Sugar cravings? Three reasons you have nothing to fear
Do you feel at war with ‘sugar cravings’? Do feel like you rely on willpower to beat them? Do you try to cut-out sugar but then have snack attacks and feel like you've spoilt all your efforts?
Yes, cravings can be annoying - but what if they could be an opportunity to learn from your body and yourself and identify your real needs? Rather than trying to go cold-turkey on sugar (which rarely lasts), I encourage my clients to approach themselves with compassion and their sugar cravings with curiosity.
Here are just three things you can learn from your cravings (there are more!) if you start listening and interpreting their wisdom, and three actions to help reduce the fear or frustration factor:
You may be craving variety in your diet. If your diet is too restrictive or repetitive, or you are lacking in certain nutrients such as protein, complex carbs, essential fats, magnesium or zinc, these may all play into sugar cravings in different ways. Try new meal ideas and embrace more colour and flavour right away with fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices; and include some form of protein with each meal or snack.
You may be craving a little sweetness in your life. If you feel like something is lacking in some part of your life, you could be reaching for biscuits instead of leaning into how you’re feeling, or avoiding addressing the aspect of your life that really needs some TLC. Some time with a health coach, journalling or creating a space for some other form of self-reflection may help you create awareness around this and help bring more joy back where it's needed.
Your gut might need a bit of love - sometimes it's our gut bugs that are craving sugar, not us! If you suspect your gut health is out of whack, some opportunistic bacteria may be ruling the show. I recommend talking to a nutritional therapist who can help you explore this and take steps to restore balance to your gut, potentially helping cravings to dissipate naturally.
Next steps
Do any of these ring true with you? If cravings are keeping you stuck or anxious about food, it doesn’t need to be that way. Please have a chat with me to take away some immediate, inspiring recommendations, and consider the best strategies to get your relationship with food on to a more peaceful track.
