People are often surprised to find out that I love sweets. It’s true. I’m like most of you, I love chocolate, cakes, cookies, pastries, and all things sugary. And like most of you, it would be impossible for me to completely eliminate them. So, I have a few strategies to manage my sugar cravings, allowing me to indulge from time to time, but to do so in a way that isn’t too tough on my body and health.
A key to success in minimizing sugar consumption is make it unavailable. If it isn’t there, you are much less likely to partake. So, my main move to avoid sweets is to try not to have them around me. Research has shown that the easier it is to access junk food, the more of it you will consume. You will consume more candy when the candy dish is on your desk than you will if the candy dish is across the room. And you’ll eat even less candy if it is across the room and in a drawer, out of sight. And, of course, you’ll eat MUCH less if there is no candy around you at all.
Don’t buy the junk in the first place. Keeping it out of your office and your house will lead to your greatest success in terms of avoiding it.
Another strategy is to give myself permission to eat some of the sweet and sugary snacks, but limit when I do that. I have a pretty set schedule most weeks, as do most of you. My meals during the week are usually at the same time, and I make sure that these meals are healthier. I have more control over these meals, and can avoid a lot of sweets by knowing that I will treat myself on the weekend. It falls into that 80/20 rule, where most of my meals and snacks are healthy, but occasionally I can indulge. This helps my brain avoid that depravation factor that leads to eventual collapse and binges.
Because I love sweets, I have worked hard to take things I like and try to make healthier versions. Having sweet-tasting snacks and desserts using healthier foods and ingredients does two things… it limits the amount of toxic, unhealthy ingredients you ingest… and can provide you with nutrients that are actually healthy for you and that you need. You can do this by using sugar substitutes, butter from grass-fed cows, eggs from free-range sources, organic and non-GMO ingredients, and adding nuts, seeds, and berries. One example would be chocolate chip cookies using monk fruit as a sweetener and Lily’s chocolate chips (that use stevia and erythritol).
Another snack we now love is banana slices, which we lay out individually, put some almond butter on them, a few whole or crushed nuts, and one or two of those Lily’s chocolate chips. We will use almonds, cashews, pecans, or walnuts. And we will occasionally put a little spoonful of coconut whipped cream on top. Does it have sugar? Yep. But big deal. It has whole, real foods, loaded with nutrients, and is so much better than processed, artificially flavored and colored junk food.
Lastly, in regards to managing my sweet tooth, sometimes I just don’t. There are times I just dive in–like this week’s Thanksgiving feast. I WILL eat whatever is there, and likely a lot of it. Usually on a holiday, at a party, or when with friends, and not very often, but periodically, I will fully indulge. I’m working on not being too critical of myself when I do, and trying to avoid any guilt or shame, as occasional indulgences should be welcomed and enjoyed.
Eliminating sweets is near impossible. Having some strategies in place will certainly help. Limiting their presence in your home and at work helps tremendously. Substituting healthier choices and ingredients has huge benefits. And occasionally, overdoing it is okay. You probably won’t eliminate sweets, but you can better manage your relationship with them. This is life. We need to enjoy it.
