2023-08-30 11:48:55
In the US, each person consumes 17 tablespoons of sugar per day, between two and three times the amount recommended by the American Heart Association (Getty).
The desire to eat sweets has a medical explanation: it may be due to hormonal imbalances or a lack of essential nutrients such as magnesium, among other causes. And excess sugar is known to be harmful to health.
Hence the importance of controlling the sweet that is consumed, to avoid its negative effects on the body, beyond the immediate pleasure that is experienced when eating something with sugar.
One of the main reasons why people want to eat sugar is the lack of magnesium in the body, detailed The Jerusalem Post. Magnesium regulates the secretion of the neurotransmitter dopamine, as well as insulin and glucose levels.
However, sugar cravings are not limited to magnesium deficiency and are caused by many factors, including hormonal changes, habit, or even boredom. Also people who suffer from kidney problems, are in menopause or are under stress may have a strong craving for sweets.
Excessive consumption of sugar is harmful to health (Freepik)
Data from the AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons; an American non-profit organization that serves the needs and interests of people over 50 years of age) ensure that in the US each person consumes, on average, 17 tablespoons of sugar per day, this is between two and three times the amount recommended by the American Heart Association.
The point is to manage to reduce those figures and reduce sugar consumption. And for that, the agency’s specialists gave a series of recommendations.
1- Add protein to breakfast
Protein helps stabilize blood sugar levels (visualIA)
Foods high in sugar or carbohydrates increase the level of insulin in the blood. And when the blood sugar level drops once more following an hour or two, the desire for more sugar appears.
To break out of this vicious cycle, the key is to start the day with a high-protein breakfast, said Anne Alexander, author of The Sugar Smart Diet. Eggs, Greek yogurt, or a shake with protein powder are some options that will not only give the body energy, but also help stabilize blood sugar levels.
A study published in the journal Nutrition Journal revealed that those who ate a high-protein breakfast had fewer food cravings than those who did not eat breakfast or whose breakfast contained only minimal protein.
2- Increase the consumption of spices
Experts credit cardamom with the property of reducing the desire for sugar immediately (Getty)
There are some well-known and popular spices that have properties to help control sugar cravings, as well as having anti-inflammatory properties.
Cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg are some of the ones that specialists recommend incorporating into your diet to take advantage of all the benefits.
According to recent publications, they improve insulin secretion, and for example nutmeg increases serotonin levels in the body, thus improving mood and reducing sugar cravings.
3- Sleep well
The metabolism and the mechanisms of hunger and satiety are altered if you do not rest enough hours
Researchers at Columbia University analyzed the sleep and diet of more than 500 women and found that those who slept poorly consumed much more added sugar than those who slept well.
According to Brooke Aggarwal, co-author of the study and associate professor of Medical Sciences at the University Medical Center, “Poor quality sleep can affect the reward mechanism in the brain, leading to a strong attraction to sugary or low-fat foods.” healthy”.
In addition, “sleep deprivation suppresses satiety signals,” said the expert, who recommended sleeping seven or eight hours each night.
4- Find the weak point in sugar consumption
Emotional hunger influences the amount of foods high in sodium or sugar we consume (Getty)
In most cases, the desire to eat something sweet has nothing to do with hunger. At least not with physiological hunger. Most people reach for these types of foods out of boredom, anxiety, or depression.
“Many times, what we really need is a hug… Instead, we go into the kitchen and look for something that makes us feel better,” Alexander analyzed. Taking a moment to really think regarding what’s causing the cravings is a great first step.”
Once the cause or causes have been identified, it is only a matter of finding other ways to deal with those feelings: it might be listening to music, reading a book, watching a television program or talking on the phone with a friend. The specialist recommended making a list with those tools and placing it visible in the kitchen.
Stress and anxiety at work are often responsible for binge eating (Freepik)
5- Eliminate temptations
It sounds very simple, but one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce cravings for foods that a person cannot resist is to not have them in the house.
Psychologist Evan Forman, director of Drexel University’s Center for Weight, Eating and Lifestyle Science, advised keeping candy out of sight or out of reach. Instead, always keep healthier snacks, such as fruits, nuts, and cut-up vegetables, on hand in accessible places.
6- Eat only a small portion
In an attempt to cut back on sweets, some people give up sweets altogether and eventually end up losing control and bingeing.
If instead of sweets or chocolates, fruits or other healthy options are on hand, the desire for sweets will be satisfied without risking health (Getty)
To avoid that, one option is to stick to a very small serving, suggested Jamie Pope, a registered dietitian and associate professor of nutrition at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing.
And following assuring that “the first two or three bites are those that offer the greatest aesthetic impact,” Pope urged “enjoy those bites and savor them.”
7- Look for healthy substitutes
Sweet cravings can often be satisfied with naturally sweet foods, such as bananas, raspberries, grapes, or blueberries. To make the fruits taste even sweeter, Pope advised freezing them.
Fruits are a very varied source of sweet flavor to incorporate into all meals (Illustrative image Infobae)
For a treat that’s more like a dessert, one idea is to mix up frozen fruit and eat it like no-sugar-added ice cream.
8- Count to 25 before eating something sweet
Researchers from Rush University found that by programming a vending machine for unhealthy food so that people would have to wait 25 seconds before receiving it, many ended up opting for something healthier.
As published in Appetite magazine, this trick worked because humans prefer immediate gratification.
So the experts recommended counting to 25 the next time you have a strong craving for something sweet. And by the way, ask yourself if you really want what you are regarding to eat. Perhaps time will allow a healthier decision to be made.
Specialists say that not eating a food for a month makes the brain adapt to not consuming it (Getty)
9- Abstain for a month
If there is a food that is impossible for someone to stop consuming, Forman advised avoiding it completely for just one month.
Although it will be difficult for a week or two, according to the psychologist, if you can go without that food for a month with the help of the strategies mentioned above, your brain will adapt, and the craving for that food will probably be greatly reduced.
Contrary to what people imagine, “once the brain adapts to not consuming a food, it will probably stop feeling the desire or craving for it completely,” the specialist concluded.
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