If you’ve been following the blog you may remember from a previous post that this year I gave myself a goal to go sugar free for a whole year. Well the winter months were not my friend, I struggled a lot through the winter and the no sugar idea completely went out the window! Spring is here now and I’m super keen to get off the sugar again, maybe I can last longer this time with a few tricks up my sleeve. A patient last night gave me a great idea for a snack and I want to share it, because it is amazing! I felt so good when I wasn’t consuming sugary foods so fingers crossed I get back into it. If going off sugar all together doesn’t sound that appealing or achievable to you, you can still use these tips to cut back, hope they help.
1. Don’t buy it, don’t have it in the house!
This sounds simple in theory, but if you’re brain works anything like mine, you’ll convince yourself of some reasons why you have to have it in the house. For example “it’s for guests”, “it’s for the kids”, or “my husband shouldn’t suffer because of me”, something along those lines. Don’t listen! You know you will most likely be the one to eat the rest of the block of chocolate, the packet of biscuits or the cake that was for the visitors that no one else touched.
2. Have healthy snack alternatives
Meals are generally the easy part. We can eat eggs, vegetables, meats, fish and so on. Snacks on the other hand can be a bit trickier especially at night and the trick is not to over do the fruit otherwise that leads to a craving of the hard sugar stuff and then you’re right back at square one. Snacks I usually have in the house are activated nuts such as walnuts, macadamias, almonds and hazelnuts. I like a variety of nuts to keep it interesting. Rice crackers and fresh avocado is another snack I often reach for to satisfy a sugar craving. Often a sugar craving is actually a cry out for healthy fats so avocado is a good one for that. My patient last night had a great idea, and they are yummy. Buy a bunch of red grapes and put them in the freezer, once frozen they taste like mini sorbet, they are delicious!
3. Prepare mentally in advance for tough situations
There are always going to be tough situations that crop up. For example, an event or party, or even a simple coffee catch up with a friend who you know loves something sweet with her coffee. As long as you prepare mentally in advance you will come out on top. Take a deep breath before entering the situation and repeat your motto silently to yourself such as “If my friend want’s cake I’ll have another coffee”, “If there’s dessert tonight I will ask for a peppermint tea instead”. These little mantras can save you at crunch time when your friend, family member or waiter asks what you would like. The next step is having a little saying for your friend or family member. You don’t have to tell them you’re trying to cut back sugar if you don’t want to, you could simply say, I don’t want dessert today, or I feel like a peppermint tea instead. They can’t argue with what you want!
If you have some tips of your own we would love you to share!