Curbing those sweet cravings: tips on overcoming and reducing sugar cravings

Naturopathic doctor Joyce Johnson shares tips on overcoming and reducing sugar cravings.

Sugar cravings can strike at any time, whether it’s during festive seasons, celebrations, or just a regular day.

Naturopathic doctor Joyce Johnson says there are some simple and practical changes you can make to reduce your cravings.

Avoid artificial sweeteners

Artificial sugars can lead to metabolic changes that may increase your cravings, according to Johnson.

“If you are really in need of a sweet treat or something sweet, I suggest opting for some fruit. Fruit is going to have additional fibre, which is going to help keep you fuller for longer,” says Johnson in an interview with CTV’s Crystal Garrett.

Nutrient deficiencies can make cravings worse

Johnson says nutrient deficiencies such as vitamin D and magnesium can increase your bodies cravings for sugar.

“You can find vitamin D in fortified foods, fortified milk, fortified orange juice and cereals,” says Johnson. “In Canada probably taking a vitamin D supplement is one of the wisest options for us because we are not getting as much vitamin D from the sunlight.”

“For magnesium a good food choice could be dark chocolate, the darker the chocolate the lower the sugar content so look for something 80 per cent or above. Avocados, green leafy vegetables are also really high in magnesium.”

Read your labels

Johnson says its important to read labels for sugar content as sugar can be found in all foods.

“Twelve grams of sugar can be found in 2 tablespoons of barbeque sauce, it can be in a granola bar, or it can be in half a cup of pasta sauce,” says Johnston.

“I lot of dried fruit has added sugar to it. There is 80 plus grams of sugar in one energy drink.”

Get enough sleep

Making sure you get enough sleep can also help sugar cravings says Johnson.

“Sleep deprivation can lead to cravings for calorie dense foods, especially those that are high in sugar,” says Johnston. “When you are sleep deprived your blood sugar is less stable and your more prone to these cravings.”

Eat more protein

Johnston says it’s also important to get enough protein in your diet.

“A diet low in sugar but high in protein and fibre has been shown to reduce hunger and promote fullness. So, it’s really important that you are getting enough protein during the day,” Johnston says.

“Fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes are all great sources of protein.”