AFTER a food and booze-filled December, you might have been tempted to embark on a strict diet this January.
Banishing carbs, sweet treats, alcohol and other foods from your cupboards may have seemed the best idea.
GettyUse these hacks to take your mind off sugar[/caption]
However, it can be hard to follow a diet at the best of times, even more so when it’s cold and dark outside.
And your mood might not be particularly upbeat.
Your sweet tooth might just get in the way of any new year weight loss endeavours.
Some simple hacks could help to outsmart that pesky sweet tooth helping you to say no to the pastries, chocolates, cakes and desserts that might come your way.
1. Aim for 90 seconds of distraction
If you can’t stop thinking about a particular sugary snack or find that you can’t concentrate on work until you get your sugar fix, then Dr Daniel Glazer, Clinical Psychologist and co-founder of US Therapy Rooms just 60 to 90 seconds of a distraction can make a difference.
He says: “Things like going for a brief walk, calling a friend, listening to upbeat music, pretty much any activity that gives us a ‘break’ from staring down a tempting sweet treat can help diffuse the intensity of a craving.
“It kind of resets our brains and bodies momentarily.”
2. Chew cinnamon gum
Next time a craving kicks in that you’re trying to fight, try chewing cinnamon-flavoured gum, which Dr Glazer says is particularly effective due to its distinct taste.
He says: “Other flavours can also be used for managing sweet cravings.
“Gum with just cinnamon or combined with other flavours like mint or wintergreen can work well.
“The key is that the flavour should be enjoyable and provide a sensory distraction, which helps satisfy the craving without actual sugar intake.”
3. Drink tart cherry juice
Dr Glazer says that “preliminary studies highlight the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of compounds in tart cherries”.
He says: “Additionally, the tartness of cherry juice, resulting from organic acids, can stimulate taste receptors sensitive to sweetness.
“Although tart cherry juice isn’t overwhelmingly sweet, its unique flavour profile can satisfy the sweet-sensing receptors on the tongue, providing a sense of having something sweet in a healthier way.”
Plus, tart cherry juice is also said to promote sounder sleep, with one study finding it reduced insomnia severity in eight adults, compared to eight adults who did not have the drink.
Dr Glazer says: “Improved sleep can help regulate appetite and potentially reduce cravings.”
A fresh minty taste makes you less inclined to consume sugary sweets as the flavours clash together.
Dr Rachael Molitor
4. Spice over sugar
Swapping sugar for spices in baking and recipes can reduce your sugar consumption and trick your ‘sweet tooth’ to satisfy your craving, according to Dr Rachael Molitor, Chartered Psychologist.
She says: “Adding such spices as allspice, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon can satisfy your need for something strong tasting and sweet without the high sugar rush.”
You could add cinnamon to Greek yoghurt or oats, have a ginger tea or season your chicken at lunch with allspice.
5. Schedule your sweet treats
We’re never going to recommend that you go cold turkey on the foods you love; after all, where’s the fun in that?
So, allowing some wiggle room can ensure you feed your sweet tooth without it impacting your weight.
Dr Glazer says: “Scheduling dessert or choocolate bars on special weekends only or planning in one glass of wine helps sustain motivation the rest of the week.
“Too harsh restrictions often backfire.”
If you’re worried you’ll binge, intead, schedule in a small piece of chocolate or otherwise ‘per day’.
Have it when you really want it and will be satisfied by it, as opposed to a regimented time.
6. Reframe your dessert
In the same vein, relabelling how you label sugary treats can have a big impact on how much you crave them.
Often when we demonise treats as being bad for us or harmful to weight loss, it can make the food even more desirable, and when we do eat it, we feel so much guilt that it makes us feel the whole diet is ‘pointless’.
It needn’t be this way.
Dr Glazer says: “Rather than simply denying yourself entirely, learn to describe desserts in more matter-of-fact terms, like ‘sweet calorie option’ or ‘occasional snack choice’.
“Labeling it in this way, distances your dessert from seeming like a forbidden fruit, making moderation easier.”
7. Try the ‘if-then’ approach
If the desire for chocolate strike, Dr Glazer recommends giving the mind productive alternatives.
He says: “Thinking, ‘If I’m craving something sweet after lunch, then I’ll eat an apple with peanut butter’, helps short circuit reaching for the cookie jar.”
Rather than spontaneous bingers, try pairing sweet treats with pre-planned meals, within your daily calorie target (if you have one).
Having a plan in place can reduce the likelihood of heading for the vending machine.
GettyThe plant Gymnema, which is available in supplement form, can help with cravings[/caption]
8. Turn to Gymnema
While Gymnema sounds like a fancy gym, it is in fact a plant that could help with cravings.
Caroline Mason, nutritionist and founder at Baldo and Mason, says: “This is due to its properties in blocking the sweet receptors in your brain.
“Have this ideally 30 minutes before cravings comes on or in the moment of.”
One study found that in people given Gymnema extract had less appetite for sweet foods at a subsequent meal and were more likely to limit their food intake, compared to those not taking the extract, Healthline reported.
9. Reward yourself
Ever asked yourself why you’re craving sugar? More often than not it’s your brain reaching out, not your stomach.
Caroline says: “Cravings are psychological not physiological like hunger.
“As cravings come from a place of reward, channel that into something else that also gives you a reward.”
This could be self-care in the form of a massage, manicure or a long hot bath, exercise, listening to a podcast or watching a favourite film.
Exercise may help reduce your appetite, studies find, so you many be less inclined to snack if you take a gym class, whether it be yoga or boxing.
10. Hydrate first
You may have heard that your cravings could be a sign of thirst.
Dr Molitor explains that our brain signals for hunger and thirst can be similar, leading to confusion.
He says: “The hypothalamus in the brain regulates both signals for thirst and hunger, and these signals can be sometimes entwined and misinterpreted.
“When you’re dehydrated, you do not process stored energy as efficiently so drinking water can help to use energy stores instead of craving sugar for a quick energy boost.”
Make sure to drink at least six to eight glasses of water per day (1.2L). You could add some low-sugar or sugar-free squash to make your water more palatable.
11. Toothpaste trick
The fresh minty flavour of gum or toothpaste does not go well with the idea of a chocolate bar or biscuits.
Dr Molitor says: “The fresh minty taste and feeling makes you less inclined to consume sugary sweets as the flavours clash together.
“This has been noted with strong mints and chewing gum to neutralise the pallet and reduce sugary cravings.”
He adds: “Removing plaque and bacteria from your teeth helps prevent cavities and gum disease.”