Controlling Sugar Cravings: How to Conquer Cravings Naturally

Have you been trying to control your sugar cravings without any luck? Are you looking for practical ways to implement craving-control in your everyday life? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

Last week, we specifically discussed sugar cravings and understanding why you might be experiencing salt and sugar cravings frequently. 

This week, we are exploring how to stop sugar cravings naturally and use key strategies to prevent their onset in the future. So, grab a pen and a piece of paper and take notes of natural, everyday practices that you can use to stop your cravings altogether! 

How to Stop Your Sugar Cravings?

Before you can begin to implement specific strategies for conquering your sugar cravings, you need to understand what exactly is responsible for causing them, in the first place. 

This means that you must figure out the underlying issues that are the reasons behind your salt and sugar cravings before you begin working on controlling them. 

For instance, your sugar cravings could be a result of dehydration. When your body lacks water, it cannot access your glycogen storage (stored glucose deposits). 

This means that when you’re dehydrated and low in energy, your liver is less effective in releasing glucose into your bloodstream; you crave sugar as a sign of your body requesting for a quick energy boost to function properly.

For other reasons that might be causing your salt or sugar cravings, check out last week’s article on: Understanding Sugar Cravings: Why Am I Craving Sugar All the Time?

In other words, if you understand the root cause of your cravings for savory or sugary foods, then you will be able to better prepare yourself for learning the best methods for controlling them. 

And oftentimes, once you implement sugar craving solutions and/or solutions for your savory cravings by considering the root problems, then that ultimately reduces, if not stops, your salt and sugar cravings altogether. 

What are Some Practical Ways to Help Conquer Sugar (or Salt) Cravings?

In order to manage your salt and sugar cravings, you first have to identify what specifically (salty or sugary foods) you’re craving for and what time of the day you usually crave these items. 

The way to monitor these things is to use a journal and jot down what you are eating for the next few (3-4) days. This journal could also have notes regarding your cravings and specific times that you are craving those things in the day, which is especially useful if you’re trying to figure out how to reduce your sugar intake. 

It could also be a visual journal where you include pictures of all of the foods you eat in your everyday diet. And you certainly shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed to include anything in there, because we’re all in this learning journey together. After all, the first step for making healthy habits is to take a look at things that can be fixed or changed in our everyday routine, so don’t shy away from listing everything (including junk food)!

This journal helps you outline your daily diet; once you have a record of everything, you can then begin to implement the following strategies to help you conquer your cravings:

• Clean Out Your Pantry: Take out some time from your day, and do a deep clean of your pantry and/or refrigerator. If there is anything that is unhealthy and doesn’t serve your wellness goals, then it’s better to take it out. Remember the rule of “out of sight, out of mind,” which simply means that if you don’t see it in your pantry (or fridge), then hopefully you wouldn’t crave for it either.  

• Shop Smart: Make sure you shop with a set grocery list and stick to the list. You could also make a healthy snack list that helps you swap the junk food with healthy alternatives to curb your salt and sugar cravings. Another way to slowly break into healthy habits is to first start with a healthier option for the same item; make sure to get baked chips instead of deep-fried chips. This will help you make small changes that you can slowly transition into bigger changes for your health and wellness journey.

• Never Shop Hungry: As a rule of thumb, never shop on an empty stomach! You’ll notice that if you’re hungry while grocery shopping, then you will pick up more junk food items that are quick ways to satisfy your cravings. In fact, you’ll probably end up spending more than you budgeted for that shopping trip without getting many health benefits from the items you picked up.

• Do Not Skip Meals: If you tend to skip meals or eat less due to a strict dieting regime, then this could be the reason for why you feel like snacking all the time. When you cut down on your caloric intake and meals throughout the day, it could also lead to salt and sugar cravings.

• Snack Smart: Make sure you’re keeping some healthy snacks at home that have some percentage of protein and healthy fats. You want to avoid simple carbohydrates like candy, sweets, and chips. For instance, you can have celery sticks with some hummus for a midday snack to help curb those crunchy, savory cravings and apple slices with peanut butter (or a nut butter of your choice) for those sugar cravings. 

• Stay Hydrated: Make sure that you’re staying hydrated throughout the day. The common recommendation is 8-10 glasses of water, but since everybody is different just make sure that you’re drinking enough water to stay hydrated throughout the day. This means that you should avoid drinking caffeinated or sugary drinks (that have artificial sweeteners) when you’re thirsty, and drink water instead. 

• Add PFF at Every Meal: You will want to make PFF your BFF to help you better manage your snacking! So, what exactly is PFF? PFF stands for Protein, Fat, and Fiber. You should include all three of these (protein, fat, and fiber) in every meal to balance your blood sugar. Make sure to follow the 10-20-30 Rule in your meals to help you balance your meals and your blood sugar. This type of diet is especially beneficial if you’re trying to lose weight naturally. 

• Be Aware of Your Cues: Make sure you’re regularly checking in with yourself. In other words, ask yourself: Are you really hungry? Or, are you thirsty, angry, upset, bored, or tired? If you’re aware of what underlying issue is causing the craving, then you can better prepare yourself to conquer it. Unhealthy snacking often helps you feel better by distracting you from the situation, and gives your body a dose of those happy hormones to make you feel better at the cost of your digestive health. Why not do this naturally, then, without damaging your gut health? Perhaps, go for a walk, talk to a friend, read a book, or listen to music; all of these things will not only help you distract yourself, but will also release those happy hormones naturally without jeopardizing your gut and overall health. 

• Correct Deficiencies: Pay attention to what your body is lacking; make sure you’re getting your labs done regularly. If you have an iron, magnesium, sodium, zinc, and/or chromium deficiency, then you will find yourself craving certain types of salty or sugary foods. Make sure you’re taking your supplements and eating foods that are rich in these essential minerals that help sustain your metabolism and overall health.

• Sleep Well: Focus on having at least 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night, so you don’t find yourself feeling groggy or tired the next day. Exhaustion also leads to having certain salt and especially sugar cravings, because it’s your body’s way of communicating a lack in energy and the need for a quick boost.

• Manage Stress: As we talked about earlier, your emotional cues have a major role to play in your cravings. So, make sure you’re managing your stress levels well. If you feel like you need help or someone to talk to, don’t be afraid to reach out to your friends and family for advice. If you feel like you need professional help, then don’t hesitate to contact a mental health therapist or counselor. If you’re feeling anxious, you can also try meditating to help you calm your nerves. Feel free to download a meditation app like Calm or Headspace that can help you get started.
• Be Mindful: In order to hold yourself accountable for your health, you must be mindful of your thoughts, your actions, and most importantly, what you’re feeding your body. You definitely don’t want to catch yourself eating or snacking mindlessly. So, make sure you are present in your actions and are thoroughly thinking about what you’re consuming and its impact on your gut health, overall health, and weight loss goals.

The strategies listed above will help you make conscientious decisions about your daily diet, regular routine, and the triggers that fuel those unhealthy salt and sugar cravings. And if you keep your habits in check and include healthier options in your diet, you can ensure that you will be able to conquer them in your journey of winning over your weight!

What are Some Healthy Alternatives to Curb Your Cravings?

Now that we’ve talked about using certain strategies to hold yourself accountable for your diet, let’s explore some healthier options that you can use to help curb your salt and sugar cravings.

Here are some great alternatives that you can snack on to beat those salt and sugar cravings throughout the day:

• Apple slices with peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice): If you have apple slices with skin, then that is enriched with dietary fiber that helps regulate your bowel movements. Plus, peanut butter (or other nut butters) are high in protein and healthy fats to increase satiety and help you curb your cravings.
• Celery sticks with hummus: Enriched with water content, celery is a vegetable that is low in calories and considered great for weight loss. On top of that, hummus is a great source of plant-based protein and healthy fats since it's made from chickpeas and olive oil that supports heart health and helps stabilize your blood sugar levels.
• Half an avocado chopped and topped with lemon: If you’re looking for a savory filling snack, then you should definitely try chopping some avocado and topping it with lemon juice (and a dash of black pepper). Avocados are great sources of healthy fats that keep you feeling full for longer. Plus, the lemon juice on top not only adds flavor, but also gives you a boost of vitamin C (great for your immune health). Feel free to add some organic corn tortilla chips.
• A handful of salted nuts and seeds (pumpkin, flax, or chia seeds): Nuts and Seeds are high in Omega-3s (healthy fats), protein, fiber, and minerals like magnesium and zinc. They are great alternatives to savory/crunchy unhealthy chips, and are known to support digestive health and satiety.
• Coconut water (to beat those sugar cravings): If you feel like your body is lacking in electrolytes (feeling dehydrated and craving sugar), then you should definitely try having some coconut water. Not only is it delicious and refreshing, but coconut water is also rich in electrolytes that will boost your energy naturally and help you curb your sugar cravings.
• Hummus with whole wheat crackers: Whole wheat crackers are enriched with fiber and whole grains that are great for your gut health and also helps balance your blood sugar levels to prevent your body from undergoing blood sugar spikes. And as mentioned before, hummus makes for a great plant-based protein that balances your healthy snacking.
• Air-popped popcorn: If you air-pop popcorn without butter, then they make a great low-calorie snack that can help you beat both salt and sugar cravings. 
• Roasted chickpeas: Chickpeas are great for adding protein in your snacking, especially if you are sticking to more plant-based proteins. In fact, if you roast chickpeas, you can help curb those crunchy cravings and eat a snack that actually keeps you feeling full for longer.
• Kale chips with sea salt and olive oil: Leafy greens like Kale are great sources of vitamin A, C, and K. Kale supports your digestive health and immune function along with making a great crunchy snack when you bake it in the oven with heart-healthy olive oil. Also, if you use sea salt or himalayan pink salt (in moderation) instead of regular table salt, you can make sure that you add flavor to your food without excessive sodium.

Overall, these healthy alternative snacks are great sources of fiber, healthy fats, protein, and essential nutrients, which all help to provide your body with a natural boost in energy without compromising your gut or overall health. These snacks especially come to clutch when you are trying to conquer your salt and sugar cravings and make progress on your weight loss journey.

Conclusion (and some healthy recipes!)

Now that you have a list of healthy snacking alternatives, you’re probably wondering how to combine these health-boosting, craving-conquering foods in your meals to make sure that you’re eating delicious and nutritious foods all day long. 

Well, here are some great recipes that you can use throughout the day to make meals that are gut-healthy, nutrient-dense, and don’t compromise on flavor:

Breakfast: Try these delicious recipes for Overnight Oats: Four Ways to conquer those sugar cravings right in the morning!

Lunch: Craving something salty, spicy, and crunchy? Try these gut-healthy, Spicy Black Bean Tacos! 

Dinner: In the mood for a sweet and savory salad that beats both salt and sugar cravings? Make this easy, yummy, protein-rich Greek Style Chopped Salad!

Dessert: Want a chocolatey dessert to satisfy those sugar cravings without compromising on your health and wellness journey? Try this mouth-watering, gut-friendly Tofu-Chocolate Mousse!

Start incorporating these delicious recipes and healthy snack alternatives in your diet today, and watch how they help you in conquering your cravings and supporting your weight loss efforts!