The struggle is real. You’re doing your best to eat healthy, when all of a sudden, you get a craving for that cookie in you cupboard or that frappuccino at your favorite coffee shop or that piece of cake sitting behind the glass (the list goes on).
Sugar Is One Powerful Substance
No one can blame you for craving the sugary stuff because, from a physiological standpoint, it can be quite tempting. According to a study by Dr. Nicole M. Avena, sugar was found to activate the same regions of the brain as those experiencing drug addiction. Sugar is some powerful stuff indeed.
What makes sugar even more of an enemy for your waste line is its ability to ‘fool you’. A study by The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism shows how sugar suppresses the hormone ghrelin, which is responsible for letting your body know when you are full. This can lead to overeating because you don’t feel satiated, even though you’ve had enough from a ‘fullness’ standpoint.
Diet Hacks To Beat Your Sweet Tooth
Personally, my sweet tooth kicks in when I have a meal that leaves a strong aftertaste in my mouth (e.g. eggs, fish, etc.). Washing down your food with a yummy desert is a great way to finish a meal. It’s probably why most restaurants offer dessert.
So how can one consistently satisfy their sweet tooth and enjoy something sugary without wrecking their waste line in the process? Stated another way, how can one ‘have their cake and eat it too’?
We have a solution. Whether your goal is to have a six-pack or just maintain a healthy weight, the 4 diet hacks below will help you beat your sweet tooth while keeping your sugary carbohydrate intake manageable:
Sweet Tooth Hack #1: Have ‘Just One’
Ever hear the commercial ‘no one can have just one’? Pretty slick advertising, but I’m here to tell you that you can – and should – have ‘just one’. This is one of my favorite hacks for quickly satisfying a sugar craving after having dinner. I basically go into my cupboard, grab just one M&M or one gummy bear, chew it on both sides of my mouth to savor it, wash it down with a gulp of water and that’s it. Need for something sweet satisfied. Total carb impact? Just 2 grams of carbs and 1 gram of sugar.
Sweet Tooth Hack #2: A Touch of Honey
Honey is a great substitute for sugar. Unlike most sugars, which are processed, honey is all natural, making it a great choice for those following the Paleo diet. Plus, unlike sugar, honey is packed with nutrition, delivering minerals, vitamins, and protein.
Honey is versatile enough to be used as a cough suppressant and a remedy to treat burns. Most importantly, from a diet and sweet tooth perspective, honey literally helps you consume less sugar. The way sugar suppresses gherlin, the hormone that makes us feel full and causes overeating, a study conducted by the University of Wyoming discovered that honey has the opposite effect and actually activates gherlin, helping you better gauge when you’re feeling full.
A half teaspoon of honey has just 11 calories and 3 grams of carbs. When choosing honey, purchase raw honey vs. commercially processed honey.
Sweet Tooth Hack #3: Fresh Breath Fix
Having a clean mouth and healthy teeth are necessary for consuming all the foods you love, including some sweets, which is more reason why a fresh breath is necessary. The American Dental Association says that oral bacteria that consume sugar creates an acid that will wear away the enamel if left untreated. Therefore, it is important to find another way to suppress that craving and at the same time, aid in oral hygiene.
Next time you crave a sugary snack, chew on a piece of gum or have a mint instead. Many gum brands in the market keep teeth healthy and can distract your brain from wanting sugar. The sweet taste of gum, and the mere act of chewing something, can help reduce the need to have that sugary treat.
Better yet, a study published in the Journal of Neurogastroenterology & Motility found that peppermint actually reduces appetite. So the next time you feel like you want something sweet, just take a piece of gum or mint instead, and go about your day with a clean mouth and a clean conscience too.
Sweet Tooth Hack #4: Have Guilt-Free Goodies
If the hacks above don’t cut it for you, then another option is to have dessert but have something that limits glycemic load (i.e. has few carbs). One such option is dark chocolate. Like honey, dark chocolate is a powerful source of antioxidants and has essential minerals like iron, magnesium, and copper. It has also been shown to lower blood pressure. When choosing dark chocolate, go for ones that contains 70% or more cocoa content.
Another great alternative is something called FitFreeze ice cream. It’s ice cream that’s specially designed by dietitians for people dieting or watching their weight. Believe it or not, it contains all of the great taste of ice cream without all the artificial ingredients/sweeteners that are found in most brands of ice cream. Best of all, it contains fewer carbs, sugars, and has more protein. Sound appetizing? You can get a free sample of FitFreeze here.
By following the 4 diet hacks above, satisfying your sweet tooth while still staying true to your macronutrient goals will be a (small) ‘piece of cake’.
Happy guilt-free indulging,
Deekron The Fitness DJ
