Many people experience an insatiable craving for sugar every day. You might’ve also heard people referring to their ‘sweet tooth’ as a prominent reason behind eating sugary treats.
Now, is there really anything like a sweet tooth?
Well, it isn’t an actual tooth in the mouth that needs sweets. It turns out that people have become intimately entwined with the satisfaction derived after consuming sugary foods.
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Why Do We Crave Sugar?
Sugar cravings are hard to resist because they make people feel better. The time when a person eats something sweet and delicious, the dopaminergic reward pathway is activated. It is the reason why people find it challenging to stick to a healthy diet.
So, is there any way to get rid of Sweet tooth?
Outlined below are the ways to help you on this journey. Buckle Up!
Take a Hot Shower
Whenever a person feels happy or sad, senses trigger a desire for sweets. Hot showers or baths are widely known for providing relief from sugar cravings. Make sure not to overheat the water because it can burn the skin.
People who shower for 5-10 minutes witness their craving to be gone. It happens because a hot water shower gives a dazed feeling.
Eat Healthily
It is no brainer that the sugar is adding fuel to the fire of various health challenges. The statement may sound as frightening as ghosts and goblin. However, it is the reality of modern-day living.
Understanding that craving and hunger are different is the first step that you can take to eliminate sugar craving.
Hunger is the body’s need for energy, whereas craving is the brain calling for anything that activates the dopaminergic reward pathway. When both hunger and craving are combined, they create a powerful drive that becomes hard to resist.
Eating healthy meals is the best way to satisfy hunger and keep you healthy. Transitioning to a plant-based diet is necessary if you want to shoo the fat away.
Drink Plenty of Water
The joy after eating sweet food is astonishing because it satisfies the taste buds that feel sweetness. These cravings could be a sign of dehydration, so make sure you drink plenty of water.
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Drinking eight ounces of water per day can help you desensitize your sweet tooth. Before you take a bite of chocolate, drink some water, and wait for a few minutes. If you do not feel like drinking eight ounces of water every day, consider drinking peppermint tea. This alternative can help you reduce your sugar cravings.
Sound Sleep is Necessary
Sleep is paramount to a healthier lifestyle. Getting sufficient hours of sleep is necessary to reduce appetite, increase energy levels, and slash sugar cravings. Sleep deficiency can result in increasing ghrelin (a hormone that stimulates appetite) and decreasing leptin (a hormone responsible for suppressing the appetite).
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When a person fails to get the recommended hours of sleep, the feeling for eating something sugary arises to give the quick energy fix. Ensuring sound sleep of a minimum of eight hours will help in this journey to stop sugar craving.
Brisk Walk Outside
People prefer going outside for a quick walk because it activates the endorphins, among the happy brain chemicals, that help turn off the cravings.
Running is more effective because it distant people from the sugar craving and helps maintain the body in good shape. Incorporate running or workout into the regimen to yank out the sweet tooth.
Exercises, such as burpees, squats, push-ups, and other body-weight exercises, are also helpful in abstaining from cravings.
Check Food Labels
It is no wonder that sugar has become a staple ingredient in many foods that we consume in everyday life. You ought to be watchful about the quantity of sugar in the food. Checking the labels will help weed out foods that are loaded with sweeteners.
Finding these troublemakers may seem evident, but the process needs extra attention on its way. Products with words like corn syrup, cane juice, dextrose, and maltose contain sweeteners. Besides, words ending with ‘ose’ often found as sweeteners. While scanning the ingredients lists, be careful of these words.
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Be wary of the processed food contents. For example, marinara sauce often contains added sugar. Stay clear of the products containing sugar to reduce your sweet tooth. In case you are an athlete, be cautious of sports nutrition products, as they contain added sugars.
Final Notes
Sugar cravings are common; many people deal with them. Craving sweet food isn’t a bad thing, and it shouldn’t be something to be guilty about. It is okay if you occasionally indulge in consuming odd sweet treat. However, constant or regular sugar cravings can be a cause of concern.
Swapping the sugar-filled treats is necessary to get rid of sugar cravings. When you are aware of the triggers, it becomes easy to tame your sweet tooth. Following the above tips will help you take charge when sugar craving try to take over.
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