It takes time, but I try to read every single email you send me and when I get an email like this one below from Claire, it makes me want to help ASAP!

“I am SUCH a late night snacker… It comes to the point, where the cereal box is on my nightstand while I’m watching a movie when I could just be asleep. This obviously worsens when I drink alcohol. However, I don’t want to give up alcohol because that is not the lifestyle I’m after, rather I would like to cut down and also cut down the late night binges on unhealthy processed food since my days are usually full of whole foods that are good for me.” – Claire S.

I think nighttime sugar cravings are the absolute worst and I know many of you can relate! If you have ever tried to go “cold turkey” to simply stop eating sugar – and failed – don’t despair! While it can truly seem as if the odds are against us – there is hope! There are several strategies that I’ve used over the years to curb my own sugar cravings (I used to be a major candy ADDICT!) and hopefully these little tricks will help you too…

Sugary foods release endorphins that make you feel more relaxed and after you’ve had a long day sometimes it can be hard to refuse a sweet treat to “reward yourself” with that great feeling. The processed food industry knows how addictive sugar is, and carefully engineers their products to hit what they call “the bliss point” to make us crave their foods more and more. They even add sugar to salty foods – it’s reprehensible!

Five ways to stop cravings in their tracks:

#1 – Keep The Junk Out Of Your House

If it’s not there, you can’t eat it! But once you bring the bag of cookies into the house you have made it ten times harder to keep your cravings at bay. Willpower will not last, and sooner or later you will come home exhausted, stressed, and the first thing you will reach for are those cookies! Clear any sweets and processed food from your pantry and refrigerator and replace them with simple one-ingredient REAL FOOD snacks – apples, bananas, vegetable sticks, nuts, seeds, boiled eggs. Tell everyone in your family to not bring any sugary junk into the house either, so you won’t be tempted!

#2 – Drink A Cup Of Hot Tea

One of my all-time favorite rituals is drinking tea – especially at night! I drink hot tea almost every night before bed and it really relaxes me and takes away any cravings. I love mint, ginger, or spicy cinnamon teas, as these are amazing at blasting away sugar cravings. That’s because they are naturally sweet without the sugar, and warm and comforting.

#3 – Get Moving!

Exercise releases feel good endorphins that can provide a similar “high” as a sugary or junk food treat can. Not only will you feel better about yourself and the decision you made to be active, but you are also creating new healthy habits by immediately inserting an activity when you feel a craving coming on. I love to take walks outside before the sun sets in the evening, right before dinner. I find that this is when some of my best ideas come to the surface and it really clears my head. Other outdoor activities like raking leaves and tending to a garden are great ideas as well!  When you’re spending time in the sun, the added Vitamin D will lift your mood and hopefully take away bad food cravings. So really make an effort to bundle up if necessary and make it outside every day. But if the weather is horrible or you can’t make it out, another good option is to pop in an exercise video at home and get those endorphins pumping!

#4 – Get Enough Sleep

When I don’t get enough sleep I want to eat everything in the house! I notice that I’m way more hungry throughout the day and my cravings are through the roof! So, do whatever you need to do to make sure that you’re sleeping enough each night. This will naturally boost serotonin levels, turn off the hunger hormones, and when your body has enough time to recharge you will probably find that your cravings are not as intense. Having a newborn in the house, this is definitely a tip I’ll be personally working on!

#5 – Buddy Up!

Sometimes just talking about your cravings with someone in the same situation is all you need to stay on track. If you know that someone is holding you accountable and rooting you on, it’s much easier to stick to your goals and be successful!

That’s why I built a support system like this into the Food Babe 7-Day Sugar Detox Program. As soon as you join here, you’ll be welcomed into our Private Forum with open arms, where you can connect with other members on the sugar detox. This is a place where we privately share our experiences without judgment – since a lot of us are all facing the same type of struggles and bad food cravings! We answer questions and share our success stories. When you surround yourself with people who share the same goals and help to keep you accountable, you will succeed.

This program provides the plan, the support, and the community you need to ditch refined sugar in a way that makes it practically impossible to fail! I’ll give you real life emergency strategies for when you feel like you can’t live without sugar and have crazy uncontrollable cravings – especially at those times when you are at work sitting at your desk and at night. You will receive detailed online guides and videos to walk you through the 7-Day Sugar Detox, along with all the personal support you need. You’ll know exactly what to eat, what not to eat and what to do after the detox is over.

I invite you to join us here now.

If you have any friends or family members that struggle with sugar cravings, please share this post with them. Perhaps you can “buddy up” with them and support each other on the journey to cut out sugar together!

Xo,

Vani