Let's be honest, having a "sweet tooth" is really just a nice way of saying "sugar addiction" and we get it, kicking that sugar habit to the curb can be tough! You want so badly to stick with your goals and make choices that will lead to a life long lifestyle of good health and then someone at the office brings in your favorite rocky road fudge. One wiff from that platter of chocolate confection and 8 pieces later you are asking yourself what just happened.
While it's okay to enjoy a favorite food every now and then we all know that moderation is key and the trick to not overindulging is to take precautions to avoid sugar cravings all together.
Here are 5 simple steps to help you get your sweet tooth under control.
1. Don't bring your favorite sweet treats into the house. If you know you can't resist the temptation of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice cream then don't buy it to begin with and that tub of frozen sugar won't be calling your name at 10pm. Most of the time that we overeat on sweets is in our own home so keeping it free of temptation is crucial.
2. Watch out for hidden sugars in your drinks. From Gatorade to Frapuccinos, Creamers and iced tea... these drinks could be keeping you from your healthy weight. Read the labels and if your drink is sweetened cut back or cut it out. Of course we all know that sodas are bad for us so if you are struggling with that soda addiction here's a simple tip to cutting them out: try drinking 2/3 carbonated water with 1/3 100% juice.
3. Eat fresh fruit. When you are craving something sweet try a handful of grapes or a juicy piece of watermelon. The natural sugar found in fruits is definitely much better than added sugars found in other sweets.
4. Eat a small square of high cocoa dark chocolate. A 1-inch square of dark chocolate can do wonders to satisfy a sugar craving without consuming high amounts of sugar and calories. The point here is not eating the whole bar, just one small piece should do the trick.
5. Exercise self control. Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law." The fruit of the Spirit is the change in our character that comes about because of the Holy Spirit's work in us. Self-control is, of course, the ability to control oneself. It involves moderation, constraint, and the ability to say “no” to our baser desires and fleshly lusts.
Lean on God for strength in your weakness, lift your struggles to Him in prayer. You are never alone in this.
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