Month: October 2019

5 Foods That Curb Sugar Cravings

Today’s food landscape is rife with quick, cheap access to sugar whenever we are craving it — and even when we aren’t. Grocery and convenience stores are stocked with cookies, candy, sugary beverages and other sweet snacks strategically placed at the checkout prompting unhealthy impulse buys.

Vending machines dispense sugary sodas and pastries to beat your 3 p.m. slump, and every office seems to offer donuts for breakfast. In a sugar-saturated world, it can seem impossible to curb those nagging cravings for sweets — because they’re everywhere!

Even after a satisfying meal, sugar cravings can hit you hard. One explanation of this feeling is hedonic hunger — or eating for pleasure rather than for satisfaction. Researchers are still trying to figure out why this happens, but before we take the first bite, the sight of a sugary or fatty food causes the brain’s reward circuit to get excited.

Once the sweet treat hits your taste buds, signals are fired off to the brain to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that causes an intense feeling of pleasure. Overeating sugary foods not only floods the brain with dopamine, but also creates a pattern of sugar cravings. In a short amount of time, the brain starts to crave more sugar and fat to reach the same threshold of pleasure it once got from small amounts of these pleasure-inducing foods.

Whether you reach for sugar after every meal, first thing in the morning or as a bedtime snack try substituting these foods instead:

BERRIES

Unlike fruit juices and dried fruit that are high in sugar and low in fiber, whole, fresh fruit like raspberries provides a great source of fiber that allows for the slow-release of the natural sugars. With only 5 grams of sugar per cup, raspberries are also a low-sugar fruit, along with blackberries and strawberries.

Tip: Blend frozen berries into a smoothie or cream them in the food processor with half a frozen banana to create a thicker frozen texture similar to soft-serve ice cream.

ALMONDS

Packed with heart-healthy fats, almonds can help control blood sugar, keeping intense sugar cravings in check. The healthy fats in nuts keep you feeling satisfied even longer, making it less likely for you to have an energy dip between meals — when sugar cravings are often at their worst.

PLAIN GREEK YOGURT & KEFIR

Another cause of your sugar cravings could be an imbalanced gut microbiome, where the bacteria have adapted to thrive on sugar. To reset your gut’s natural balance of bacteria, choose low-sugar Greek yogurt and kefir that are packed with active probiotics. Greek yogurt is also rich in protein, keeping you fueled until your next meal.

CELERY STICKS WITH NUT BUTTER

The fiber from celery paired with protein and healthy fat from nut butters is a triple play for stable energy. Snacks rich in these three nutrients are the best way to keep you sustained between meals, as protein, fats and fiber are digested slowly to gradually release energy over time, making it less likely you’ll hit that afternoon energy crash.

PUMPKIN SEEDS

Beyond being a great source of protein, fiber and fat, pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas) are rich in magnesium. If you crave chocolate, maybe your body is asking for more magnesium, as cocoa is rich in this crucial mineral. Choose other high-magnesium foods such as leafy greens and seeds to boost your magnesium levels.

Keep these foods in mind the next time the sugar cravings hit.

Bad breath is a source of embarrassment for many people. Actually, it occurs when the bacteria in your mouth break down the food particles that lurk between your teeth, and along your gum lines and tongue. These release nasty compounds that are responsible for halitosis or bad breath. Below are five other reasons why your breath reeks.

You are Breathing Through Your Mouth

If you breathe through your mouth, saliva is likely to evaporate. This could make your mouth dry and unable to remove food particles. Unfortunately, a wide range of people breathe through their mouths while they sleep or exercise.

Several researchers probed into dental hygiene in athletes. For instance, a 2015 study conducted by German researchers revealed that the more people spend in a training session, the more likely they are to have cavities. Perhaps, the reduced flow of saliva during exercise is at fault, but this should not keep you from working out. Just make sure you drink plenty of water during your workout program.

You Have Not Eaten All Day

You should know that skipping regular meals could result in halitosis or bad breath. That is because saliva production lowers when you do not eat. Note that saliva does not only flush out food particles, but also breaks down food to help it slide through your throat more easily.

Besides, skipping meals is not a good way to lose weight fast. On the contrary, it could have counterproductive results. That is because your metabolism slows down when you skip meals and your body burns less calories. This could make you pack on more pounds.

You Smoke or Drink

Smoking does not only increase the odor-inducing compounds in your mouth and lungs, but can also dry your mouth, leading to halitosis. Indeed, smoking can lower production of saliva, considering a study conducted in 2004 by researchers from Hong Kong.

Likewise, alcohol can be responsible for your bad breath. A 2007 study carried out in Israel reveals that drinking alcohol is associated with higher rates of halitosis. Actually, participants were required to fast for 12 hours and were allowed to brush their teeth in the next morning. However, booze was found to dry the mouth, leading to bad breath. Plus, when the body metabolizes alcohol, it releases bad odors.

Certain Medications Dry Your Mouth

Certain medications, like antihistamines, diuretics, antipsychotics, and muscle relaxants, could dry your mouth. Indeed, these meds can reduce the production of saliva in your mouth, which causes several types of bacteria to reside there.

Of course, if you need to take a medication, you should not just stop. Yet, you can try to clean your tongue with a toothbrush or a tongue scraper. The American dental association confirms that your tongue contains several types of bacteria that cause bad breath and scrapping them off could solve this problem. So, do not forget to wash your tongue while brushing your teeth.

If you do not suffer from any of the above-mentioned problems, a good dental hygienist could help you find the root cause of this issue and recommend viable solutions.

Whether you have been working out for a while or just started, it is highly probable that you are making a few mistakes. These can slow, or even halt your progress. We are confident that some of these might surprise you! Many people who decide to get in shape are often oblivious to these missteps. Most of them harm your body, and some even make you gain weight instead of losing it! If you are determined to reach your fitness goals, you should look into these 5 mistakes and make sure that you and your gym partners avoid them next time you hit the gym.

Optimizing Your Work Out and Nutrition

One of the most common mistakes that could keep you from getting in shape is excess exercise and dieting. This is only natural as most people learn that you should “hit the gym hard” and avoid fat like a plague! Moderation is the key here. For example, it is not beneficial to your body to suffer through long sessions of cardio. Excessive cardiovascular exercise could potentially harm you. Half an hour is more than enough if you are not an athlete.

Cardio can also be harmful if your body is out of fuel. This is why you should think about including healthy fat in your diet. Virgin olive oil and some fatty fish are what you should be looking for to balance your intake.

What You Should Drink

Contrary to popular belief, drinks that contain electrolytes are notorious for the amount of sugar they harbor. They are often advertised as healthy drinks for athletes, which explains why someone might opt to include them in their diet. If you have been consuming these drinks before or after your workouts, you should switch to a healthy, sugar-free substitute.

This might seem absurd to some of you but drinking water during workouts is a key factor in getting in shape. People avoid drinking water to make their workouts more intense, or just because they don’t pay attention to their hydration. This is a grave mistake! You should be hydrated during your workout to avoid causing damage to your body.

The Right Amount of Nutrition

When it comes to nutrition, people often tend to lean toward either overeating or underrating. First of all, you should be fully aware that working out should not be perceived as a doorway to overeating. Research has shown that you burn an average of 500 kcal per training session. You should make sure that your intake is clean, healthy, and does not exceed your daily calorie needs.

This does not mean that you should deprive yourself of nutritious food. People who work out on an empty stomach without supervision might be causing their bodies more harm than good. It is recommended that you eat a healthy meal an hour and a half to two hours before your workout session.

Post-workout Shower and Sauna

Jumping into the shower or sauna shortly after an intense workout session can cause you to feel uneasy, or even faint! This is why it is highly recommended that you give your body the necessary time to cool down before you take a shower or go to the sauna. Your body loses a substantial amount of fluids during your training. It is best if you take some time to hydrate and rest before exposing it to heat.

Another important thing you should add to your post-workout routine is stretching! This could help you avoid muscle pain in the morning after. Make sure that you take some time to stretch your muscles and think about getting a massage now and then if possible.

Do Not Overdo it!

Your workout schedule does not need to be as intense as you think. Many fitness and nutrition experts recommend that you take rest days between intense training sessions. This allows your muscles to heal and benefit from the workout. Surprisingly, working out excessively can lead to weight gain! This is due to an increase in the level of a specific hormone in your body known as Cortisol. If you think that you are depriving yourself of rest days, we urge you to reconsider your schedule and make sure that you are getting enough sleep. This can make a crucial difference in whether you reach your fitness goal and get your dream shape.