Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Battle of the Sweet Tooth

No matter how committed we are to our personal health and nutrition, we all have foods that we crave and at the smell of, have a hard time resisting. For some people it's pizza or fries, but for me it's sweets and chocolate. I figured it would be helpful to let you know how I deal with and kick those cravings to the curb! It's not easy by any means, but these tips can help you win the battle.

1. Fruit - Is a great natural way to have a little something sweet. I have fruit after dinner every night as a dessert. I feel like it finishes off my meal and really settles that craving.

2. Greek Yogurt - If just the fruit isn't going to cut is try some fat free Greek yogurt. It is loaded with protein and if you sweeten it with some frozen fruit or agave nectar it is so yummy! Thaw the fruit in the microwave and it will also create a bit of fruit juice syrup to sweeten the yogurt. Not only will it help that sweet craving, but the protein will help fill you up.

3. Smoothies - Fruit or fruit and protein smoothies are a great treat (homemade, not from those one's at the mall!). I mix yogurt with a little fresh and frozen fruit. Our Family's personal favorite is strawberry pineapple, including our 8 yr old. If it's summer time pop them in little paper cups with a Popsicle stick and freeze. Makes a great treat for a hot day.

4. Shakeology - Chocolate is a craving I battle with daily. I have found that Chocolate Shakeology helps me to settle that craving for the rest of the day. I wake up in the morning looking forward to my glass. I also notice that I have few to almost zero cravings for "unhealthy" foods through out the day if I have my Shakeology in the morning.

5. Cocoa Almonds - We all know that the fat in nuts is good for us. I personally eat almonds daily and I have recently found a sweet little almond treat. Emerald nuts make a cocoa covered almonds, not chocolate but cocoa. The nuts are roasted with a cocoa powder coating. They are a nice afternoon pick me up. My only trouble is wanting to eat more than one serving!

Work with these tips and you will learn to win the battle with your sweet tooth. Also remember that a treat once in a while is okay, go for the piece of cake on your birthday or anniversary but just one and only once in a while (go for something from scratch and not out of a box).

No comments:

Post a Comment