I’m passionate about taking the overall sugar level in our diets down - it’s something I personally benefited from in my own health journey, reversing my pre-diabetic condition, recovering from depression and losing 20lbs! I went on to get really into the research around blood sugar and learnt that stable blood sugar is imperative for adequate hormonal function, reducing period pain, balancing our moods, allowing for good quality sleep and so much more.
Lowering sugar intake is a lifestyle choice, and I want to give you some simple swaps today that you can implement to help you get a handle on sugar!
1. Transform Your Breakfast
One of the most powerful ways to get a handle on sugar cravings is to change what you eat for breakfast. Rather than cereal, eat protein, fats and veggies. I know, you were probably expecting something far more glamorous, but there you have it!The reason this simple swap is so powerful is because if we start our day with protein, fats and veggies (for example eggs, smoked salmon, leafy greens and sauerkraut, on our Keto Sesame Bagels drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper….salivating!), it means we start the day without spiking our blood sugar first thing.
So-called healthy, yet super high sugar breakfasts that we see on social media - porridge topped with every possible out-of-season tropical fruit, drizzled with maple syrup, chopped dates, chocolate, etc, sky rocket your blood sugar, and because we spike our blood glucose levels so high so quickly, our bodies secrete more than the required amount of insulin to bring our blood sugar back down, causing our blood glucose levels to drop way down below the ‘resting level.’ The result - you feel hungry, tired and in need of another sugary pick-me-up. And so it starts again.
2. Increase Your Protein And Fat Intake Instead
It’s much more satiating than sugar! Research shows that protein and fat get absorbed into the body much more slowly than sugar and, when combined with sugar (for example scrambled eggs alongside an almond croissant), the release of the sugar in the high sugar food is also slower too. So, always remember to eat some good quality protein and fat with your meals and snacks. A great way to approach this is by adopting a more ketogenic approach to diet - something we’re super passionate about here at Cru8.We’ve got you covered for keto macaroons, keto breads and buns, and ‘sweet’ treats too - particular favourites of ours are our Cacao Keto Macaroons - amazing dipped in dark chocolate!
3. Stop Seeing Sugar As A Reward For Success
We’re hard up against this one since birth as typically we reward our children for doing their homework or being good with a sweet treat and as adults we still fall into this trap - just think about the typical Hollywood break-up scene of a tearful girl sitting on the sofa with a tub of ice cream! It’s not helping anyone…Manifestations, meditation and CBT are all techniques that we can use to try and reframe our thoughts around sugar. Next time you feel like rewarding yourself with something yummy, think about what else makes you happy - the endorphin release from exercise, a hot bath, getting a massage...there are multiple ways to hit that reward centre in the brain, it doesn't have to be sugar.
4. Avoid Packaged Foods Like The Plague
If you missed my recent email on how to read a food label, then make sure you subscribe to our mailing list! Manufacturers these days are fantastically clever at sneaking hidden sugars into so many products, giving it names we don’t recognise and tricking us with clever marketing jargon!Look out for: refined corn syrup, glucose-fructose syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, dextrose, lactose and sucrose. It’s all just sugar.
In fact, aim to cook your meals from scratch or buy from brands you can trust.
5. Get Good Quality Sleep
Research shows that just one really bad night’s sleep means we can actually wake up in a pre-diabetic condition, it’s truly shocking!! So we’re groggy, tired and our brain is sending out serious signals that it needs glucose (i.e. sugar). You know those mornings where you’re tired and it seems like a sweet pastry is really the only thing that will make the world a better place?
It’s just tiredness, and once you can get that idea fixed in your mind you can take actionable steps to avoid falling down the sugar hole. It’s even more important that on those mornings when we’re exhausted to fuel our bodies with something that’s actually going to set us up for the day and provide a real density of nutrients, rather than empty calories from sugar.
So, there you have it, 5 simple swaps to help you avoid sugar! Let us know how it goes!
Yours in good health,
Alexi
