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Fighting sugar cravings can sometimes feel impossible. Everywhere you go, sweets, cakes, and chocolate bars line the shop shelves. You want to eat healthily. You want to cut down on the sweet stuff. But no matter how hard you try, that sneaky piece of cake always finds you.

The reason you might be struggling is because you don’t have effective ways to stop sugar cravings. Stick around for our top tips to curb cravings once and for all.

Benefits of Cutting Out Sugar

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Not everyone wants to quit sugar, and you may prefer to reduce your intake. Either way, knowing the benefits of quitting sugar or following a low-sugar diet can help. Below are some of the top reasons to reduce the sweet stuff.

Helps maintain a healthy weight - Sugar makes you gain weight easily because it contains a lot of calories. So, when you reduce how much you eat, you are instantly working toward a healthy weight.
Reduces risk of type 2 diabetes - Type 2 diabetes is usually caused by excess glucose in the bloodstream. Less sugar equals a decline in glucose levels and minimises the risk of developing diabetes.
Lowers symptoms of depression and anxiety - Excess sugar causes blood sugar levels to spike, then dramatically drop. This can create heart palpitations and mood swings, sometimes enhancing anxiety and depression. Minimising your sugar intake can decrease these experiences. However, it’s essential to remember that consuming excess sugar is usually a symptom of something else. For example, using eating to cope with a challenging situation. So, make sure you see a doctor and talk about any mental health issues you are experiencing.
Contributes to heart health - Too much sugar can harden around the arteries, causing blockages that may cause heart attacks. It can also stiffen artery walls, forcing your heart to work harder than necessary to circulate blood flow. Oxygen and nutrients can flow efficiently if you have a lower sugar intake.
Supports a healthy gut - Sugar is an inflammatory, and too much will irritate your stomach, causing bloating and cramps. Therefore, eating less sugar will help maintain a healthy digestive system.

Best Ways to Stop Craving Sugar

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Cutting out sugar is challenging, mainly because it’s highly addictive. But the good news is, the less you eat it, the less you want it. So, here are some great ways to stop eating sugar or reduce your overall sugar intake.

Eat Sugar Replacement Treats

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It takes around ten days for your body to stop craving sugar, and during those times, you will need to fight cravings. However, rather than the physical symptoms, it’s usually the habit of eating sugar that trips people up. This is otherwise known as psychological cravings, which take around four weeks to subside.

For example, if you’re used to having dessert every night after dinner, your brain will crave that ritual. Therefore, the best way to treat sugar addiction is to choose sugar-free options so you can soothe your brain without consuming sugar.

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Stock up on sugar-free treats for the times when you desire something sweet. Sugar-Free Chocolate Eclairs have a chewy toffee texture with a dark chocolate centre and zero sugar. Or try the gluten-free and vegan-friendly Sugar-Free Wine Gums, Gummy Bears and Pear Drops.

For cake lovers, we have something for you too. Diablo’s Sugar-Free Chocolate Cake is light and fluffy, enriched with cocoa powder for a wonderful chocolatey taste. You can also snack on their Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies without the guilt.

Get Enough Protein

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Have you ever done well throughout the day only to get sugar cravings at night? The reason could be that you’ve not eaten enough protein. Kicking the sugar habit is about ensuring you still have the calories your body needs. Protein is both filling and slow-releasing, which will control cravings.

Mix protein powder into your smoothies or snack on protein bars. Bite into a soft Peanut Butter Flapjack containing 19 grams of protein per bar. Or, if you have a real sweet tooth, curb cravings with a protein bar in Vanilla Fudge or Salted Caramel.

Drink Herbal Tea

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Sometimes, overcoming cravings is about distraction. For example, you’re sitting watching a movie, and you usually eat sweets. Suddenly, you’re hit with a psychological craving. Your body doesn’t really sweets, but it’s a habit! A trick to overcoming a habitual impulse is to distract your mind by drinking herbal tea.

It’s also important to remember that your body can send out hunger cues when it’s actually thirsty. Herbal drinks are hydrating and soothing with a hint of sweetness. Try Natur Boutique’s Detox Tea, or give yourself a non-sugar energy boost with Korean ginseng. Alternatively, quiet your mind with lavender or chamomile tea.

Keep Healthy Snacks in the House

Break sugar addiction by preparing for cravings and getting non-sugar snacks. Nuts are bursting with amino acids, healthy fats and protein to feed your body without sugar. The sweetness of dried fruit - particularly strawberries, apricots and apple slices- can also cut cravings.

Choose Low Sugar Options

Going cold turkey doesn’t always work, and you might need low-sugar options to help with sugar addiction.

Diablo Hazelnut & White Choco Spread uses skimmed milk, has zero added sugar and tastes delicious spread on toast. If you’re a chocolate fiend, choose cream-filled Milk Chocolate Wafers enriched with sweeteners rather than sugar.

Dark chocolate is another excellent low-sugar option. Cachet’s Extra Dark Chocolate is 85% cacao, with far less sugar than your average Dairy Milk and has anti-oxidant benefits.

Fight Sugar Cravings With Grape Tree

Cutting down on sugar cravings is challenging, but it doesn’t have to make you miserable. You can still indulge in zero-sugar chocolate cake, bite into deliciously juicy apricots or opt for low-sugar snacks. With a little bit of knowledge and suitable food replacements, you can kick sugar and stop cravings with Grape Tree.