Nutrition: Healthy alternatives for those with a sweet tooth

From the bedroom to the bus stop, the kitchen table to the car. Thanks for starting your day with us, the Andrew Carter Morning Show. CJAD 800. Do you have a sweet tooth? But on the other hand, you don't want to indulge too much.

The chocolate bars, you hide them in the freezer and they still call to you. You know what I mean? The candy in the cupboard. Is there something you could do to curb your desire for sugar? Leanne Phillips and registered nutritionist, author of Eat This. And she's on the line. Good morning, Leanne. Good morning, Andrew. So what is it about sugar that makes us crazy?

it lights up our brain unfortunately like a lot of really heavy drugs do so it's a similar pathway physiologically so it's really really tricky to crave something to crave sugar well first of all realize that you're craving sugar and that's why you're going for the brownies or the cookies or the sweet foods

And to be aware enough not to think that I just need this. Well, what's probably happening is your blood sugar is crashing from depending on the time of day when you typically have your cravings is it actually let's say in the afternoon you're like

I just need something. I need the brownie. I need the cookie. I need whatever. It actually has a lot to do with what you had for breakfast, which is how you ended up in the afternoon, either wanting a nap or just wanting to go through your colleagues' drawers to find something sweet to get you through the next moment. Why is it so bad to eat too many sweets?

Because it really taxes your pancreas, which is what secretes the insulin. And insulin that secreted from your pancreas then has to find something to do with the sugar in your body.

Now, when you have a lot of sugar in your body, it creates a situation which breaks down the cells. So even when you eat a lot of sugar, you age faster. So you see it on the outside. And when you start to see things like extra wrinkles and dull skin, then we don't really understand, because we don't have extra vision about what's going on on the inside.

It is in the longevity arena of speaking about trying to stay healthier for longer. It is in your best interest on many levels to keep the sugar and that's from drinks, that's from foods. Not so much from like an apple versus apple juice, but apple juice is very high in sugar because of the delivery system.

then it really does affect your health, your metabolism, and everything that's going on inside that we're trying to keep healthy so that we feel great as we get older. Okay, so let's take a look at some alternatives here to reaching for the chocolate or the candy or the cookies or whatever. So one thing I'll say is if you have to, if you just can't put it down, think about when you are eating it. So let's say

You've had a really great lunch, a huge salad, some great protein on the side. And you know, half an hour later, like, oh, I still need a little sweet something. That is the best time to have whatever sugar it is that you're going to have is at the end of a meal that contains vegetables.

That's why when you have a breakfast cereal first thing in the morning, it starts you on this up-down roller coaster of mood, energy, focus, concentration throughout the day. So if you have to have something sweet, put it at the very end of the meal. So that's number one. Number two is try and make whatever it is that you're having better. So for instance, in my book called Spread Right Family Food, I have an amazing chocolate chip cookie with seven ingredients in it.

And super high fiber and you still get those chocolate little chocolate chips. I'd suggest you use the mini chocolate chips in it and you make a batch of that and and they're just gone. That just is kind of what happened. The moderation goes out the window. It seems with those.

So you can make better versions at home and you also know that what you're eating comes from whole foods. So it's not the ultra processed version that you have, you know, when you're buying a package from the supermarket or from the store. And typically when you bring it to your desk or bring it to the counter, I always suggest just take one and put the rest of it away. Cause it's like you said about the freezer. It's really hard not to have them calling your name just cause they're sitting there in the package.

And then also, it takes a couple of steps to go backwards to see, like I said earlier, when are you crashing? When are you craving this sugar? Is it because you're on the downside of the roller coaster? Or is it because you're emotional? Is it because the energy crashing can also be after a huge stress, not necessarily from food?

So could you sit there and this is going to sound really wacky, but just spend a moment taking some really deep breaths, having a huge glass of water and then just, you know, grounding yourself or give yourself a hug or talk to a friend and see if that emotional craving for the sweet for what you know is your comfort. Maybe ease is a little bit because there's a lot to food, especially to sweet comfort foods for people. Give myself a hug.

Like literally, like, like how we used to do when we would turn around and pretend like we were making out with someone and they got the arms up and going up and down your back. That's how you hug yourself. That's how you hug yourself. And does it work? I find that it takes a lot of money over the years. Yes, exactly. Yeah. It's best to get a hug from someone else. But if there's no one around, then you can actually hug yourself to give yourself a hug. Yeah. Okay. I'm not getting myself right now.

Yeah, it doesn't feel as good as it is. It doesn't feel that great, actually, to be honest with you. No. OK. Well, I mean, you have to be in the mind set of I'm giving myself this hug. I actually think I need it as opposed to discussing it on the radio. It's kind of funny and kind of appropriate because I actually feel like I'm in a straight jacket now. What are you doing? I've just cited myself. No, I've heard of this before. I guess you have to work on it.

You got to be in the right mind. Save money on dates, though. That's for sure. You have not saying that. You have. Hang on. Hang on. We've gone from cookies to yourself to saving on. Well, go on. You know, that's quite the leap. Go. I could see. I could see going out to fancy restaurant there and just put a mirror across where the other person is. Hey, there. Okay. Now we're going to hold a conversation. Hey, they're handsome. How are you? How are you doing? You have a great day, Leanne. Thanks.

That's an important thing, too, though. Leanne Phillipsen is a registered nutritionist, author and host of Eat This.