From Crave to Control: Decoding the Sugar Urge.

It’s a vicious cycle. Too much sugar in our diets creates blood sugar spokes (with a short release of happy hormones) followed by crashes, making you feel fuzzy-headed, irritable and desperate for a huge piece of cake! Behind the scenes cravings are driven by our hormones and stress can make them much worse. The hormone insulin pays a key part. If our cells are insulin resistant we struggle to utilise glucose for energy. This leaves us craving more and with higher levels of glucose circulating in our blood stream, putting us at risk of diabetes type 2.

Whether you’ve been diagnosed or want to take preventative measures, check out these following tips down:

1. Set urself up with a nourishing protein rich brekky: such as porridge with seeds and berries. 2 small slices of rye bread with 2 boiled eggs, avocado/smoked salmon/mackerel and pumpkin seeds. Or a high protein smoothie including a nut butter.

2. Plan some healthy snack attacks: nuts/seeds, hummus and veggie sticks, wholemeal rice cakes with nut butter.

3.  Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to smoothies, porridge, yoghurt and coffee. Cinnamon has been shown to curb blood sugar by improving insulin sensitivity.

4.  Move! Even moderate exercise such as brisk walking helps your body metabolise sugar by increasing insulin sensitivity.

5.  Get some magnesium. Cravings can be the result of a diet low in this trace mineral. Including almonds, cashews, oats, beans, dark green leafy veg and dark chocolate. Add Epsom salts to your bath.

6.  Boost your serotonin (happy chemicals) naturally: rewire your brain from using sugar as a treat to relying on to others ways to boost happiness: go for a walk, get some daylight, be absorbed in something you enjoy.

7.  Up the dose of healthy fats. Fats from coconut oil, olive oil, avocados give us a feeling of satiety and help prevent hunger pangs.

8.  Sugar free hydration: dehydration can make us crave sweet foods. Minimise high sugar drinks (or those with artificial sweeteners), such as sports drinks, energy drinks, soft drinks, and even fruit juice (except for tomato). Replace with water, infused with fruit or with a squeeze of lemon kombucha or herbal teas.