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10 Tips for Balancing a Sweet Tooth
By:Susan Woodward for MSN-Health

Aaah, sugar… sweet, comforting, energy-boosting sugar.

We covet the stuff, consume it by the truckload, and store the excess as fat. Nutritionists constantly advise us to eat less of it, especially the highly refined additives in everything from soda to pasta sauce. But that doesn’t stop our hankerings.

A little indulgence here and there is OK, most health experts agree, but the average American diet is brimming with sugar. How do we keep our intake in check, and how can we better handle an intense I-want-that-huge-piece-of-chocolate-cake craving when it strikes?

Here are our top suggestions.

1. Know your triggers

Often it’s mood that provokes sugary desires. Stress and boredom are two common links. “You’re worried, so you resort to sweets for comfort, and you go for ‘feel-good’ foods like chocolate,” explains George Rapitis, a high-school nutrition counselor in Michigan. Increasing your awareness of what provokes your wanting is the first step towards control.

2. Stabilize your blood sugars

Glucose, the main sugar created by digestion, is an essential fuel source for your body and brain. Without a constant supply you feel sluggish. When sugar levels in the blood drop too sharply, people often feel desperate to restore them with the fast-acting sugars found in junk food. Eat breakfast and healthy protein and fiber snacks throughout the day to avoid this pitfall.

3. Eat more complex carbs

Along the same lines, the theory goes that if you improve your overall diet, your cravings for sugar will subside. Replace simple sugary carbs with carbs that break down more slowly, usually complex carbohydrates such as wholegrains and vegetables. You’ll be better satiated for a longer time. The glycemic index, which classifies various carbohydrates by how quickly they’re converted into glucose and released into the bloodstream, is an increasingly popular guide to eating.

4. Substitute with fructose

Fruit contains fructose, a naturally occurring sugar several times sweeter than sucrose (the refined kind). Fructose also contains fewer calories. Try some dried fruit or frozen grapes, berries or peaches next time you feel the urge for sugar.

5. Stock your kitchen wisely

To seriously limit you sugar intake, practice conscious shopping, says registered dietician Christopher Mohr, of Pittsburgh, Penn. “If it’s not around, you can’t eat it,” Mohr reasons. “Don’t buy the stuff!” More moderately, organize your cake or cookies into appropriate portions and put them out of sight. Keep a variety of fruit, nuts and other healthy foods close by instead.

6. Exercise

You’re aware that exercise is an essential component of good health. Do you know it’s also a great antidote for sugar cravings? That’s because when you exercise your body breaks down glycogen and releases glucose molecules into your bloodstream, effectively giving you a sugar boost. Exercise also relieves stress (one of the triggers mentioned above), and it produces serotonin, which improves mood, adds Rapitis.

7. Try sugar-free

The artificial sweeteners in sugar-free candy, hot chocolate, chewing gum and other foods satisfy the taste buds of many people without adding calories.

8. Set a timer

This idea belongs to Michigan weight-loss coach Julie Beyer. “One way to assess whether or not you really need something sweet is to put some time and space between you and the decision,” Beyer says. “Revisit if you really need that cookie in 15 minutes – often you don’t.” In other words, realize you don’t have to act impulsively for instant gratification – you have a choice.

9. Distract yourself

Distraction works for kids, it can work for you, too! When faced with the longing for sugar, try reading a book, calling a friend, or putting some energy into a favorite hobby.

10. Practice portion control

OK, it’s a genuinely special occasion and you’ve made the mature decision to allow yourself a dessert laden with refined, white, cane sugar and all its trappings. Obviously you don’t need to indulge in the whole carton of ice cream or the entire sheet cake to enjoy the event. But go ahead, serve yourself a fair-sized helping and enjoy every guilt-free moment of it!