Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth & Conquer Cravings!

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You’re tired. You’re hungry. And, you can’t get that “sugar itch” off your back.

It’s frustrating.

You’re trying your best to eat nourishing meals… But that “hankering craving” for a piece of chocolate, a cookie, or that freshly baked muffin keeps popping into your head…

And, frankly, you don’t have the energy, time, or bandwidth to keep fighting it off.

So… What’s going on here? How can you help yourself?

Cravings can stem from a number of places…

• The sight of something tasty (ie: a group of friends enjoying a scoop of ice cream on a summer day)
• The scent of walking by a bakery
• Talking about a certain food with someone else
• An uncomfortable emotion that prompts the “need” for comfort or distraction
• Hormonal imbalances or changes (caused by menstrual cycle, stress, sleep, etc.)
• Imbalanced meals (thus, prompting a craving for energy or for a specific nutrient)
• Consuming high sugar foods (causing a relatively rapid increase in blood sugar, followed by a crash —> often leading to the desire for more sugary foods)
• Low energy (craving for energy —> typically in the form of sugar or sweet foods/beverages)

The first step to conquering your cravings is to understand what might be “triggering” or “prompting” your craving…

**Remember: when you CRAVE something, it is for a reason. Get curious to understand what’s going on —> rather than jumping into a space of shame, blame, guilt, or judgement.

• Is something “physical” reminding you of a food you like (ie: the chips in arms-reach and in the line-of-sight, or the scent you experience walking by a bakery…)
• Are you facing an something emotional (ie: is the food serving an emotional/comfort purpose)
• Did you have a poor sleep (or, are you feeling especially tired)?
• For women —> are you in a specific phase of your cycle? Are your cravings “anchored” to a specific phase in your cycle? (For most, cravings will appear a week-or-so prior to menstruation)
• Did you enjoy balanced meals today, or were your meals lacking in a specific nutrient?

Start tracking your cravings, and make note of anything that might be “triggering” them to appear…

Once you have an idea, THEN you can build a supportive plan…

• If it’s something physical (like chips on the counter or beside the couch), the solution may be as simple as storing them out-of-sight or somewhere less accessible.
• If the food is serving a specific purpose (ie: emotional support), you may like to write a list of things or activities that would support you through that uncomfortable emotion more effectively than food (ie: walking, going outside, listening to a podcast, calling a friend, doing a meditation, moving your body, journalling/writing, etc.)
• If it is sleep or energy related - you may like to consider what foods would be more effective at BRINGING you lasting energy. Maybe that means having your cookie WITH a side of greek yogurt and berries… or, maybe that means having something different entirely.
• If you suspect meals that aren’t quite nutritionally balanced, perhaps focus on getting enough protein, healthy fats, fiber, and TASTY foods into your meals (you’d be surprised how much this can help stop cravings in their tracks).

Remember: This does NOT mean having a cookie, a scoop of ice cream, or a few chips is “bad”. And, it doesn’t mean that when you’re sad, you “aren’t allowed” to sit back and enjoy some ice cream with a friend… The purpose of this message today is to simply encourage reflection and curiosity.

The goal is not “perfection”.

The goal is to be mindful & intentional with your choices —> AND, practice making supportive choices as often as possible.

P.S. If you want more ideas for healthier snacks that will HELP to curb your cravings, visit THIS blog post (I have 12 ideas waiting for you) >>

Oh, and if you’re really stuck in the dreaded sugar-craving cycle - let’s jump on a call (complementary, no obligation). I am confident I can help you get started in finding a way to break that cycle >>