I don’t know about you but after a whole life of not thinking too hard about what I’m eating, it’s a struggle to eat a low-carb diet. It’s not just donuts and chocolates – the ‘sometimes’ food. It’s also everyday staples like pasta, rice, and potatoes. Even bananas, nectarines and mangoes spike your blood sugar!
It’s even harder when you have kids. There is always a packet of crackers or a candy or two lying around. And when you bake with your kids, I bet you take a nibble of those delicious cookies, just to make sure that the taste is right.
You can blame the world for being a bastard of a place, filled with sugar-laden temptations, give up and eat what ever you want.
Or! You can take control and say no to sugar.
Alas, there is no easy way but try out some of these strategies. They may help get you on the right track:
Find Your Why
You need to really believe in a cause to sacrifice for it. If you have a wishy washy goal like ‘I want to eat less sugar’ or ‘l want to feel better’, it’s not going to cut it. Don’t get me wrong, you definitely want to eat less sugar and feel better. But that statement is neither strong enough nor specific enough.
Dig deep and discover the personal reasons that motivate you to make healthier choices. Your ‘why’ is your anchor. It’s the reason you’ll pass up the slice of cake at a party or choose a piece of fruit over a sugary snack. It’s the internal narrative that empowers you to make decisions that align with your long-term goals and values. When temptation strikes, recalling your “why” provides the clarity and strength needed to resist immediate gratification in favor of lasting well-being.
My why is this:
I want to be healthy and live longer so that I can bring my kids up to be strong, healthy, adults.
What’s your why?
Strategic Dietary Changes
Now that you know why you want to stop eating sugar, let’s optimize your environment. There’s no need to put yourself through temptation after temptation every single day. Saying no is exhausting!
Whatever your regular diet was, I bet it wasn’t great and that’s why you’re here. It makes sense to clean up your diet.
Focus on incorporating nutrient-dense foods, understanding where sugars hide in your diet, balancing your meals, and prioritizing hydration. Before you know it, your sugar cravings would lessen and it will be much easier to say no.
Incorporate Satiating Nutrients
Make sure your meals are rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats which promote satiety. These foods provide essential nutrients and keep you full for much longer, reducing your need to snack in between meals.
Plan your meals to have a balance of macronutrients. Start your day with a breakfast high in fiber and protein. Include a portion of whole grains like oatmeal and add some berries or nuts for added nutrients. For lunch and dinner, half your plate should ideally be vegetables, pairing with a quarter plate of whole grains and a quarter of lean protein.
Identify And Avoid Hidden Sugars
Look through your pantry to figure out which foods have hidden sugars. You would be surprised with what you find. I only recently realized there was sugar in my organic chicken stock, Mexican spice mix, and rice crackers.
Look at all the food labels to spot hidden sugars like corn syrup, rice syrup, and molasses. When choosing packaged foods, be cautious of terms that end with ‘-ose’, which indicate sugars. Opt for products with minimal added sugar, and be wary of artificial sweeteners that can maintain a taste for sweetness.
Remove high-sugar temptations such as candy, cookies, and processed foods from your pantry. Your kids might whine but they’ll soon get used to eating healthier snacks. Stock up on foods that promote healthy eating, like fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Plan your shopping list in advance to prevent impulsive buys.
Keep Hydrated
Often, thirst is mistaken for hunger or sugar cravings. Keep hydrated throughout the day. Drink water regularly, and if you get sick of plain water, try something with flavor. Infuse your water with slices of fruit or herbs. You can even try carbonated water for a bit of fizz.
When a sugar craving hits, pause for a moment and drink a glass of water. Sometimes thirst is misinterpreted as a craving for sugar. At the very least, that glass of water will fill you up so you don’t feel like eating anymore.
It goes without saying but I’m going to say it anyway. Avoid sugary drinks and fruit juices. They contribute substantially to your daily sugar intake.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
It’s not just about changing what’s on your plate, but also adjusting the underlying habits that influence your food choices. Together, these strategies create a sustainable framework that not only helps you transition to a low-carb way of eating but also helps maintain it as a long-term, healthy way of life.
Develop Mindful Eating Habits
Mindful eating involves listening to your body’s hunger signals and eating slowly to allow your taste buds to recognize natural flavors. Fully engage with the experience of eating. Notice the colors, smells, textures, and flavors of your food. When you eat mindfully, you savor each bite, often leading to greater satisfaction with less food.
Listen to your body’s hunger and satiety signals. By doing this, you become more attuned to your body’s true needs, distinguishing between emotional cravings and actual physical hunger. This heightened awareness helps you make conscious food choices, reducing the likelihood of reaching for sugary snacks as a reflex or out of boredom.
Pay close attention to how food makes you feel can also make it easier to reduce your sugar intake. When I have anything that raises my blood sugar, my heart starts pounding and I sometimes get a headache. Now a days, when I look at a cookie or a slice of cake, I often ask myself ‘is this worth it?’.
Change Your Reward System
Most of us have a complicated relationship with food. Many of us grew up with parents who rewarded us with sweet treats. As an adult, I automatically reach for sweets to reward myself, to relax, to destress and even out of boredom.
Sugar activates the brain’s reward system through the release of dopamine, which is the same neurochemical involved in response to other pleasurable activities. This can lead to the reinforcement of the craving as your brain starts associating sugar with positive feelings and relief from negative moods.
It’s not easy to change a habit that is so ingrained in us but it’s possible. Start with changing your reward pathway. Create a reward system that doesn’t involve food. Treat yourself to a non-food-related reward like movie night, a relaxing bath, a new dress, or some down-time.
Cook At Home
Eating out when you’re on a low carb diet is wrought with difficulties. It’s still almost impossible to find a restaurant that serves keto or low carb meals. Plus, cooking at home offers several advantages for maintaining a low-carb diet.
When you prepare meals yourself, you have complete control over what goes into your food. This allows you to choose low-carb ingredients and substitutions and avoid hidden sugars that are often found in processed foods or restaurant dishes.
Cooking at home also enables you to plan your meals, serve appropriate portion sizes, and promote a more mindful approach to eating.
Plus, you’re less likely to be tempted by carb-rich menu items or peer pressure to indulge in foods that don’t fit your diet plan.
Manage Your Stress
Stress increases sugar cravings due to a combination of hormonal responses and psychological factors. When stressed, the body releases hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline, which are part of the “fight or flight” response. These hormones trigger the release of glucose into the bloodstream to provide immediate energy for the body to cope with the perceived threat.
Once the immediate stressor has passed, cortisol levels remain high, leading to an increase in appetite as your body attempts to replenish its energy reserves. Cortisol specifically enhances cravings for quick sources of energy, which are often found in sugary, high-carbohydrate foods.
Sugar consumption stimulates the release of certain neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, which produces feelings of pleasure and reward. Under stress, you’ll crave these feelings as a form of comfort or temporary escape from their discomfort, making sugary foods more appealing.
Get Enough Sleep
When you’re sleep-deprived, your body experiences a disruption in the balance of hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. Specifically, sleep deprivation leads to a decrease in leptin, the hormone that signals satiety and suppresses appetite, and an increase in ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates hunger. This hormonal imbalance can make you feel hungrier than usual and more prone to cravings.
Sleep deprivation impairs the frontal lobe of the brain, which is responsible for decision-making and impulse control. This can weaken your ability to resist temptations, including the urge to consume sugary foods.
Plus, when you’re tired, your body seeks quick sources of energy to compensate for the lack of rest. Sugar is a readily available source of energy, and as a result, you’ll find yourself craving sweets or carbohydrate-rich foods to help you get through the day.
Increase Exercise and Physical Activity
Physical activity increases the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine in the brain. These “feel-good” chemicals can reduce the need for the temporary “high” sugar provides, as exercise naturally boosts mood and can create feelings of pleasure and reward.
Regular exercise also helps regulate blood sugar levels by increasing insulin sensitivity. This means that your body is better at managing and utilizing glucose, leading to fewer blood sugar spikes and dips that can drive sugar cravings.
Physical activity also reduces stress (thus reducing cortisol), improves sleep and works as a distraction from food.
Sugar addiction can have a significant impact on your overall well-being, and it requires a firm commitment to overcome. By knowing your why, making thoughtful choices and prioritizing your health, you can take control and make positive changes to your diet.
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