How do I stop my cravings to eat sweet or sugar

Lakshmi

1 year ago

How do I stop my cravings to eat sweet or sugar

Food

Happy Tummy Expert

1 year ago

Dear Lakshmi, Thank you for the question

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate and is recommended to be consumed in a minimal quantity in your daily diet. Sudden, complete avoidance of sugar may potentially lead to hypoglycaemia.

For specific fitness and health needs start gradual changes in sugar consumption. We also recommend you to consult a health care professional or a registered dietitian for further guidance.

However, you can consume complex carbohydrates as they are good source of energy. You can include whole grains like wheat, millets and multigrain in your diet as they are a good source of fiber and other nutrients.

Here are few ways to avoid excess sugar in your diet

Consume beverages like tea or coffee preferably without sugar
Carbonated and alcoholic beverages to be limited or preferably avoided.
Consume fresh, seasonal fruits as they contain many essential nutrients and are good sources of fiber.
Try to eat a whole fruit over a fruit juice as the whole fruit contains good amount of fiber with essential vitamins and minerals.
Limit the intake of sweets, pastries etc

Being Mindful while eating is necessary to have a control over food choices, food cravings & hunger. Mindfulness is an intentional focus on one’s thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations in the present moment. Eating mindfully is when you are using all of your physical and emotional senses to experience and enjoy the food choices you make. Mindful eating encourages one to make choices that will be satisfying and nourishing to the body.

Consume a balanced diet which provides all the nutrients in required amounts and proper proportions. It can easily be achieved through a blend of the four basic food groups. The quantities of foods needed to meet the nutrient requirements vary with age, gender, physiological status and physical activity. A balanced diet should provide around 50-60% of total calories from carbohydrates, preferably from complex carbohydrates, about 10-15% from proteins and 20-30% from both visible and invisible fat.

As a general dietary guideline, for an apparently healthy individual/ with no specific health or nutrition needs and/or metabolic condition it is recommended to consume 2000kcal/d and the RDA for protein requirement is 46g/d for women.

Here are few guidelines for healthy balanced diet that can be considered:

Have a Diversified Balanced Diet that includes all the food groups in the right quantity which thereby provides you with all the essential macro and micro nutrients that your body requires daily for proper functioning.
Try to incorporate the My plate Concept by dividing your plate into 4 quadrants, fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, the other two quadrants with cereals and protein. A small quantity of dairy intake is recommended.
Some of the good sources of protein include pulses, lentils, milk, paneer, soybean, eggs, lean meat, nuts & seeds, etc.
Begin your day with a well-balanced breakfast as it is an important meal of the day.
Avoid skipping meals. Also, try to avoid fasting and feasting too often.
Consume small frequent meals, with healthy snacking options.
Consume minimum 5 servings of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit as they are rich in Fiber, essential minerals & Vitamins as well as they give you a feeling of satiety.
Try to consume more of Whole grains, Millets and Multigrain foods as they are a good source of fiber.
Limit intake of deep-fried foods. Method of cooking like baking, grilling, boiling, steaming is preferable over deep frying with excess fat/ oil.
Have your last meal at least 2-3 hours before sleep time.
Drink adequate amount of water (minimum 8 glasses) of water daily to keep yourself well hydrated
Engage in at least 30-45 minutes brisk walk/physical activity of moderate intensity at least 5 days a week.
Try and follow a good sleep regimen in terms of both quantity and Quality.