Dealing With That Darn Sweet Tooth
If you’re like a lot of people, you have a sweet tooth. That can make managing blood sugar even more challenging when you have diabetes. Totally denying yourself the foods you crave isn’t usually a strategy that works.
What’s causing your craving?
Cravings can occur for many different reasons, both physical and emotional. Emotional food cravings may develop as a result of stress, anxiety, and/or boredom. However, there are strategies to help manage cravings.
Tips to help you manage cravings:
- Remember to eat regularly and don’t skip meals; it will leave you hungry and reaching for unhealthy snacks
- Stay away from highly refined foods that are more likely to cause a spike in your blood sugar
- Get rid of unhealthy snacks; out of sight, out of mind
- When you have a chocolate craving, grab a Rich Chocolate Glucerna shake, or Dark Chocolate Almond Glucerna Snack Bar. Click on the link for delicious recipes made with Glucerna: Great-tasting ways to shake things up with Glucerna
- If you must have chocolate, make it a piece of dark >70% cocoa
- Instead of a sugary snack, eat a piece of fruit. Berries make a great choice
- Realize that sometimes cravings have emotional roots. Fight the urge to splurge out of boredom or feeling down or anxious. Instead, go for a walk or phone a friend
- Don’t reward yourself with a sugary treat; find another motivator
- If you’re attending a social event, eat beforehand if possible, so you’re not starving. Bring a healthy snack with you in case a craving hits. If you see something that is impossible to pass up, savor a bite and give up the rest
Cravings are a fact of life. How you deal with them can make all the difference in the world.
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