So on Monday we took a deeper look into Goal #2 to increase my energy now lets move on to Goal #3: Break my sugar craving.
Sugar is addictive for 2 reasons. 1: eating a small amount makes you want more. 2. Suddenly quitting causes withdrawal symptoms like headaches, mood swings, cravings and fatigue.
I honestly was never a huge fan of sweets until my pregnancy and then something changed. I read somewhere that when you are pregnant with a girl you crave more sweets and for me this ended up being true. I wanted everything sweet especially fruits, coconut milk ice cream and chocolate. Unfortunately this craving has stuck with me postpartum. Now my goal is to kick the sugar habit.
I have already been making strides to improve this by not making Oh She Glows amazing chocolate chip cookies once a week, or should I say have Neil make them for me. It was awful at one point we were making them at least once per week. I am glad to say it’s been about five weeks since we made our last batch -win!
Although it has been five weeks since I enjoyed those yummy chocolate chip cookies it hasn’t stopped me from making a number of other baked goods, enjoying coconut ice cream and chocolate. I have been using natural sugars as much as possible and my cravings have been reduced but I am still craving a piece or two of dark chocolate most nights.
Action Steps.
- Eat Balanced Meals. Make sure to create meals focus on vegetables and then have ¼ of your meal be a whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, barley, millet, bulgar, etc) ¼ should be high quality protein such as beans, tempeh, or tofu. Additionally, add 1-2 tbsp of a healthy fat (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, nut butters, nuts, etc); this will help to feel satisfied and curb your cravings.
- Replace processed snacks (anything with a long ingredient list or filled with sodium, sugar and HFCS) with whole foods such as fruits, nuts, veggies, etc.
- Think before eating. When a craving comes on rather than give into it try to deconstruct the craving to figure out the actual cause.
What do your crave? Why do you crave it?
I used to have major sugar cravings all the time, but for some reason they faded away quit a bit over the last year.
I would definitely add more healthy fats to meals. They keep me feeling more full, and often satisfy my need for something sweet.
I definitely need to work on this. I think it’s getting out of hand!!!! But I love my sweets 🙁