First of all, we should start by examining the cause of the sweet tooth. Recurrent sweet cravings may be due to many physiological reasons such as diabetes, vitamin-mineral deficiency, intestinal parasites. In this case, it would be best to get help from a specialist physician. On the other hand, a sweet tooth may be caused by emotional hunger. To resolve this, it would be beneficial to change our focus and engage in some pastimes. Let's see what can be done for periodic sweet cravings without any underlying health problems.
The day should definitely start with breakfast. Breakfast is very important to regulate the fluctuations in our blood sugar throughout the day and to regulate hunger and satiety. For this reason, a balanced breakfast should be eaten within the first 30-40 minutes after waking up every day. In this way, the risk of sweet cravings later in the day will decrease.
You should be careful to snack every 2-3 hours. Snacks should definitely be added between extended meals, so that blood sugar balance will be maintained and sweet cravings will decrease.
Thirst brings hunger along with it. They are often confused with each other. Care should be taken to drink 2-2.5 liters of water a day.
Fruits are the best choice to avoid high calories in sweet cravings. Especially fruits such as strawberries and bananas are among the healthiest choices for sweet cravings, as they increase the secretion of the happiness hormone dopamine.
Dried fruits, as well as fresh fruits, are helpful in sweet cravings. Moreover, since they have higher sugar content, they can be more effective against sweet cravings. 2 dried figs, dates or 3-4 dried apricots or plums to be eaten as snacks are alternatives that can be consumed instead of 1 portion of fruit.
Cinnamon both enhances the taste of foods and suppresses the need for sweets. It is a very successful spice. Its effectiveness in balancing blood sugar has been shown in many studies. A stick of cinnamon added to our tea will help suppress our need for sweets without taking any calories.
The first product that comes to mind during sweet cravings is chocolate! However, it is important to reduce the amount of consumption and prevent sudden increases in blood sugar. For this reason, it may be better to consume chocolate with fruit. When you melt the chocolate and dip fruit slices such as strawberries, bananas, kiwis and oranges, wonderful flavors emerge. It can be a perfect snack with a coffee with milk.
Instead of choosing chocolate alone, consuming hazelnuts and almonds in the form of dragees will be much more successful in maintaining blood sugar balance.
Milkshakes, which are created by blending one or a few fresh fruits with milk, are a good option to satisfy sweet cravings, appealing to both the eye, the palate and the health. You can also add ice and cocoa if desired.
Sugar-free sweetened gums can be especially effective against psychologically-induced sweet cravings. In this way, we gain both a sweet taste and a different focus in our mouth.
Even if you have to eat dessert, milk dessert should be preferred in small portions. Additions such as cinnamon, walnuts and hazelnuts increase satiety and partially prevent the sudden increase in blood sugar.
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