How many times are we tempted by a jar of Nutella or by a delicious chocolate ice cream? How many times do we want to devour that chocolate box they offered us and that we make an effort to store without even touching it?

Where does this almost irresistible craving for all that is sweet come from?

When we suddenly crave sweet foods is because we’re not giving our body the nutrients it needs (vitamins and minerals) and this is the way how it communicates with us to let us know that something is not OK.
— Anita D’Ambrosio, Holístic Health Coach

The quicker and easier solution in these situations is to pig out processed foods, which contain sugar with different denominations, or biscuits, chocolate, “cereals” (and with the word “cereals” I’m referring to those sold in the supermarkets, such as Frosties, Honey stars, Crunch… They’re not cereals at all!), different types of pasta made from refined wheat flour… The list is endless!

But, what happens when we eat these products? Have you ever wondered? In the answer you’ll find the key to avoid them and to give our body what it does need.

Actually, what happens is a temporary increase of energy (not good energy), because the level of sugar in our blood rises quickly and influences the part of our brain responsible for the control of our impulses. And most of us know that when we act impulsively everything goes wrong, right?

As a consequence of this prompt increase of sugar in our blood, our brain loses the ability of self-control and demand us more food with artificial sugar and/or high-calories foods. This is the main reason why sugar is highly addictive! It deceives our brain with the feeling of satiety, but actually what happens is that our body isn’t absorbing energy and the brain demands more products similar to the one we’re eating, creating a vicious cicle where we get trapped!

With all this panorama where it seems we have no escape, how can we control this craving for sweet foods? Is there a solution? Of course! The solution is within ourselves and in our Nature!
— Anita D’Ambrosio, Holístic Health Coach

The first step is to listen to our body and all the messages it constantly sends to us, and and ask ourselves the following questions:

1. Am I really hungry? Do I really want to eat sweets or am I stressed, nervous, bored, etc.?

2. Have I given my body the rest it needs? Did I have 7-8 hours good-quality sleep or poor sleep?

In these cases, being aware of our current situation, we can opt for the following options:

1. Have a tea or infusion and eat fruits that contain natural sugar;

2. Do body relaxation and breathing exercises,

3. Adopt the habit of going to bed every day at the same hour to sleep 7-8 as our body needs.

In case you couldn’t identify with the options above, why do we crave sweet foods?

The answer is simple: lack of balance in what we ingest and/or in the nutrients in our body!

The craving for sweets, if it’s none of the situations mentioned above, is the result of a lack of balance in the foods we ingest, which means that we have a diet rich in carbohydrates, like refined pasta and bread, cakes, chocolates, etc.

Sugar can deplete our body of some vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, potassium… and it’s when these key nutrients are missing that we crave sweet foods.

To reduce the serving of carbohydrates, the solution is to increase the consumption of proteins, healthy fats and… eat lots of sweets!

Eating lots of sweet foods? But what does this mean? Some of you ask…

The answer sounds weird, but this is true story. We must eat a lot of sweets, but not any kind of sweets, they are sweets in the form of vegetables, sweet vegetables!
— Anita D’Ambrosio, Holistic Health Coach

Nature is wise and has the answer for all our healing needs. It offers us sweet vegetables which, integrated in our daily diet, compensates for the lack of nutrients in our body and, as a consequence, the craving for sweet taste!

Sweet vegetables that you can devour:

1. Carrots: raw, scalded or roasted;

2. Pumpkins: raw, used in soups or roasted/grilled;

3. Sweet potatoes: boiled and roasted;

4. Corn: only if biologic;

5. Peas and fava beans: sautéed in a frying pan or used in a minestrone soup;

6. Red and yellow peppers: raw, sautéed, roasted/grilled;

7. Green beans: scalded or stewed;

8. Beetroot: raw or cooked;

9. Onions: when cooked;

10. Cherry tomatoes são como cerejas! Podem comer-se crus, salteados ou assados com outros legumes;

11. Turnip: scalded, stewed or roasted;

12. Fennel: used in soups, sautéed, roasted or scalded;

13. Cabbage: scalded or boiled,

14. Yams: cooked or roasted.

And I end this article with the list of sweet vegetables, hoping that it will stop the craving for the chocolate box too!

Ah! Don’t forget to always opt for local and seasonal products, in order to keep the balance in your body and with Nature… your nNature!