5 Tips to Help Manage Your Sugar Cravings

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Many of us tend to experience sugar cravings throughout our day. For me, it’s typically during that “afternoon slump” when my energy levels dip that I’m most prone to craving a sugary snack. 

Cravings are primarily driven by our brain’s desire for some type of reward or treat, and not necessarily by our body’s need for more energy. And while it’s good to “reward” ourselves from time to time with a yummy treat, it’s easy to overdo it and make it a habit to overindulge when our cravings kick in. 

Luckily, there are a few ways you can easily manage these sugar cravings. Here are my 5 best tips that I’ve found to help keep sugar cravings in check. 

5 Tips to Help Manage Your Sugar Cravings

1. Make sure you’re getting plenty of fiber in your diet. Fiber is a key component in our diets because it helps to regulate not only our appetites, but also our blood sugar. When you don’t consume enough fiber, your blood sugar is thrown off, which leads to a lack of energy and crazy sugar cravings. Make sure you’re eating plenty of fruits and vegetables daily to ensure you’re getting enough fiber, and to keep your cravings in check. 

2. Make every effort to get adequate sleep. Sleep is essential for our bodies in more ways than one, particularly when it comes to the hormones that dictate our cravings. When we sleep, a hormone called ghrelin is released. What’s so great about ghrelin? Ghrelin is responsible for controlling our cravings for carbs and simple sugars. So when we don’t get enough sleep, we don’t produce enough ghrelin, which leads to more intense and frequent cravings for sugary treats.

3. Don’t deny yourself of all sweet treats. Craving sweets isn’t all bad. A lot of sweeter treats out there are loaded with other good-for-you nutrients that can both satisfy your sweet tooth and provide other health benefits. Load your kitchen up with quality snacks that are both sweet and nutritious, like fruits, dark chocolate, dates, or even fruit popsicles. There are plenty of healthy, sweet treats out there that can satisfy even the strongest of sugar cravings. 

4. Drink plenty of water. When we’re dehydrated, we naturally crave sugar. Why? The hypothalamus in our brains controls our feelings for thirst. But guess what else the hypothalamus controls? Hunger. When you’re dehydrated, the hypothalamus kicks in and triggers thirst, as well as food cravings.  Make sure you’re staying hydrated throughout the day to keep these cravings in check. 

5. Don’t ignore your hunger. It’s often tempting to ignore our hunger pangs throughout the day, especially if we’re “saving up” for a bigger meal later on. However, putting off eating can have disastrous consequences, especially when it comes to our sugar cravings. Depriving our bodies of food can actually worsen our cravings and make them even more intense. Snack throughout your day to avoid getting “hangry,” and to manage your sugar cravings.