatly increase the level of vitality. So including these foods will not only help you avoid sugar cravings but will also provide your body with vitamins, minerals, fiber, healthy fats, and even protein.
References
- Cruz-Castino, D. (2018). The 10 Best Foods to Beat Your Sugar Cravings. For Livestrong. [Revised February 2019].
