Everyone is aware of the powerful cravings for sweets, which can often become a considerable hurdle when attempting to lose weight or achieve physical fitness goals due to their intense nature. It’s no shock considering the addictive quality of sugar.
We all know how bad sugar is for us but that doesn’t make it any easier to give it up really. Sometimes we need a little help and certain nutritional supplements have been proven to help get rid of those annoying cravings.
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So let’s take a look at the kind of things you might need to think about adding to your daily routine to help beat those sugar cravings:
Protein
When you don’t eat enough protein your body craves sugar instead so by adding more protein to your diet you can help stave off those nasty cravings. You can get protein naturally from food or you can think about adding protein powder and shakes to your diet instead.
Fiber
Again, fiber comes mainly from food, and soluble fiber found in things like oats, fruit, and carrots, is known to help lower blood sugar levels. If you can’t get enough from your diet then you might want to consider taking a fiber supplement.
Zinc
A lack of minerals can leave you dehydrated but instead of craving water, your body craves sugar instead, so topping up your mineral levels can really help. You can get them in food but taking a supplement guarantees you won’t be deficient.
Often people with sugar cravings are low in minerals. Zinc in particular is needed for insulin and glucose regulation around the body.
Magnesium
Craving chocolate in particular can be a sign of a magnesium deficiency as chocolate is naturally high in magnesium. Magnesium deficiency is again fairly common in modern diets so taking a supplement can help to reduce those cravings.
Chromium
The third mineral which has a role to play in regulating our insulin levels and improving our blood sugar levels is Chromium; so again, a deficiency in this can cause cravings. Taking a mineral supplement can make all the difference.
Probiotic Drinks
For some people, it’s the bacteria in their guts that cause sugar cravings so replacing them with good bacteria by using probiotic drinks can be all it takes to finally kill that urge for sweet things for good.
B-Vitamins
Many modern diets, particularly those which exclude meat, leave people with B-vitamin deficiencies. Stressful lifestyles are also a factor in losing B-vitamins from the body as well, all of which can lead to sugar cravings, so taking a B-vitamin supplement might work for some.
Lipase
Lipase is a common ingredient in a lot of supplements that aid digestion, so it’s worth investing in one of these rather than pure lipase. You take them just before your main meals to help your body absorb carbs and prevent sugar cravings.
Cod Liver Oil
Good quality cod liver oil will also help to improve your body’s use of insulin making it far less likely that you will end up craving sugar. Taking one of these every day should help to combat those cravings for sweet things.
Co Q10
CoQ10 is a strong antioxidant that has many proven health benefits and it can be taken on its own or found as a component in other supplements. It can help with your body’s efficient management of carbs.
Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed oil can be found as oil that you can add to food, or you can buy flax seeds to add to salads and other dishes. It is full of vitamins and other beneficial nutrients. If you don’t like the taste you can take it as a supplement.
Conclusion
When your body is craving something it is often said to be a sign of a deficiency, however, the difficult thing is your craving isn’t necessarily for the thing you need. So a craving for chocolate can mean you actually need magnesium.
While craving for sugar might mean you have a vitamin and mineral deficiency or a gut bacteria imbalance. So next time you feel an intense sugar craving, don’t beat yourself up, it might not be willpower, it could be your body telling you something.
Why not get a screening to see if you are deficient in any particular area and then you can address that with the right supplement and control those cravings straight away. Sugar is addictive and with poor modern diets lacking in minerals on top, it’s no wonder we end up giving in to that sweet tooth and breaking our diets.
