Ending your sugar cravings before they even strike

So, I have a confession to make. Even though I know how bad sugar is for me, I was still eating sweets (although many were healthy-ish) more often than I would like to. Saying "NO" to myself worked once in a while, but then as most of us know, we usually give in to the craving. So, I spent a bit of time wondering why is it that even when we know something is bad for us, we still do it anyway? 

A few blogs ago I talked about looking at sugar as you would look at an attractive significant other that physically abuses you. In that entry I suggested that we should simply break-up with this addiction like you would with a person. Respect yourself and stop the contact. Then find a healthy, kind-to-your-body replacement. So, I tried doing that. I let a healthy banana-coconut tiramisu into my life and we shared a few wonderful moments. Sure, it was great, but when that tiramisu wasn't available and I was out to eat, that old, familiar taste of a hot, gooey brownie with vanilla ice cream was just irresistible. Why in the world was I not able to stop getting myself involved with it?

All of a sudden, I started thinking about my friend who used to be in a relationship with a someone that wasn't very good to her. Yet, she couldn't help but go back to spend time together even after they officially broke up. She missed their times together and couldn't stop thinking about the past. Until she met an amazing guy who adores her and showers her with love. Then the old flame magically got extinguished and she focused on a new relationship. 

Translating that into the world of food, at first I thought the right replacement for un-healthy sugars was a healthy alternative. However, I realized  that solutions was still being too shallow and  that all this time I wasn't giving complex carbs the time of day and attention they deserved. And it was in the hidden energy of grains like quinoa and brown rice where I found peace and ended my need to have sugar before it even started. The truth is, whether we like it or not, we need carbs to give us energy and if we aren't getting enough of the good ones, then our bodies will crave the sugary ones!

Of course in the beginning it was hard switching gears and getting used to this new relationship. I wasn't used to preparing and eating grains as often as  I needed to. So, it took discipline -- 2 times a week for about 5 mins, to be exact (the time that it requires to rinse the grains and put them on the stove). But in the end, it was all well worth it. My body is now fully satisfied with the delicious purple rice (often known as forbidden rice), mutli-colored quinoa and millet. Turns out that they were exactly what I needed and now I am steadily forgetting about the dangerous affairs with high-sugar foods. 

I hope that you take some time to think of what your body is truly craving and find the right foods that will satisfy you. They will be different for everyone, but trust me, your body isn't really craving brownies at 3pm -- it is craving energy. Unless you introduce a new food into your life, chances are you will be getting the same old result that is not making you happy. After all,if you want something you don't have, you need to do something you are not doing.