Sugar Alternatives: How and Why You Should Conquer Your Cravings
Eating healthy is easier said than done when you have a gigantic sweet tooth, which makes those decadent, blood-sugar-spiking snacks irresistible. This can be dangerous for women over 40, who are particularly susceptible to Type 2 diabetes and should take precautions by leading as healthy a lifestyle as possible.
If you have diabetes and need to manage your sugar intake, or just want to eat healthier, there are some things you should consider. Lauren Davidson, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Canada, specializes in diabetes management and women’s nutritional health management. She has some solid advice for those who want to curb their sugar addiction and forge a nutritious path. Maintain balance, remember that sugar is sugar, and moderation is key, she says.
Why do we crave?
Davidson says that the fact that you have a hankering for sweets to begin with is worth noting. Oftentimes, cravings indicate a deficiency in your diet. “For women who are trying to watch their weight, there’s often a lot of carbohydrate restricting going on—particularly breads, pastas and rice,” she says. When you don’t consume enough carbohydrates, which are your body’s primary fuel, you will crave some sort of carb or sweet later on. It’s important to eat healthier carbs that don’t spike blood sugar and provide fiber, such as whole oats, whole wheat breads or pastas, brown rice, beans or legumes. These will also keep you feeling fuller, longer, and take away some of those cravings.
Davidson stresses that sugar is sugar. It’s an empty calorie food. There’s no nutritional quality to it. “There’s a limited amount of sugar that’s ok,” she says, “but we really want to push healthier foods that are nutrient-dense as opposed to empty-calorie, nutrient-poor type of foods.”
Balance
Davidson says she would never tell someone “You can never have a piece of chocolate cake or a bite of a cookie.” But maintaining balance is key. This is really no different for people who are not at risk for diabetes and who just want to stay healthy. If you’re planning on having a sweet desert tonight, you should make a conscious effort to have less rice, bread or pasta with your dinner. Allowing yourself that small treat is actually important because it helps keep your cravings at bay. If the idea of eating anything sweet causes you to feel ridden with guilt and you avoid your urges for a while, you will eventually give in and usually end up consuming more sugar than you should, she says.
Moderation
Regardless of what option you choose to sweeten your recipes or sprinkle on your food, it’s extremely important to remember that no sweet option is actually good for you. No sweetener should ever replace food that is part of your healthy diet. It should always be thought of as a supplement that you use once in a while. For those with diabetes, even fruit needs to be eaten with prudence. Davidson emphasizes that fruits are an essential part of a healthy diet and encourages women to incorporate them into their diet, but fruits do contain natural sugars and too much can be overwhelming for diabetics. The same goes for women trying to lose weight. Davidson recommends eating one serving of fruit at a time instead of a large fruit salad or smoothie, and three servings a day. Portion control is key.
Davidson recommends satisfying your sweet tooth with some of these snacks. “We recommend chocolate milk, or chocolate soy or almond milk, so you’re getting a little bit of sugar, but you’re getting the nutrients from the milk (protein and calcium),” says Davidson. Other snack ideas are dark chocolate and chocolate covered almonds, which contain antioxidants. Dried fruit, whole fruit or berries mixed into a bit of yogurt are also delicious. For breakfast, look for cereals that are high in fiber, which breaks down more slowly in the body. Also, it’s better to get a cereal that has a small amount of sugar than to get one with zero sugar and add your own—you’ll likely add more than you’d get from the cereal that already has sugar.
