If you’re working toward better health and have a sweet tooth, you are familiar with the epic and eternal battle between man and sugar.
You start your day with a spinach smoothie, but end it with ice cream. You want to drink more water, but soda is calling your name so much louder!
How in the world can you kill your sweet tooth?! I’m glad you asked!
Why Eat Less Sugar in the First Place?
Eating less sugar is not only important for weight loss (which was my primary motive) but also for loads of health reasons.
Reducing sugar intake is arguably the best way to help lower your risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. It also helps you maintain a healthy weight, as high sugar intake has been linked to weight gain and obesity.
Additionally, eating less sugar can improve your energy levels and reduce feelings of fatigue! While sugary foods might provide a quick boost in energy levels, they often lead to a subsequent energy crash.
Believe it or not, reducing sugary treats in your diet also benefits mental health by reducing your risk of depression and anxiety.
Not enough reasons for you to decrease the amount of sugar in your diet?!
When you consume sugary foods and drinks, the bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar and produce acids. These acids can erode tooth enamel, leading to cavities and tooth decay.
Frequent sugar intake can exacerbate this effect, as it provides a constant food source for the bacteria, increasing acid production and the risk of tooth decay and other dental issues.
High blood sugar levels can cause inflammation, which is a common trigger for acne. That means that reducing your sugar intake can also lead to clearer skin by decreasing acne and other skin conditions.
And last but not least, lowering the amount of sugar in your diet lowers the inflammation in your body, which supports better overall immune function.
Kill Your Sweet Tooth By Controlling Your Sugar Intake
Stop the constant stream of sugar, or at least understand how it’s undermining your efforts.
One of my biggest aha moments a few years ago was realizing that I crave sugar because I’m constantly drinking/eating sugar. I know, it’s not rocket science.
But in my mind, I was opting for a “healthier choice” because I was drinking diet soda instead of regular and eating low-calorie ice cream instead of full fat. Meanwhile, the constant stream of artificial sweeteners (low calorie or not) was triggering constant sweet cravings. It quickly became a vicious cycle!
Obviously, taking in no sugar at all would solve the problem. But that’s a nearly impossible goal when you’re first trying to kill your sweet tooth.
So, for now, try forcing yourself to drink a bottle of water in between servings of soda. Or snack on some vegetables before you indulge in that decadent slice of cake.
Just breaking up the constant flow of sugar intake (and subsequently, lowering your blood sugar levels) is the best way to begin to curb cravings.
Check food labels for added sugars.
When you’re trying to eat healthier, packaged or processed food seems like a convenient option. But if the first, second, or third ingredient on the label is sugar, your “healthy” snack has too much sugar and is just feeding that sweet tooth!
Watch out for added sugar by all of its names – cane sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, and 51 more!
Take small steps.
If you normally take five sugars in your coffee, try four.
Keep using four sugars until you can’t tell or don’t mind the difference. That might take a few days or a few weeks.
Once you’ve fully adjusted to four sugars, take it down to three. Keep going until you’re down to one or none.
I used this same approach for my soda intake. I wrote down how many ounces I drank on the first day and made it my goal to drink less the next day, even if it was just one ounce less.
Taking it one small step at a time with sugary treats will make your plan to kill your sweet tooth feel much more doable.
Remember, though, that sweet is sweet. So replacing your sugar with stevia, though a healthier alternative, is still contributing to your sweet cravings.
Make a last-ditch effort before you give in to your sweet tooth.
Some people drink an 8-ounce glass of water before they indulge in an attempt to fill up their stomach. Others have found a bite or two of sour food quickly eliminates sweet cravings.
Cinnamon could also do the trick! It reduces blood glucose levels (helping to curb sweet cravings) and can often dupe the body into believing it has indulged in a sweet treat.
Still others allow themselves sugary foods, but only after waiting 15 minutes. Many of them find their craving subsides, or a distraction arises, during that time.
Cut sugar altogether for a few weeks.
This is the most effective approach, but also the most difficult! If you can completely cut sugar from your diet for two to three weeks, you’ll be amazed at what you learn!
A break from sugar caused me to realize how often I was using sugar to medicate emotions and just how much that sweet hit controlled me. And after my taste buds had that break to reset, I found that naturally sweet foods like fruit adequately satisfied my (reset) sweet tooth.
Kill Your Sweet Tooth By Substituting Other Foods and Flavors
Be mindful of everything you eat and drink.
One of the easiest and fastest ways to take in too much sugar is by eating it mindlessly in front of a screen. Make it a point to really pay attention to every bite you eat, whether a salad or a cookie.
Notice every flavor, think about the different ingredients that went into it, chew slowly, and set down your utensil between bites. If you’re experiencing and enjoying food at that level, a half cup of ice cream can feel like more of a treat than the pint you inhaled binge-watching Netflix.
Stay hydrated and eat plenty of healthy fats.
When you have a sweet tooth, every stomach growl provides an opportunity to indulge in sugary foods. So keep hunger at bay by drinking water throughout the day, including an 8-ounce glass of water before every meal or snack.
When you do eat, always try to incorporate a healthy fat, like olive oil, avocado, nuts, or seeds. These fats will help you to feel full and satisfied much longer than carbs and sugar will, and help you avoid sugar cravings.
Eat protein and high-fiber foods.
Both protein and high-fiber foods slow down sugar absorption in your body, helping to prevent the spikes in your blood sugar levels that trigger your sweet tooth. Fiber, found in nuts, berries, and vegetables, also comes with the added benefit of slowing your digestion, so you feel full for longer.
Explore new and different flavors.
A lot of the reason we love sugar is that it’s delicious. Duh! It triggers our taste buds in a pleasurable way, especially if the rest of our diet is bland.
But we have four other types of taste buds – salty, sour, bitter, and umami – left to explore! Experiment with new spice and seasoning blends (watching out for added sugars).
Or order something off the menu you wouldn’t normally try. You might find spicy or umami foods are just as satisfying to your taste buds as sweet foods!
Make it a food adventure or challenge.
I personally hate wasting food. So utilizing healthy food delivery services like Imperfect Produce and ButcherBox has provided the perfect challenge to keep me on track with healthy eating.
I’m more likely to resist a fast-food run if I know the mushrooms in my fridge are about to go bad, or that the chicken needs to be cooked today.
Or try visiting a farmer’s market every Saturday. Buy two or three healthy new foods and incorporate them into your menu that week.
The more fun you have on your journey, the more likely you’ll be to stick with it.
Kill Your Sweet Tooth Utilizing Alternative Methods
Get plenty of sleep.
I don’t know about you, but I’m reaching for sugary coffees and pastries and vending machine pick-me-ups when I’m tired. And on a day or week (or month!) you’re wrestling with sleep deprivation?! Foggedaboudit!
When you’re well-rested, your body won’t be craving those quick fix food cravings to boost energy levels.
Manage stress.
Similar to sleep, your stress response can drive you to seek a quick fix for comfort and energy. It’s why so many people gain weight when they’re facing hardships.
Download our free ebook for 17 practical ways to manage your stress levels.
Exercise regularly.
You don’t have to drive to a gym. (Although that’s never a bad thing!)
A simple walk around the block or a 10-minute home workout can help to clear your head, stir up some natural feel-good hormones, and distract you from those nagging food cravings.
Get your fix using your sense of smell.
The body’s a funny thing. Simply smelling something sweet and indulgent can often trick your brain into believing you actually ate those sweet foods.
I can’t get enough of candle scents like cinnamon roll and sugar cookie. They make my entire house smell like I just whipped up a batch of homemade goodness!
And you don’t have to look far to find body washes, soaps, and lotions in similar scents.
By controlling our sugar intake, substituting other foods and flavors, and utilizing alternative methods, we can loosen sugar’s grainy grip on us for good.
What helped you to kill your sweet tooth? Be sure to share your best tips in the comments!
P.S. Ready to take charge of your health but looking for a totally doable approach? Our free Get Fit Starter Pack includes six fantastic resources to help! Get yours HERE.
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