6 best alternatives: diabetes sugar cravings

Johnny Johnny yes papa … eating sugar no papa, open your mouth ha ha ha. Isn’t this famous old poem “so true” for many of us? Well, sugar cravings can be smartly handled and satisfied by natural effective alternatives, read on to find out.

 

Indulge in fresh and seasonal fruits:


  

Eating fruits is not only beneficial for your health, but the natural “fructose” content in fruits satisfy your “sugar cravings” too. Fresh and seasonal fruits like berries, avocado, cherries, pear, apples, grapes, mangoes, bananas, pomegranate, kiwi etc…. are readily available in the market and can be used as fillers/minimeals in diabetes diet plans. Adding fruits to your cornflakes for breakfast can be a great way to replace sugars totally. But remember packed and processed fruits should be avoided as they carry “hidden sugars” which may spike your blood glucose level.

 

Add Flavour to your meals:


  

Spices and herbs can do wonders to your diabetes meals. Why stick with the bland and boring taste, spice up your meals. Add a pinch of cardamom, cloves, turmeric, cumin, white pepper, black pepper, red dried chill or chilli flakes etc and have a great tasty meal. This will not only satisfy your taste buds but also keep you away from sugar cravings.

 

Looking for a drink?


  

Do you quench your thirst with high sugar aerated drinks? Replace it with low fat milk, fruit juices, coconut water (rich in minerals and antioxidants) or simply water. Quenching your thirst with water is the best way to cut out on sugar and calories. Research hints replacing high sugar drinks and mock tails with non-soda drinks not only help you curb sugar cravings but also helps the extra calories away.

 

Aroma & beverages


  

We all love our tea’s and coffees’. Mostly we are recommended by our dieticians to consume it minus the “sugars” but did you know adding aroma to beverages can curb sugar cravings. Scientific studies reveal that adding jasmine leaves or cardamom powder in your tea can curb sugar cravings to a larger extent.

 

Reward yourself


  

There will be occasions where you will want to pamper yourself, research hints a tiny portion of “dark chocolate” rich with cocoa will not only satisfy your “sugar tooth” but also help you in keeping your sugar cravings under control. Scientific studies also reveal that “Dark chocolate” keeps you away from depression and elevates your mood. You are advised to check with your doctor/dietician about the portion sizes. Exceeding the recommended portion sizes may lead to spiking of blood glucose levels.

 

Eat frequently


  

American Diabetes Association suggests, eating frequent meals in intervals keeps sugar cravings in control and also helps you in losing the weight. Also eating frequently and keeps your blood glucose levels in control.

 

To read more on Diabetes, click on the link below,

https://famhealth.in/infocus-detail/diabetes

Citations www.diabetes.org Diabetes new Zealand magazine www.webmd.com