Starting a diet is a sure-fire way to start craving things that you may not even think of during off-diet periods in your life. However, thanks in part to a growing prevalence of sugar addiction in adults, cutting out those sugary sweets while trying to lose weight can be difficult. Luckily, while it may be difficult to stick to a diet, there are several natural ways people can combat sugar cravings that will make the battle for weight loss a little bit easier.

By reducing sugar cravings, dieters can focus on other aspects of their dieting journey. Here are several natural ways to combat sugar cravings.

Keep Blood Sugar Levels in Check

People tend to crave sugary treats more when their blood sugar levels swing from high to low during the day. A person will most often crave sugary foods when their blood sugar is allowed to drop too low, so preventing spikes in blood sugar levels can help with reducing sugar cravings.

One of the best ways to keep blood sugar levels in check is by eating a healthy breakfast within an hour of waking up. Breakfast has long been considered the most important meal of the day as eating breakfast allows a person’s blood sugar level to stabilise after a person has fasted overnight. Including protein and healthy fats in this meal will also help with stabilising blood sugar levels and keeping them stable throughout the morning.

In the case of extreme weight loss, very-low-calorie diets have been recommended by the NHS for obesity. In these cases, many people turn to shakes and meal replacements when trying to lose weight. Companies like Shake That Weight provide low-calorie shakes and meals that are packed with other essential vitamins and minerals as well as the right amounts of macronutrients such as protein and carbohydrates. Their shakes are developed specifically for weight loss, are light but nutritious, and promote energy early in the day – consider shakes as a slimming aid if you are looking for a place to start.

Another way to prevent sugar level spikes during the day is to avoid skipping meals. While it may seem logical that eating less will promote weight loss, if you skip a meal and your blood sugar levels crash then you may just end up eating something sweet that isn’t on your meal plan instead of a portion of healthy food that is. Skipping meals also leads to overeating during other main meals which will only set your diet back a few steps.

Choose Healthy Alternatives to Sugary Favourites

Working in an office means that sweet temptations will certainly cross your desk from time to time. While you may not want to resist, keeping a stash of healthy snack alternatives close at hand is a great way to combat your cravings. Small, low-sugar fruits such as strawberries and blackberries are great for snacking on and they can be added to a sugar-free Greek yoghurt for a substantial snack or even a small meal during the day. Carrots and hummus also make for a tantalising treat with the natural sweetness of the carrot often being enough to satisfy sweet tooths.

If you find yourself tired of snacking on fruit, popcorn is a great low-calorie snack that is low in sugar and easy to store. There are also a host of different popcorn flavouring spices that can be used to improve the taste of this traditionally salty snack. Many of these flavourings make good use of naturally occurring flavours that have been shown to decrease sugar cravings.

Battle Sugar Cravings with These Herbs and Spices

The most commonly used spice that has been shown to decrease sugar cravings is cinnamon, a naturally sweet spice that has been used for its medicinal properties since 2000BC. Cinnamon can be used as a spice on popcorn or can even be taken in tea.

Another common spice used to curb cravings is turmeric, a spice with a long history in Ayurvedic medicine. Turmeric is often recommended to people with diabetes due to its ability to lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin function. Turmeric has also been found to aid in digestion, support kidney function, and even improve blood flow, so the benefits of this spice cannot be understated.

Dieters looking for a spice that can be used in sweet and savoury dishes will be thrilled to hear that cloves also boast several health benefits that include blood sugar regulation, stomach-soothing, and reductions in sugar cravings. A popular way to consume this intensely aromatic spice is through the drinking of Masala tea, also known as chai tea, but it can also be used to flavour sugar-free cookies, meat dishes, and is an ingredient in sauces such as Worcestershire and ketchup.

When dieting for whatever reason, be it to lose weight or to bulk up for training, dieters must manage their intake carefully to ensure they are getting the right amounts of the primary macronutrients as well as the vitamins and minerals needed to stay healthy. By reducing sugar cravings, dieters can focus on other aspects of their dieting journey.