Since having a baby I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so much cake or biscuits, not to say I’ve never liked cake because that would be a big fat lie, cake is my thing! With all the playgroups and coffee meetups that I’ve been going to its inevitable that the cheeky slice of cake is going to be consumed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about face-planting myself in a lovely wedge of cake at all – it’s a delicious treat, but until recently I was at a point where cake wasn’t a treat anymore and it was becoming a part of my everyday.
I would never completely eliminate sugar from my diet, I need cake and chocolate and all of those sweet things that are apparently bad for you. I’m quite contrary to popular beliefs because I think that these sugar-laden foods are actually good for you. When eaten sensibly and in moderation, they feed the soul and make us happy…come on, life would be boring without cake!
Sugar is in everything, even fruit and it’s not something that you can easily avoid and you really don’t have to. It’s the refined sugar that is always in the media and being demonized, it’s highly addictive and in the long-term, it can wreak havoc with your health, but like I always say a little perspective can go a long way in these situations. If you’re eating a 3-tiered cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner, sure that’s one rocky road to ill-health, however a little treat here and there as part of a balanced diet that is full of fresh and delicious food is going to do you no harm at all.
Now back to my predicament, I’ve developed such a sweet tooth which tends to come and go and a few weeks ago I was right in the thick of it. I was craving something sweet after dinner practically every day and not one for denying myself of anything, I quite happily ate what I could get my hands on. It’s the sluggish feeling that I can’t stand after a persistent sugar binge and after a week of feeling like crap I’d had enough. In an attempt to cut my refined sugar intake down but not eliminate it completely, I looked at different ways to help me achieve this and I’m sharing some of these on the blog today.
Take Joy in Natures Natural Sugar
Fruits are high in natural sugar and a lovely healthy way to get your sweet fix without the sugar crash. Snacking on some grapes, cherries, apples, bananas, pineapples, mangoes and dried fruits that are naturally high in sugar will help you soothe your sweet tooth and get you closer to your 5-a-day.
Pay Attention To Your Portions
Something that I found has really helped me is decanting things into a bowl or breaking off squares of chocolate and leaving the rest of the bar in the fridge. It’s the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ brain trickery that I think is working here. It means that I don’t mindlessly eat more than I need and my body is satisfied with what I have already taken without needing more.
Try different natural sweeteners
Instead of using raw cane sugar to sprinkle in your porridge in the morning try different natural unprocessed sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. These tend to have a low glycemic index and don’t cause spikes in your blood sugar levels. Personally, I tend to avoid agave nectar as it actually has more fructose than high fructose corn syrup, there is a great write-up about this on Doctor Oz’s blog. I also watch out for stevia too as some brands pump it full of chemicals, so it’s also good to read the ingredients list to make sure you know what you are getting.
Make Your Own Sweet Treats
Eating healthy really does start at home and the best way to do this is honest home-cooked food. Baking your own sweet treats not only ensures that you recognise every ingredient that you’re eating, but you are also in control of the sugar content too. Check out my recipe page for some healthy, low-sugar sweet treat inspiration.
Move Over to the Dark Side
Dark chocolate is jam-packed with antioxidants that can have a positive impact on your health. With its higher cocoa content, the good quality brands are actually pretty good for you and aren’t laden with refined sugar. Even better, give raw chocolate a try which is unprocessed chocolate and the cacao is in its most natural form, containing even higher nutrient values.
Be Wary of The Sugar Content of Savoury Food
Sugar is everywhere, even where you would least expect it. Hidden sugar that can be found in bread, ketchup and shop bought sauces can be surprisingly high and you can be eating sugar without even realising it. Unfortunately, if you like these foods you can’t really avoid the sugar unless you make your own and if not try to look for low-sugar alternatives that aren’t full of chemical nasties.
So there’re a few ideas that have helped me to cut my refined sugar intake, but not cut it out completely, I hope you have found them helpful. I think the key thing here is not to worry and eat everything in moderation. One thing that I’m trying to remember is not to go too heavy on the natural sweeteners, home-baked goods, and dark chocolate. I don’t want these healthy alternatives to become unhealthy by overindulging on them, but that’s a whole separate blog post in itself.
What a terrific post very helpful, I definitely need to watch my portions! R
Thanks! 🙂 I think portion control is something that we all struggle with.
Great post. I love my sweet stuff so this post is for me. Great ideas here.
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Thank you, lovely to hear that you enjoyed reading it!
Thank you so much for posting this!!!! When it comes that time of month my sugar cravings are off the chart!!! In general I’m a lover of anything sweet and now that I’m doing a 28 day health challenge I want to learn how to go about that sugar thrill. Loads of useful tips and tricks here that I can revert to.
I think hormones can play a huge part of craving sugar. Good luck with your 28 day health challenge, hope you see some great results from it and I would love to read about it on your blog.
Interesting post. After a stomach bug in January I haven’t wanted to eat chocolate, cake or biscuits. My sugar has come from crunchy nut cornflakes and on our summer holiday ice cream and jam on scones. I find it hard to believe I’ve given up chocolate for ever, but I’m concerned if I start eating it again then I will return to my previous high levels of intake. Maybe dark chocolate is the answer.
A good quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content maybe the way forward. It’s so bitter that you really don’t need that much of it.
I’m totally like you whereby I have a mega sweet tooth and certainly go through phases of not being able to shake the habit of overindulging daily. I really have to be careful with my sugar intake, in any form, natural or otherwise, as I have PCOS and hormonal, acne prone skin. So whether it’s chocolate, a glass of wine (or three), or even homemade, natural sweet treats, it can aggravate my hormones and skin. But I’m just not a happy person if I forbid myself from having things I want! I try to keep things pretty low in sugar with berries and dark chocolate, and in all honesty, I’m not a huge alcohol drinker so that’s not too much of a huge issue.
If I’m really craving something sweet, I only allow it if I know I’ve eaten well that day/week etc. However a craving is a craving and if your body really wants it, just go for it.
I went through a phase of being really against eating naturally sweet things but I’ve accepted that this just isn’t a realistic way of living. You can certainly be aware of how much fruit you’re having, and yes, a green smoothie may have a lot of natural sugar but think of all the nutrients you’re getting!
Small batches of sweet homemade treats are always good, and I prefer to use coconut sugar when baking too as it works so effortlessly.
Regardless though, as is always shown, everything in moderation! Sometimes it’s better to have bog standard white sugar than some of these dodgy sweeteners that are out there too…
Fab post Jemma, it’s great to know that there’s someone else so likeminded when it comes to things like this!
Lucy xx // She’s So Lucy
Thanks Lucy, glad you liked the post! Sugar is in so many things that we eat and it’s one food that is hard to avoid. I think the best thing to so is to embrace it, not demonise it and just moderate your intake in a balanced way. I really like your approach!
I try to only eat homemade cakes / biscuits rather than shop bought ones which are generally nowhere near as nice, but portion control is definitely something I need to work on, and remember these are treats and not for every day. With high quality (ie expensive) chocolate I am also less likely to eat the whole lot on one go (although I have my moments, and once I start I can’t stop!). I agree out of sight is out of mind can be a good strategy, but sometimes the piece of cake in the kitchen can sing to me …
Couldn’t agree more! I’ve had a few too many sweet treats lately and a lot of these sum up my plans to cut back too.
Like you say, a healthy life is a balanced life, screw deprivation.
Deprivation is the enemy for so many, moderation is definitely the spice of life in my opinion.
I know exactly what you mean, and unfortunately my sugar cravings have become a real problem. I am trying to make changes, and I will!b One day at a time!
It’s all about little baby steps when it comes to making big changes – good luck!
This is a great post with some awesome tips! Personally, my Naturopath had me off all natural sugars bar a piece of fruit a day for 4 weeks and now my taste buds are so sensitive to anything sugary. The first week was not easy but now, I don’t ever crave it now at all, which I didn’t think I would ever be able to say!!! That being said, I haven’t “given it up” and I have upped my fruit intake as I love it! I will still have a good old healthy treat or even a wedge of not so healthy cake when the opportunity presents itself. We should never deny ourselves anything!
What a great idea to reset your tastebuds like that. I think something like this would really help me actually, but I could never give up cake! 🙂
Great post Jemma and lots of good ideas too! I definitely have a sweet tooth, I find eating a savoury breakfast and avoiding ‘junk’ treats (as in bags of sweets and cheap chocolate) helps a lot.
Thanks Claire! I like the idea of eating a savoury breakfast to cut lower the sugar in your day.
Yes, yes and yes! I don’t think that there is anything wrong with sugar in moderation and there is no way I am never going to eat cake again. I have a little square of dark chocolate every evening.
Fab Dannii! Cutting out cake from your life would be a very sad day indeed!
I fully agree about sugar being good for your soul. Yes it’s rubbish to your body in great amounts and when it’s very processed, but life without cake would be pants! Great tips 🙂
Exactly, I think a little perspective goes such a long way on topics like this. Cake is a beautiful thing and should be enjoyed just in moderation. 🙂
I haven’t eaten sugar in 13 years!! Thankfully I do not have a sweet tooth, and if I ever crave anything sweet, stevia and/or monk fruit extract fits the bill nicely. I love how a lot of things are being sweetened with it these days! I remember 13 years ago when I was introduced to it, no one knew what it was!
Yes, yes, yes! This is something I can totally do. Chocolate is my love, but I know that I can conquer this so that I can better myself. i love your blog for all your healthy food talk. LOVE IT!
I have been eating a lot of dark chocolate and pistachios to help me combat cravings. You have some great tips here! 🙂
alex and I did that 30 day sugar detox thing and it was so eye opening! I think balance is the key, like you said, and it’s crazy when you realize how much sugar is added to things!
Wonderful post my sugar levels often spike so I must remember to eat more fruit that contains natural sugar. Thank you for sharing http://www.fadedspring.co.uk
Great tips – recently I’ve found myself craving something sweet every evening but really need to reign this in! x