As you continue your fitness journey, you may find that you would like to cut down on your sugar intake to help with your weight loss, boost your energy, or improve your mood. If you’re hoping to tame your sweet tooth, then try out these ideas!
Consider Your Current Diet
When you start cutting out or strictly limiting whole food groups, you’ll may experience sugar cravings in response. A good way to help with cravings is to make sure to eat plenty of satiating fats and proteins. If you’re reducing your carbohydrate intake (you should not cut them out completely), be sure that those you ARE eating have a low Glycemic Index (GI). Examples of low-GI carbs include beetroot, pumpkin, carrot, brown rice, and whole grains.
Choose a Bitter Snack
If you are craving a sweet treat, try eating something bitter instead, such as leafy greens, grapefruit, or brussel sprouts. This may distract you from your craving, and it will make less sugary foods taste much sweeter.
Eat Naturally Sweet Foods
Fruits, vegetables, or starches that are naturally sweet are also packed with fiber, causing your body to absorb the sugar more slowly. This means no sugar high and no crash. These foods also provide your body with essential vitamins and minerals. Here are a few of our naturally-sweet favorites!
- Sweet Potatoes
- Cashews
- Berries
- Apples
- Pears
Get More Sleep
Many of us sacrifice sleep in the name of getting things done, but a lack of quality sleep may be sabotaging your diet. When you are sleep-deprived, your body makes more of the “hunger hormone” ghrelin and less of the “full hormone” leptin. Additionally, when you’re tired, your body is more likely to crave sugar.
Pick a Healthy Mood-Booster
Are you a stress eater? It isn’t just the flavor of a sugary snack that improves your mood. That sugar triggers a release of serotonin in your brain, which makes you feel happier. Various lifestyle habits can help to raise your serotonin levels. Instead of going for the ice cream or a bag of chips, try eating some walnuts, salmon, bananas, sauerkraut, or green tea; these are healthier food choices that have the same chemical impact as sugar in that they raise too, can raise serotonin levels.
Need More Nutrition Advice?
At Kennedy Fitness: A Jefferson Health Affiliate, we offer so much more than treadmills and kickboxing classes in Mount Laurel and beyond. Our members can work with a personal trainer for free, every month, and meet up with a professional nutritionist to fine-tune their diet and exercise routine.
If you would like help achieving your wellness goals (or if our kickboxing classes in Cherry Hill sound like a good time!), then call the Kennedy Fitness team today at 1-800-875-2720.