Sayonara sweet tooth!

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Sayonara sweet tooth!

Right, so the holiday season is officially over and – if you’re anything like me – you’ve spent the last two weeks solidly eating and drinking in excess. But rather than berate yourself and feel guilty, why not just take a few steps (small ones initially) to get your healthy lifestyle back on track? That’s what I’ve decided to do in any case!

To start, try to focus on killing your cravings. I don’t usually have a sweet tooth, but after indulging in far too many mince pies/gingerbread biscuits/chocolate truffles over the Xmas period, I’ve developed a massive sugar addiction that sees me reaching for something sweet after every meal. (Sound familiar?) So I figured if we at least try to curb these cravings, we’d be well on our way to a better diet (and may even lose a few Christmas K-Gs in the process!)

Here are a few tips from Angela Berrill, New Zealand Registered Dietitian and Jenny Craig Weight Management Expert, to help you resist caving into your cravings:

• Ensure that you eat regularly during the day – and that includes starting every day with breakfast. By eating regularly, you are less likely to cave into your emotional and environmental appetite cues (such as stress or comfort).

• Try having a glass of water first. Sometimes we can confuse the feeling of thirst, with hunger. The time taken out to fill your glass can also be a good distraction.

• Opt for nutrient dense foods, rather than a chocolate bar. These foods not only provide energy, but are also packed with other nutrients that our bodies need. Examples of nutrient dense foods to help satisfy a sweet tooth include: low fat/low sugar flavoured milk, low fat yoghurt, fresh, frozen or dried fruit, or even some muesli bars (less than 600kJ per serve).

• Have nutritious foods within easy reach. Maybe keep a bag of dried fruit in your desk drawer or a muesli bar in your handbag.

• Resist temptation by not having ‘treat’ foods easily accessible. If you find chocolate or biscuits are your downfall, don’t have any of these items in your house or in your workplace.

• If you really must have some lollies, try the sugar-free, hard-boiled kind. These last longer if you suck on them, by which time your sweet tooth craving may have passed.

• And finally, don’t beat yourself up if you cave in to your cravings. This may lead to a viscous cycle where you then end up craving even more, due to feelings of depression. If you’ve slipped up, Move on and try to get re-focused.

Read more about…

Portion control

Slimming down after the silly season

Cutting calories in alcohol consumption

Setting realistic weighloss goals

What do you crave most? What tips do you have to resist cravings?

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