How do I stop sugar cravings?

Episodes (18)

• Episode · jump to 22:47

  Chapter 6: The Art of Mindful Eating: A Dialogue with Kathy Smart

  I can tell people to eat baby carrots instead of ice cream, but if they are actually craving sugar because their body hasn't slept and recuperated, that carrot thing ain't gonna work, kathy says. That's about their body needing an extra hit. Consider, then, whether you are setting yourself up for a successful, undisturbed night's rest. Could you go to bed earlier or turn off the electronics at winding downtime? Your energy levels will thank you. There are a lot of rules making the rounds about eating in the evening, such as no food past 7 pm, but Kathy doesn't go for arbitrary cutoff times and says she suggests that you avoid eating food within three hours of your bedtime, whatever time that may be. It's a tough one because so many people work shift work, such as nurses, doctors, journalists and firefighters, so having to set time doesn't always apply.

• Episode · jump to 8:11

  Stress Eating Debunked: The Real Reason You Reach for Junk Food

  Because we should talk about the science A study published in the Journal of Obesity found that chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels are linked to increased appetite cravings for junk food and ultimately, this leads to weight gain. The research suggests that stress-induced eating isn't just about lacking willpower, though. Research suggests that stress-induced eating isn't just about lacking willpower, though. It is a physiological response. So, as an example, imagine your body is a finely tuned orchestra. Now, under normal conditions, each instrument or, in this situation, a hormone plays its part perfectly well, creating a harmonious balance, creating a harmonious balance.

• Episode · jump to 3:23

  Stress Eating Debunked: The Real Reason You Reach for Junk Food

  Before I knew it, I was reaching for a lot of snacks. That's where my downfall kryptonite was reaching for sugary and salty treats. I don't discriminate against snacks. To be honest with you, I eat pretty much everything, and not the healthiest of options too, if you've got a lot of certain types of things within grasp.

• Episode · jump to 0:08

  Stress Eating Debunked: The Real Reason You Reach for Junk Food

  You know, I'm someone that knows emotional eating quite well. I learned from an early age that I could eat my emotions, and what I mean by that is I could eat certain foods that would manipulate how I would feel in the moment, and there's lots of things at work that makes that sort of uplifting effect. We get that little dopamine release when we eat certain types of foods and it can become really problematic, you know, especially if we're using it as a way to cope with a lot of stress, anxiety, depression or other negative emotions or negative situations, because you know those moments when life feels overwhelming and sudden you find yourself elbow deep in a bag of chips or finishing that pint of ice cream. We've all been there.

• Episode · jump to 24:18

  Chapter 6: The Art of Mindful Eating: A Dialogue with Kathy Smart

  How do you perceive the foods you choose to eat? Do you feel guilty about certain foods? Why is that? These questions create strong emotions and may be time to shift your perspective. Sometimes cultural norms dictate our perceptions of particular foods. For example, do you know that in France, chocolate cake is associated with fun, revelry and celebration. It is a special dessert with a positive meaning. In North America, however, chocolate cake is often seen as a guilty pleasure. One of these labels and associations aren't set in stone can give you the freedom to reexamine your own assumptions about food. So be it resolved. We're not going to demonize the food we eat, but how we do resist the constant temptation of junk food in sweets. It's a good question. Can we use these treats as a way to occasionally motivate ourselves?

• Episode · jump to 20:59

  Chapter 6: The Art of Mindful Eating: A Dialogue with Kathy Smart

  It's my job to eat as many vegetables as I can, adding that research is continually stressing the role in helping to fight cancer and heart disease, among other health complaints, because they fill you up with all the nutrition and goodness, you won't even want other food or crave sugar. This will change how anyone eats. Kathy uses two glass containers to portion out about 960 mL. That's four cups of vegetables to be eaten each day. She's on the run, she takes her veggies along for the ride in plastic baggies Et voila, goodbye sugar cravings. Hello satisfying nutrition. My equivalent is having what I like to call my bag, my big ass healthy green salad every day. We all know there can be days when it seems you're too busy to even chop vegetables, but Kathy has an answer for that too. If it feels like an overwhelming task, I will buy a vegetable tray.

• Episode · jump to 3:22

  The Shocking Truth About Artificial Sweeteners: Are They Shortening Your Life?

  It's incredible what a difference of cutting out artificial sweeteners can make. But it's one of those things until you do it you just don't realize. And it's actually that little hump at the beginning that can be the most challenging. I know for myself. When I stopped drinking alcohol, I switched to diet sodas, and you know, when you're at the pubs or you're in a restaurant, it's pretty cool Sodas, free refills. So I found myself consuming a good deal of diet soda. They still have caffeine, your body still thinks you're getting the sugar too, and man, it is quite the mixture and after about a year I was consuming a pretty close to on a day of diet sodas and that's on a good day and probably on a slower day it'd be about two liters, about half a gallon, and it just happened all day long and I started to develop edema in my ankles.

• Episode · jump to 5:21

  Protein: Elevate Your Health with the Building Blocks of Life

  And what happens when we find ourselves in that lull? We usually reach for some sort of instant gratification, something sugary, sweet, to give us an instant sugar kick, which again spikes that energy, at least that perceived energy that we have. But we know it's short lived. That energy-effective protein is much longer lasting, so you feel more full, more energized, longer. Anyways, translation for the non-metric mates 0.5 to 0.9 grams per pound. All right. So it's not just for Hulk smashing, it's about nurturing every fiber of your bean, for that metabolic mojo. Now for the longevity league. More protein means you're fortifying your fortress, keeping bones sturdy, muscles merry and your metabolic health humming like a 67 Mustang. But let's cut to the chase. How do you actually up your protein game without turning your kitchen into a 24-7 diner?