health matters.
How to ease your sugar cravings
Do you hanker for an energy boost mid-afernoon in the form of a hunk of chocolate, a slice of cake or a few Hobnobs? If so, you’re not alone – and Sue Quinn has strategies to combat the cry of the biscuittin
Even if you try to eat a healthy diet, it’s likely you’re prone to sugar cravings every now and then. It’s a rare person who isn’t.
Perhaps you hanker for something to beat the mid-afternoon slump, a boredom-busting snack or the comfort of cake in times of stress. Enjoying a sweet treat now and then isn’t ‘bad’ of course. But many people in the UK consume much more than the recommended 30g per day of ‘free sugars’.
These include commercially made granules, syrups, fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates, fruit purées and honey added to sweet and savoury foods (not the sugars found in whole fruit and veg, and in dairy products).
Consuming too much free sugar is widely accepted to be bad for your health, but scientists and nutritionists say there are simple ways to curb sugar cravings and limit the impact on your body when you do dive into the biscuit tin. Note: if you’re diabetic, it’s important to check with your doctor before trying any of them.