I'm convinced you already know that sugar is addictive and soooo bad for you. For today though, I want to share 6 easy ways to eat less sugar. 

Sugar is associated with so many things:

• increased anxiety
• excess belly fat
• poor sleep
• mood swings
• low energy
• hormonal problems (PMS, thyroid problems, endometriosis, cramps, PCOS, fibroids, etc)
• brain fog
• cravings
• bloating, and so much more!

So what can you do if you think you're maybe eating a bit too much of the sweet stuff? Here are 6 tips on how to eat less sugar:

1. Drink more water

Sounds so basic, right? Are you drinking 2L of water though? If you're at all dehydrated, it can cause you to feel false hunger and fatigue. What does low energy and hunger lead to? SUGAR cravings! I love adding cucumber and mint, or lemon, or even berries to my water to give it a sweet taste.

2. Understand your cravings

I wrote a whole blog on this here on what your various cravings mean. A lot of the time we crave sugar for emotional reasons. When the craving comes on, ask yourself if you're experiencing a certain emotion?

Do your cravings come at a certain time of day every day? That is also a great explanation of what's causing them. For example, do they come mid afternoon? Or after dinner? If they come mid afternoon, is it that you're getting the afternoon slump? Could you get outside for a 15 minute walk to get your energy up or reevaluate what you're eating for lunch to make sure it doesn't leave you sluggish in the afternoon? If it's after dinner, are you eating enough in the morning? Often under-eating early in the day results in cravings later in the day as your body tries to catch up on calories. A simple fix is to eat a bigger breakfast.

3. Have a scoop of almond butter

Healthy fats are a fantastic tactic to nip a sugar craving in the bud. I find almond butter is nice and rich tasting and has an ever so slightly sweet taste. Try a TBSP of almond butter when that craving hits!

Nut allergy? Use sunflower seed butter instead.

4. Have a peppermint tea

I haven't found a lot of research on this; it's one of those 'old wives' tails' that really works. Peppermint, whether as a tea or the food grade essential oil, can help kick a craving to the curb. A drop of the essential oil either on your tongue or even just on your wrists is said to help kick a craving. I personally like having a peppermint tea.

5. Use apple cider vinegar

I talked about apple cider vinegar for bloating here, but it's also effective at preventing cravings. Would I say this is a MIRACLE cure? No. But, it's a small step you can take that will help if you also do the basics of eating protein, healthy fats, etc.  Research published in the Journal of Functional Foods showed that having apple cider vinegar before a meal may help lower your blood sugar, which is important for cravings.

6. Get outside and move your body

A super easy way to stop a craving is to change your scenery. If you're able to, when the craving comes on go for a brief 10 minute walk outside. Listen to some music if you enjoy it and then when you're back, pour yourself some more water or a peppermint tea.