How to Stop Sugar Cravings

13 Ways to Fight Sugar Cravings

A WebMD Article

Sweet tooth raging out of control? Here's how to tame those sugar cravings.

Does that morning Danish leave you craving another treat two hours later? Do you grab a candy bar to cope with your afternoon slump -- and then reach for a cola to get out of your post-slump slump?

How can you stop sugar cravings once and for all? Here's expert advice.

If you’ve found that munching sugary snacks just makes you crave more sugary snacks, you’re not alone. Eating lots of simple carbohydrates -- without the backup of proteins or fats -- can quickly satisfy hunger and give your body a short-term energy boost, but they almost as quickly leave you famished again and craving more.

Why Do We Crave Sugar?

There are many reasons why we go for sweet things.

That appetite may be hardwired. "Sweet is the first taste humans prefer from birth," says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a dietitian and American Dietetic Association (ADA) spokeswoman. Carbohydrates stimulate the release of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin. Sugar is a carbohydrate, but carbohydrates come in other forms, too, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

The taste of sugar also releases endorphins that calm and relax us, and offer a natural "high," says Susan Moores, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant in St. Paul, Minn.  

Sweets just taste good, too. And that preference gets reinforced by rewarding ourselves with sweet treats, which can make you crave it even more. With all that going for it, why wouldn’t we crave sugar?

The problem comes not when we indulge in a sweet treat now and then, but when we over-consume, something that’s easy to do when sugar is added to many processed foods, including breads, yogurt, juices, and sauces. And Americans do overconsume, averaging about 22 teaspoons of added sugars per day, according to the American Heart Association, which recommends limiting added sugars to about 6 teaspoons per day for women and 9 for men.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings: 8 Tips to Use Right Now

If you're craving sugar, here are some ways to tame those cravings.

• Give in a little. Eat a bit of what you’re craving, maybe a small cookie or a fun-size candy bar, suggests Kerry Neville, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and ADA spokeswoman. Enjoying a little of what you love can help you steer clear of feeling denied. Try to stick to a 150-calorie threshold, Neville says.
• Combine foods. If the idea of stopping at a cookie or a baby candy bar seems impossible, you can still fill yourself up and satisfy a sugar craving, too. "I like combining the craving food with a healthful one," Neville says. "I love chocolate, for example, so sometimes I’ll dip a banana in chocolate sauce and that gives me what I’m craving, or I mix some almonds with chocolate chips." As a beneficial bonus, you'll satisfy a craving and get healthy nutrients from those good-for-you foods.
• Go cold turkey. Cutting out all simple sugars works for some people, although "the initial 48 to 72 hours are tough," Gerbstadt says. Some people find that going cold turkey helps their cravings diminish after a few days; others find they may still crave sugar but over time are able to train their taste buds to be satisfied with less.
• Grab some gum. If you want to avoid giving in to a sugar craving completely, try chewing a stick of gum, says nutrition advisor Dave Grotto, RD, LDN. "Research has shown that chewing gum can reduce food cravings," Grotto says.
• Reach for fruit. Keep fruit handy for when sugar cravings hit. You'll get fiber and nutrients along with some sweetness. And stock up on foods like nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, says certified addiction specialist Judy Chambers, LCSW, CAS. "Have them handy so you reach for them instead of reaching for the old [sugary] something."
• Get up and go. When a sugar craving hits, walk away. "Take a walk around the block or [do] something to change the scenery," to take your mind off the food you’re craving, Neville suggests.
• Choose quality over quantity. "If you need a sugar splurge, pick a wonderful, decadent sugary food," Moores says. But keep it small. For example, choose a perfect dark chocolate truffle instead of a king-sized candy bar, then "savor every bite -- slowly," Moores says. Grotto agrees. "Don’t swear off favorites -- you’ll only come back for greater portions. Learn to incorporate small amounts in thediet but concentrate on filling your stomach with less sugary and [healthier] options."
• Eat regularly. Waiting too long between meals may set you up to choose sugary, fatty foods that cut your hunger, Moores says. Instead, eating every three to five hours can help keep blood sugar stable and help you "avoid irrational eating behavior," Grotto says. Your best bets? "Choose protein, fiber-rich foods like whole grains and produce," Moores says.

But won't eating more often mean overeating? Not if you follow Neville's advice to break up your meals. For instance, have part of your breakfast -- a slice of toast with peanut butter, perhaps -- and save some yogurt for a mid-morning snack. "Break up lunch the same way to help avoid a mid-afternoon slump," Neville says.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings: 5 Tips for the Long Term

One of the best ways to manage sugar cravings is to stop them before they start. To help you do that:

• Skip artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners may sound like a great idea, but "they don’t lessen cravings for sugar and haven’t demonstrated a positive effect on our obesity epidemic," says Grotto, author of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life.
• Reward yourself for successfully managing sugar cravings. Your reward could be large or small.  Remember why you’re working on it and then reward yourself for each successful step.
• Slow down. For one week, focus on your sugar cravings and think about what you’re eating, suggests Chambers. Diet mayhem often results from lack of planning. So slow down, plan, "and eat what you intend to eat, instead of eating when you’re desperate," Chambers says.
• Get support. Many people turn to sweet foods when they're stressed, depressed, or angry.  But food doesn't solve emotional issues. Consider whether emotions are involved in your sugar cravings and whether you need help to find other solutions to those emotional problems.
• Mix it up. You may need more than one strategy to thwart sugar cravings. One week you may find success with one tactic, and another week calls for an alternative approach. What’s important is to “have a ‘bag of tricks’ to try,” Gerbstadt tells WebMD. To tame sugar cravings, you really need to "figure out what works for you," Neville says.

Lastly, go easy on yourself. It may take time to get a handle on your sugar cravings. "It’s difficult to shift any system -- whether it’s the world economy or your eating," Chambers says.

Help Emily Fight Against Cancer

Some of you may know Shannon from Coupon Mommy of 3. This precious little girl is Shannon's 3 year old daughter Emily, who took ill on December 18, 2010. Symptomatically she looked like she had a bad stomach flu but several tests down the line the family received the shattering news that Emily has Stage IV cancer.

Read more about her story, with updates on the Caring Bridge Site Page created just for Emily by Shannon.

Please lift up this family in your prayers.

We believe the family will also need all the financial support they can get. So to help out, Shannon's friends Karen from Mommy Times and Nancy from Arizona Mama have helped set up this ChipIn account for Emily. 

(ChipIn is a Web-based service that simplifies the process of collecting money from groups of people. They make the process quick, easy, and secure, and provide organizers with numerous ways to get the word out about their ChipIn event.)

The last thing this family should worry about at this time is finances and I honestly believe if all my readers could chip in with a little we can help this family.

(No contribution is too little. Every dollar counts at a time like this)

You can click on the "ChipIn" button below to have your contribution pooled in out of your paypal account.

Please, take the time to share this information with others. Repost, e-mail, retweet.... This is a very troubling and heartbreaking time for this family. Their choices should not be made harder based on their ability to pay.

Retweet: RT @ebmommy 3 year old Emily Needs Your Help http://bit.ly/eduwN9 #chipin #fightcancer #prayer #30daygive #give #sponsor #cancer #faith

Toy Safety Tips for Holiday Shoppers

by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Safety Measures

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the holiday season approaches, theU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission(CPSC) urges gift-givers to keep safety in mind when choosing toys for young children. The CPSC estimates that more than 120,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries each year.

"Toys are an important part of holiday gift-giving, and CPSC is on the job 365 days a year to make sure toys are as safe as possible," said CPSC chairman Ann Brown. "CPSC's goal is to prevent deaths and injuries; unfortunately, each year some children are hurt by toys. By always reading labels and being safety conscious, parents and caregivers can help prevent toy-related injuries."

CPSC requires labels to be on all toys marketed for children from three to six years old if the toys pose a choking hazard to children under age three. These labels tell consumers two critical things: that a toy is not safe for younger children and why it is not safe. Before CPSC issued these labeling requirements, it was more difficult for consumers to know that certain toys they bought for older children could be a danger to younger kids. CPSC has the most stringent toy-safety standards in the world, and toys on store shelves are safer because of the day-to-day compliance work by CPSC.

Choosing Appropriate Toys

Parents and gift-givers can help prevent toy-related injuries and deaths by always reading labels and being safety conscious. The following tips will help you choose appropriate toys this holiday season -- and all year round:

• Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills, and interest level of the intended child. Toys too advanced may pose safety hazards to younger children.
• For infants, toddlers, and all children who still mouth objects, avoid toys with small parts which could pose a fatal choking hazard.
• For all children under age eight, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.
• Do not purchase electric toys with heating elements for children under age eight.
• Be a label reader. Look for labels that give age recommendations and use that information as a guide.
• Look for sturdy construction, such as tightly secured eyes, noses, and other potential small parts.
• Check instructions for clarity. They should be clear to you, and when appropriate, to the child.
• Discard plastic wrappings on toys immediately, which can cause suffocation, before they become deadly playthings.

By using common sense and these safety suggestions, holiday shoppers can make informed decisions when purchasing toys for children.

Read more on FamilyEducation:http://fun.familyeducation.com/toy-safety/safety/29700.html#ixzz18zGlTozQ

Flip-Flops, Flat Shoes Relieve Arthritic Knees

Clogs, Stability Shoes Put More Stress on Knees Than Flat, Flexible Shoes and Flip-Flops, Study Finds


By Kathleen Doheny


WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 29, 2010 -- If you have knee pain from arthritis, wearing flat, flexible shoes may reduce the stress on your joints and keep you more comfortable, according to new research.

In a comparison study that evaluated the force or "load" on arthritic knees while wearing clogs, athletic shoes with stability features, flat walking shoes, flip-flops, and going barefoot, the flat and flexible shoes won out, says study lead author Najia Shakoor, MD, an associate professor of internal medicine at Rush Medical College and an attending physician at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Her study is published online in Arthritis Care & Research.

''We know barefoot is good for your knee load from previous studies," Shakoor tells WebMD. ''Then we thought, do different shoes have different effects on the knee?" So they compared the four shoe types with going barefoot.

The surprise? "The shoes that we intuitively recommend to our patients [with knee arthritis] and thought might be best -- stability shoes and clogs -- were associated with the highest load."

Best Shoes for Knee Pain: Study

Arthritis of the knee is common and a major source of disability and impaired quality of life, the researchers say. Shakoor's team evaluated 31 men and women who had knee arthritis, evaluating their gait as they wore:

Clogs

An athletic shoe that promises to minimize inward rolling of the foot

Flat walking shoes

Flip-flops

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Shakoor measured what's known as a knee adduction moment, ''which measures the extent of the force upon your knee as you walk."

''Flat walking shoes, barefoot, and flip-flops were essentially the same in load on the knee," she says. "But clogs and stability shoes result in a 15% higher load."

''These are just initial studies, and it's too early to recommend [changes]," she says. "But several studies are suggesting that perhaps flat, flexible footwear may help decrease loads on the knee compared to footwear that is less flexible and has higher heels. Stability shoes have higher heels [than other athletic shoes]."

''We think it's the flatness and the flexibility that may provide the benefit."

And, she cautioned: "We are definitely not advocating flip-flops. A flat walking shoe would be better than a flip-flop for other reasons -- stability and the risk of falling."

Shakoor will continue her research. With Rush University and a podiatrist, she hopes to develop a walking shoe for people with knee arthritis. She says Rush will hold the patent.

Best Shoes for Knee Pain: Other Views

''This finding [about the best shoes for knee pain] came as absolutely a surprise to me," says Jeffrey A. Ross, DPM, MD, a spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine, associate clinical professor of medicine, and chief of the diabetic foot clinic at Ben Taub Hospital in Houston.
"I would have expected the running shoe to be the best, but it didn't turn out to be," he says.


But Ross says he wishes the researchers had studied more than one type of athletic shoe. Even with the new study results, he says, "I probably would still suggest [people with knee arthritis] wear a low-heel running shoe with a flexible sole."

For people with knee arthritis, the shoe should bend easily, he says, resulting in less stress on the forefoot.

A ''neutral'' athletic shoe -- one that does not offer motion control or stability features, may also work to reduce load on the knee, he says.

Choosing footwear for people with knee arthritis can be a trial-and-error experience, says James Christina, DPM, director of scientific affairs for the American Podiatric Medical Association. "A lot of foot doctors would say a cushioned shoe, rather than a stability shoe or a rigid control category of shoe," he says.

Christina says the APMA does not have shoe guidelines for people with knee arthritis.

The new study is a valid one, he says, but the shoe that works for one person with knee arthritis may not work for another person.

The foot specialists say that flip-flops, although they didn't increase the forces on the knee, aren't the best shoe type, especially for older adults with knee arthritis. As balance declines, flip-flops can be hazardous and increase the risk of falling, they say.