Here are a few tips that may help either prevent "sugar hell" in you or your children, or help pull you out of them if you happen to find yourself there:

1) TUNE IN to your body. Figure out what works for you (and your children) and what keeps your blood sugar levels and brain chemistry stable. Notice what foods trigger cravings, difficult behavior,fatigue or irritability, and minimize them.

2) Notice what emotional states might trigger sugar cravings - loneliness? Stress? Boredom? Fatigue? Begin to address them with non-food solutions and get help if you need to.

3) Most people benefit from some combination of protein, fats and high-quality carbohydrates at each meal and snack to stabilize blood sugar levels.

4) If you are going to eat sugar or processed carbohydrates, arm yourself by eating protein and/or fat (a piece of cheese, some nuts, some sliced turkey, for example), beforehand.

5) Do NOT skip meals - ever.

6) Avoid fake sweeteners (like NutraSweet, saccharine, Splenda, etc), which just "whet" your appetite for more sweets.

7) Avoid packaged foods that are labeled low fat. In fact, don't be afraid of fat at all - most unprocessed fats are GOOD for your body and your brain (more on this another time!).

8) If you find yourself in the middle of a sugar binge or "sugar hell," stop and ask yourself: "what is the next thing I can do to shift this cycle?" Then DO IT.

9) Don't beat yourself up - for anything. Especially for not having "enough willpower." Remember, your cravings are not about willpower, but about your body's way of trying to tell you that you are out of balance somehow.

10) Stop thinking of sweets as a reward. Find non-food treats for yourself and your children.

Copyright (c) 2008 Healthy Bodies, Happy Minds

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