How to reduce craving by balancing blood sugar levels

In January many want to start the new year with a new diet to thrive after the festive period. A block to following a new healthier regime can be strong cravings, especially in the afternoon, or when we are particularly stressed.

Going back to work or normal routine after the festive break can be stressful in itself, and having leftover treats around the house can make it even more challenging.

The solution can be balancing blood sugar levels through diet, in order to reduce cravings and make sticking to a new regime easier.

The sugar rollercoaster: Why blood sugar spikes cause cravings

When we are eating foods containing carbs our blood sugar levels rise. Sugar, technically called glucose, is the favourite fuel for all body cells, but our body can manage a maximum of 4g of sugar in our blood at the time. The pancreas releases insulin to allow cellular glucose uptake and lower blood glucose levels. 

If the carbohydrate sources we are eating are particularly high in sugars, such as refined white carbs (pasta, bread, pizza, etc…), biscuits, cakes or sweets our blood glucose levels will rise sharply leading to a sugar high, which will be followed by a rapid sugar drop as soon as insulin is released. This is what happens when we are talking about a sugar rollercoaster, a vicious cycle of highs and lows which fuels cravings for high carbs and sugary foods in a bid to keep energy levels stable.

How can we curb cravings?

The key to breaking the sugar rollercoaster is to limit sharp blood sugar spikes by opting for slow-release carbs, also known as low glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrates. The glycaemic index is a scale system ranking foods with values from 0 to 100 on how quickly they raise blood sugar levels. Please see some examples below: 

High GI foods (70 or more)

• white bread (GI: 75)
• instant mashed potatoes (GI: 80)
• glucose or corn syrup (GI: 100)

Medium GI foods (56–69)

• sweet corn (GI: 60)
• white rice (GI: 64)
• pineapple (GI: 66)

Low GI foods (55 or less)

• rolled oats (GI: 55)
• lentils (GI: 32)
• apples (GI: 36)
• quinoa (GI: 53)

Focusing your meals on low-GI foods, AKA low GI diet, will help curb extreme sugar highs and lows and consequently curb cravings and help you follow a healthy and nourishing diet.

Top tips for a low-GI diet

• Swap white carbohydrate foods with whole grains – for example, have brown bread instead of white one.
• Combine all macro-nutrients in your meals, adding proteins, fats and fibre to your meal to curb the carbohydrate sugar spike.
• Include plenty of low-GI foods in your diet such as pulses, whole grains, fibre-rich vegetables and healthy fats (nuts and seeds).
• Eat the different elements of your meal in this order: fibre first, then proteins and at last carbs. This will help stabilise blood sugar levels and avoid big spikes.

The best option to kick start the new year thriving is to consult a nutrition health care professional for a personalised dietary plan, which will take care of your likes/dislikes and lifestyle requirements. Nutrition can be transformative and is the simplest intervention to help you reach your health goals.