Nutritional Therapist, Sarah Brereton offers tips and tricks to curb cravings for unhealthy food and sugar.

 

When we eat refined and sugary snacks like cakes, biscuits, processed foods and drink  caffeine and stimulant drinks to give ourselves quick-acting energy, our body can struggle to deal with it as these foods only give short-term energy. Our bodies deal with processed sugar and stimulants by producing insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood glucose and helping it enter our cells for energy. The problem arises when supply of insulin cannot keep up with the levels of sugars we take in, or when our cells cannot utilise or recognise it properly.

 

In a nutshell, our blood sugar is the master controller that dictates hunger, cravings, and energy. We feel our best when our blood sugar is balanced; not too high or not too low. Balanced blood sugar helps keep our brain healthy, our energy levels stable and our mood balanced. However, when disrupted, our blood sugar can lead to increased sugar cravings, irritability, poor sleep, brain fog, anxiety, low energy, and weight gain. If you recognise any of these symptoms, here are some tips for choosing foods to help maintain balanced blood sugar:

 

1.  Reduce processed sugar. Choose berries, fruits, or dates for a ‘natural sugar’ snack.

 

2.  Reduce caffeine by one to two cups a day to start. Replace with a glass of water or nettleIncrease fibre. Foods such as fruit (with skins on), veg, oats, beans and lentils are especially high in soluble fibre, which is most effective to help the bowel eliminate waste.

 

3.  Increase fibre. Foods such as fruit (with skins on), veg, oats, beans and lentils are especially high in soluble fibre, which is most effective to help the bowel eliminate waste.

 

4.  Manage cravings. Try having a glass of water first, if the cravings do not subside then have a small snack.

 

5.  Add protein to meals. As protein slows down our digestion, we get more prolonged sustained energy from our food. Try seeds in yogurts, hummus on crackers, almond butter on apple slices, nuts and seeds and fruit, beans on toast, egg on sourdough.

 

6.  Exercise helps keep the mind focused, maintain a healthy weight and increase insulin sensitivity which helps our muscles to use glucose effectively.

 

7.  For added support why not choose New Nordic Apple Cider Vinegar supplements in tablet or gummy form, which are formulated to help maintain normal fluid balance and support digestion. Apple cider vinegar has been used for over 5,000 years and is still very popular today.

 

New Nordic Apple Cider Mega Strength is a natural blend  of apple cider vinegar, dandelion and globe artichoke and chromium designed to support normal, efficient digestion and lipid metabolism. Apple Cider Mega is produced by selecting and picking apples which are then cold pressed and then fermented into vinegar by adding “The Mother” an acetic acid bacteria. The Apple Cider Vinegar is then dried into a fine powder and combined with the other key ingredients to create the tablet. These one-a-day mega strength tablets are convenient to take and have no strong taste often associated with liquid apple cider vinegar.