Five ways to stop the urge to gorge on sugar at night (or anytime!):
- Keep Sugary Junk Out Of Your House
If it’s not there, you can’t eat it! But once you bring that bag of cookies into the house you have made it ten times harder to keep your cravings at bay. Willpower will not last, and sooner or later you will come home exhausted, stressed, and the first thing you will reach for are those cookies! Clear any sweets and processed food from your pantry and refrigerator and replace them with simple one-ingredient REAL FOOD snacks – apples, bananas, vegetable sticks, nuts, seeds, boiled eggs. Tell everyone in your family to not bring any sugary junk into the house either, so you won’t be tempted!
- Drink A Cup Of Hot Tea
One of my all-time favorite rituals is drinking tea – especially at night! I drink
hot tea almost every night before bed and it really relaxes me and takes away any cravings. I love mint, ginger, cranberry or spicy cinnamon teas, as these are amazing at blasting away sugar cravings. That’s because they are naturally sweet without the sugar, and warm and comforting.
- Get Moving!
Exercise releases feel good endorphins that can provide a similar “high” as a sugary junk food treat can. Not only will you feel better about yourself and the decision you made to be active, but you are also creating new healthy habits by immediately inserting an activity when you feel a craving coming on. I love to take walks outside before the sun sets in the evening, right before dinner. I find that this is when some of my best ideas come to the surface and it really clears my head. Other outdoor activities like tending to a garden are great as well! When you’re spending time in the sun, the added Vitamin D will lift your mood and hopefully take away bad food cravings. So really make an effort to bundle up if necessary and make it outside every day. But if the weather is horrible or you can’t make it out, another good option is to pop in an exercise video at home and get those endorphins pumping!
- Get Enough Sleep
When I don’t get enough sleep I want to eat everything in the house. I notice that I’m way more hungry throughout the day and my cravings are through the roof! So, do whatever you need to do to make sure that you’re sleeping enough each night. This will naturally boost serotonin levels, turn off the hunger hormones, and when your body has enough time to recharge you will probably find that your cravings are not as intense. Having a newborn in the house, this is definitely a tip I’ll be personally working on!
- Buddy Up!
Sometimes just talking about your cravings with someone in the same situation is all you need to stay on track. If you know that someone is holding you accountable and rooting for you, it’s much easier to stick to your goals and be successful!
If you are ready to make the change you are looking for click here to schedule a free 30 min consultation with me.