Can't you stop thinking about sweets? Do you feel addicted to sugar? Recent research shows that sugar has an impact on chemical compounds in the brain that make us addicted. This condition will usually greatly affect other things such as fat. One reason is that sugar causes the release of chemical compounds in the brain that are responsible for creating feelings of pleasure/happiness, including serotonin and endorphins. These chemicals increase energy instantly and usually improve mood. Triggers for addiction to sweet foods vary from person to person but eating sugary foods is usually associated with boosting energy and mood. However, there are several ways to help overcome this sugary food addiction.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Finding the Trigger
Step 1. Pay attention to emotional triggers
Addiction to sweet foods is triggered by hunger. Often this addiction is triggered emotionally. Try to remember the last time you started craving sweets. What are you feeling? Maybe you're bored, stressed, lonely, celebrating, or worried? Understanding each emotional trigger is very important in order to make the best plan for dealing with sugary food addiction.
- To find your emotional triggers, keep track of the times when you want to eat sugary foods. Every time you crave or eat something sweet, write down how you feel at that moment in a journal. Make sure you describe well each emotion you feel.
- For example, let's say you crave a sweet treat right after you get a bad score on a test. Your cravings for sweets may be due to the sadness or disappointment you feel.
Step 2. Watch out for stress-induced addictions
Addiction to sweet foods can also be caused by stress. Stress releases a chemical called cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Cortisol has been linked to a variety of negative effects on the body, from weight gain to a lowered immune system. Stress is part of our fight or flight response (the body's response when a problem occurs, whether to face the problem or stay away from it). What you often do to deal with stress is to eat sugary foods because it can calm this response.
If you are feeling stressed, try to avoid eating sugary foods. Look for other solutions, such as exercising or deep breathing
Step 3. Recognize when you need an instant energy boost
When you feel tired, you look for a quick and easy energy boost. Sugar provides a temporary boost, but doesn't last long. A side effect of sugar is that you'll have a lot less energy afterward because sugar isn't a continuous energy booster. Sugar is one of the most rapidly processed elements by the body into fuel or energy.
However, this remains a problem because sugar is only a quick, short-lived energy booster, so it will often lead to feelings of depression after the energy boost is over
Step 4. Watch out for hormone addiction
In women, addiction to sweet foods can be triggered by premenstrual syndrome, due to decreased production of endorphins. Eating sweet foods increases the chemical compounds in the brain that are responsible for causing feelings of pleasure. Another positive effect of eating sweet foods is the release of chemical compounds in the body that act as pain relievers.
Any problems related to hormones can lead to addiction because hormones are an integral part of energy processing in the body. If you suffer from or think you are suffering from a hormonal imbalance or deficiency, seek professional medical services
Method 2 of 3: Changing Eating Habits
Step 1. Eat real food
If you feel like eating something sweet, pay attention to whether you are just hungry or not. Eating real, nutritious foods can relieve cravings for sugary foods that are triggered by a lack of energy. When choosing foods for your diet, choose healthy foods that will provide energy, such as protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates.
- Increase the intake of protein in your diet, such as fish, chicken, lean red meat, and beans.
- Avoid packaged foods that contain lots of sugar and ingredients that are not good for health such as salt.
Step 2. Eat more fiber
Fiber helps you maintain healthy sugar levels in your body, which will reduce the drop in blood sugar that causes your cravings for sweets. Fiber will also help you feel full longer. Look for foods that are high in fiber, which will help make you feel full.
- Choose foods such as whole grains, broccoli, artichokes, whole wheat pasta, raspberries, and a variety of nuts.
- The recommended daily fiber intake is 35-45 grams for women and 40-50 grams for men.
Step 3. Eat small portions
If the craving for sugary foods is triggered by a decrease in energy during activities throughout the day, another strategy you can do is to increase the time to eat throughout the day. This will help you avoid the energy drop caused by non-meal times.
Some studies suggest eating 5-6 small meals a day, as opposed to 3 large meals a day, to help maintain a feeling of fullness throughout the day. Try to increase the number of healthy calories a day while increasing the number of hours of eating, but do not eat 5-6 times a day in normal portions. This will increase your calorie intake by a large amount
Step 4. Read the package label
Sugar is hidden in most processed foods. If you can't read the ingredients or there are a lot of ingredients in the food, chances are the food is high in sugar. Commonly used names for various types of sugar include agave syrup, brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, extract concentrate. fruit, honey, inverted sugar, malt sugar, molasses (cane juice which is the residue from the sugar crystallization process), raw sugar, sugar, and syrup.
Step 5. Choose better sweets
Sweet treats don't have to be big, elaborate, or very exciting desserts. It would be nice to choose simple sweet foods that contain less processed and unnatural ingredients. Eating simple sugary foods also means avoiding processed foods, which often contain more sugar. Try other sweet options like fruit and dark chocolate.
Avoid candy, cakes, pastries, and ice cream
Step 6. Drink more water
One of the easiest ways to stop eating sugary foods and reduce your cravings is to drink more water. This will help you avoid sugary drinks and keep you hydrated and healthier. Avoid drinks that contain high levels of sugar such as sports drinks, soft drinks, and some fruit juices.
If you don't like plain water, try all natural flavored sparkling water
Step 7. Avoid artificial sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are not a solution to avoid or reduce sugar addiction. In addition, there is mixed research on the effects of artificial sweeteners and an increased risk of cancer. Artificial sweeteners include saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, cyclamate, and neotame.
Look for healthier sweeteners like stevia extract. This extract contains no calories and is obtained naturally, which means it comes from the stevia plant, not from chemicals such as artificial sweeteners. Stevia has also been shown to be effective in treating high blood pressure and digestive discomfort. However, stevia is known to interact with a number of medications, such as anti-inflammatory and antifungal drugs. Ask your doctor to see if stevia is safe if you are taking any of these medicines
Method 3 of 3: Making Behavior Changes
Step 1. Eat mindfully
Center your mind while you are eating. Mindfulness is not a diet but a way to do it while eating, get rid of bad habits, and bring awareness to eating habits. Full self-awareness encourages you to know when you are really full and to pay attention to your body's signals that you are full. The benefit of eating mindfully is that it reduces your chances of overeating and eating dessert.
- To help you have full self-awareness, try something new. We often eat the same breakfast, lunch and dinner on a regular basis. Try replacing it with new recipes or vegetables and meats that you don't eat often.
- Pay attention to every bite. Things to do include looking at your food, enjoying how it looks, savoring every bite, and spending a minute after eating it to enjoy your eating experience just now. Turn off the TV and avoid other distractions so you can enjoy every bite.
Step 2. Pause before eating dessert
It takes your brain time to realize that your stomach is full after eating. The brain takes time to receive signals from digestive hormones. The time it takes varies from person to person, but it is recommended that you wait 20 to 30 minutes before eating dessert.
Step 3. Look for alternative activities
If you feel like eating sugary foods, try alternative activities that relieve your emotional triggers or help provide some time between eating and eating something sweet. If you're feeling bored and want to grab a bag of candy just to pass the time, try one of these activities:
- Strolling
- Try meditation
- Journal writing
- Chew sugar free gum
Step 4. Restrict your access
Another strategy for avoiding sugary foods is to limit access to these temptations. You can do this by completely getting rid of them or keeping them out of sight. Research shows that getting rid of it or at least making it harder to reach will reduce your consumption. This will give you more time to think about it if you really need or want to eat something sweet. You can try:
- Throw away all the sweets and sweets in your house.
- Hide sweets on the top shelf so they're harder to reach.
- Put healthy foods in visible places, such as fruit bowls on the table, rather than cookie jars.
