For many people, sugar cravings are a big headache. Sugar cravings can be as controlling as cigarettes or even alcohol. We learn about sugar and sweets at a very young age and mostly associate a sense of reward or positive feelings with it. No wonder you look for sweets every time you feel down!

Thankfully, sugar cravings are not something you have to be stuck with for the rest of your life. Especially if it’s affecting your weight, health, and life quality, it’s time to take charge and control the sugar cravings. Here are some simple and natural ways to stop sugar cravings!

How do I stop sugar cravings?

1.     Eat frequently

If you are one of those people who starve in between meals, you are more likely to have intense sugar cravings. This is because being hungry for a long time can mess with blood sugar levels. As a result, the body craves sweets or unhealthy foods that will be a quick fix for the drop in blood sugar.

Eating regular meals with healthy snacks in between can help regulate blood sugar; leading to more control over your appetite and cravings.

2.     Plan ahead

They say if you fail to plan you plan to fail. This is especially true when it comes to personal goals about diet and habits. Part of having more control over blood sugar is planning ahead, especially if you know that you may not have much time for eating in your busy schedule.

To avoid falling into a sugar trap, plan for healthy snacks and alternatives ahead. Nuts, cheese sticks, yogurt, or carrots could be great and non-perishable alternatives. Remember, if you have nothing with you, most likely you will end up buying sugary junk snacks from the convenience store, blaming the sugar cravings!

3.     Manage stress

Sugar consumption is known to lead to dopamine and opioid release within the body. This comes in very handy, especially when we are stressed. As humans, we avoid pain and look for pleasure. And when going through a difficult time, what is more conveniently pleasurable than sugar? Even though you may feel great at the moment of eating, you will definitely regret all the things you ate while stressed.

Instead, increase awareness of stress and notice your triggers. What makes you feel stressed? When do you notice the sugar cravings the most? These could be your pain points. Start establishing healthier coping tools and maintain them with additional professional help if needed.

4.     Have alternatives ready

Obviously living a life without any sugar would be miserable but the good news is, that natural alternatives to sugar are not as harmful to the body and the mind. For example, fruits such as bananas, apples, dates, or strawberries can be good sources of daily sugar. Not only do they provide nutrition and fiber, but they will also not spike up blood sugar like highly processed packaged sugars.

5.     Set a certain amount

Another quick trick to control sugar cravings is to set a certain amount to consume before you even start eating. Most people are in natural hypnosis (a.k.a autopilot) when they fulfill their sugar cravings. At that point, how much you eat or what you eat doesn’t even matter, it’s just a matter of fulfilling that instinctual habit.

If you set a certain amount in your mind, separate that amount, and put the rest back, not only will you savor and enjoy every bite more, but also you won’t regret eating sweets. Small amounts of sugar can be manageable but when you finish a box of chocolate or empty a pint of ice cream, that’s when it becomes problematic! So next time, separate 2 pieces of chocolate before you eat, cover, and put the rest back in the cabinet. Even if you want to have more, you will have to make another conscious choice to eat sugar.

6.     Try self hypnosis

Most of the time we get stuck with sugar cravings because subconsciously we associate it with positive feelings. As long as the subconscious mind positively associates sugar, it will be difficult to manage cravings in general. This is where self-hypnosis can be helpful. Self-hypnosis is a great subconscious tool to help improve diet and habits.

During self-hypnosis, you can give yourself positive suggestions and use imagery to move away from sugar and be in control of the cravings. Similar to hypnosis, self-hypnosis stimulates the subconscious mind in a comfortable and relaxed way.