Written by Dr Sandra Miranda, ND

Tired of craving sweets and carbs?  The best way to control your sugar cravings once and for all is by controlling your blood sugar levels throughout the day.  Here are the top 10 tips to accomplish this:

1. Start the day on the right foot: there is a reason why many health practitioners say that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day and that is because it is. I recommend that you eat something high in protein and fiber in the morning which will bring more stability to your daily energy.  For example, try a protein shake with 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds.
2. Sleep well: it is now a fact that insufficient sleep (7-8 hours a night) can lead to insulin resistance which in the long term can lead to diabetes. 
3. Routine, routine, routine: eating at the same time every day your breakfast, lunch and dinner can lead a long way to controlling your blood sugar. 
4. Hydration: sometimes your body may confuse the signals of dehydration with hunger and this will lead to snacking. Keep a water bottle nearby and this can lead to stopping a snacking habit that could be happening. 
5. Eat more fermented foods: we have understood in recent years that the microbiome is huge in helping to control blood glucose. What if you try more fermented foods in your daily routine like yogurts, sauerkraut, kimchi or miso. These are fantastic meals that can work as a side and improve the health of your gut flora.
6. Choose snacks high in protein such as 2 boiled eggs, celery sticks with almond butter, veggies with hummus or 6 oz of plain greek yogurt with berries and some almonds or a Simply Protein Bar.
7. Instead of eating sweets, choose a healthy fat.  Fats are satisfying and they do not cause an insulin release which will eventually make you crave more sugar and carbs. For example, have more nuts and seeds or add some avocado to a salad or add 1 tbsp of MCT oil to your chai tea.
8. Reach for a fruit – they are sweet and give you fiber.
9. Get up and go – go for a walk and distance yourself from food.
10. If it’s before bedtime, take a hot shower, have an herbal tea (no sugar) and go to bed earlier!  This way you will decrease your chances of the night time mindless munching.