Today’s post is a guest post by Certified Holistic Health Coach Katie Corcoran. It’s perfectly timed to help you get ready for the holidays and get rid of sugar cravings for good!
Sugar cravings, energy and combatting the holiday binge
As a Health Coach, I often work with clients to holistically work through chronic fatigue, anxiety, yoyo eating habits and a constant case of “brain fog”. While we can certainly blame these symptoms on the pressures of our highly stressful careers, balancing family life, exercise, and fittin’ in the fun, many neglect to realize that the food-related decisions we make throughout the day predict our energy levels and mood through the afternoon and evening. I figure, when burning the candle from both ends, why not give ourselves the fuel to allow for playtime outside of our commitments? Allow me to reintroduce you to our oh-so-sneaky girlfriend, and leading cause of all this exhausting craziness: Sugar.
She’s comforting and helps us feel better when we’re sad, we use her to help us rebel against the healthy social norms, she helps brighten up our coffee/tea in the morning, and even keeps the kids content for an hour or so. Over time, we notice this friend can get a bit clingy (even to our waistlines) and we attempt to ease up on our face time, but her existence is oftentimes hard to resist.
While the most common culprits are processed cookies, ice cream and brownies, we often neglect to realize that sugar tends to weasel it’s way into a number of food items whether we choose to consume it or not (how dare she).
Now that the secrets out, what’s one to do when headed into the sugar-loving season that is Halloween, Thanksgiving and the holidays? Let me breakdown my top tips for you to take into consideration when dancing around the SSS (Sweet Sugar Situations) this season:
1.) I crave a cookie every afternoon, what can I do about this?
I encourage you to think about the types of food you’ve consumed prior to the 3 p.m. sugar frenzy. Did your morning consist of a coffee and bagel with cream cheese? Was lunch a sandwich or pizza? Believe it or not, though there are no obvious “sugars” included in this daily routine, bagels and pizza are an example where hidden sugars within these processed carbohydrates spike blood-sugar levels, similar to that of a cookie. Yikes!
Suggested fix: Think about incorporating healthy fats, protein or at least one serving of fruits and vegetables into each meal. The fats and proteins will help keep blood sugar levels stable so you’ll avoid that extreme obsessive feeling of wanting more sugar since you basically had sugar all morning! I’d recommend steel-cut oats with fresh fruit or a fruit and veggie smoothie with low-glycemic protein powder for breakfast. Then stick to a yummy fall salad for lunch with nuts and seeds to keep you full until dinner.
2.) Artificial sweeteners are a no no.
We are hardwired to love sweet foods, but don’t let the “0-calorie” marketing scheme fool you. No calorie sweeteners are filled with synthetic chemicals that (a) the body is incapable of processing, and (b) cling onto fat cells, thus contributing to the overall bloat we’re all so desperately trying to avoid.
Suggested fix: If you’ve got to have the sugar, learn how to keep it real. I’m a big fan of honey and liquid Stevia in drinks, oatmeal, homemade chia seed pudding, and even homemade Almond Milk! Of course, consume in moderation, but since honey and Stevia are natural products, they release at slower rates into your bloodstream to help lessen the overall crash n’ spike.
3.) Avoid the white, refined stuff.
Much like white, refined sugar, basically everything that’s white in color just ain’t good for us… unless it’s cauliflower. This is an unfortunate fact for many of my clients as bagels, cakes, sandwich buns, pizza crust, pastas, chips, and pretty much anything that comes in a box contain the famous P-word: processed ingredients. Again, processed foods have synthetic properties that the body has difficulty digesting, but the act of being “processed” means that manufactures have basically removed all nutrients from the product to begin with, thus eliminating essential stages of the natural digestion process.
Suggested fix: Keep it real. If it comes in a box, make sure you find whole ingredients including 100% whole wheat, sprouted wraps, and whole grains and seeds.
4.) I like candy, and chocolate, and cocktails during the holidays. I can’t resist! What can I do around the holidays?
We’re all human, aren’t we? Believe it or not, I get hopped up on the sugar every now and then myself. Sounds cliche, but the holidays really put the “moderation” rule to the test. Again, the holidays are a perfect opportunity for us to learn how to not eliminate from our diet, but rather learn how to shift the types of sugar we consume.
Suggested fix for Halloween: These Homemade Peanut Butter Cups are free of all processed sugars, use REAL Cacao powder (yes, this is for you chocolate-lovers), and did I mention, they’re divine?! Make sure to keep them nice and cool to avoid the quick melty mess. I’d consider this a safe bet for a holiday party.
Wishing you a happy holiday season! For more healthy tips, sign up for my newsletter and head on over to KatieCorc.com.
About the Author
Katie Corcoran is a healthy living expert, coach and lover of all things kale and cacao. She believes we are all destined to break free from our fears and live life our absolute greatest potential. As a Certified Holistic Health Coach (AADP), Wellness Blogger and Business Mentor, Katie works to empower women through her group programs to make healthier decisions in their relationships, careers, healthy eating, movement habits, and also learn how to have a strong relationship with their finances. To learn more about Katie, visit her website at www.katiecorc.com or by emailing katie@katiecorc.com.
