Turn on the Juicer. Add ingredients, one at a time. Pour the fresh juice into a glass and enjoy!
Fill the blender with 2 cups of water. Blend the spinach and romaine until smooth.
Add the celery, apple, pear, and herbs (if using) and blend again until smooth.
Finally, add the lemon juice and banana, and do your last blend.
Pour and eat fresh!
Are you constantly craving candy, chocolate or desserts? Do you feel the need to reach for something sweet after each meal or do you feel powerless when there are sweets in front of you? Powerless! It’s like a little monster is inside of you screaming for sugar, its primary food. In a society where we are bombarded with sugar-filled drinks and donut obsessions, it’s no wonder that many people crave, or are even legitimately addicted, to sugar.
While it might seem that these feelings are sometimes uncontrollable, the good news is that there are simple and effective ways to overcome your cravings. Making even small changes in your lifestyle can be hugely effective in curbing your sugar addiction for both your physical and mental health!
Keep reading to learn some of my secrets to overcoming sugar cravings, so you can be well on your way to healthier, more beautiful life.
You might think that opting for sugar-free, calorie-free artificial sweeteners like aspartame or saccharin is an effective way to get your sweet fix without the detrimental effects of eating sugar. But did you know that consuming artificial sweeteners can actually worsen your sugar cravings? Further increasing beauty-destroying acid in your body, and even causing weight gain?
A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that artificial sweeteners have been linked to weight gain, heart disease, and other major health issues. Another study in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine concluded that artificial sweeteners encourage sugar cravings and dependence on sugar. Because they perpetuate your flavor preference toward sweet things. Rather than training your body to desire other foods that are not sweet, consuming artificial sweeteners constantly reminds your taste buds of that sweet taste that you continue to crave.
So, in fact, artificial sweeteners are definitely not a good substitute for sugar. And they actually do more harm than good when it comes to beating your sugar cravings. Cut out those diet sodas and ice creams, and watch your cravings start to gradually disappear!
Fun fact: bacteria plays a big role in your sugar cravings. Studies have discovered that microbes in the gastrointestinal tract influence your eating behaviors, cravings, satiety and taste receptors. When there’s an imbalance of bad bacteria to good bacteria in your gut, the bad bacteria can onset your sugar cravings. This is because you’re actually feeding that bad bacteria when you eat sugar, and leaving it constantly needing more.
By incorporating probiotics with the right ratios between strains that can create harmony in your system into your daily routine, you’ll be flooding your gut with the good bacteria that your body needs. I offer a wonderful Probiotics that has clinically researched strain. It is hearty enough to survive your stomach acid. And its properly combined, for maximum effectiveness when it comes to balancing out your gut flora. It’s the same probiotic that I take on a daily basis!
With an increase in gut-friendly bacteria comes an increase in energy and elimination, and a decrease in cravings and mood swings. How’s that for a win-win?
Let’s clear the air on this one. It’s okay to have some sugar in your diet! So long as it is the natural kind of sugar, balanced in a whole food package that fruit is, with minerals, enzymes, fiber and countless other phytonutrients. Those that try to cut out fruit completely are missing out a lot of nature’s beauty foods, I am sad to say!
Our bodies naturally crave sugar, and it’s totally healthy to satiate that craving with a natural source, like fruit, for example. Fruit is the most natural form of sugar that humans can consume. And fruit comes along with the added beauty benefits of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Unlike refined sugar, fruit nourishes and hydrates your cells.
Try munching on a piece of fresh fruit when your cravings start to arise. You may find that you are completely satisfied with the natural sugar from that fruit, and that you won’t even want to reach for that piece of chocolate cake or your hidden candy stash. By incorporating more natural sugar (e.g. fruit) into your diet, you might discover that you no longer crave refined sugars. Plus, you’ll be treating your body with the extra beauty-boosting nourishment that fruit provides. The key is to go for whole fruit- like a bowl of blueberries or some apple slices- over straight, fiber less fruit juice.
Do you know that your sweet cravings might be linked to how much salt you’ve been consuming? The bottom line: greater salt intake = more sugar cravings.
The science behind this concept is simple. Think of sugar and salt on two opposite ends of a spectrum, or as the yin and the yang. On one hand, salt (the yang), is a contracting mineral that causes fluid in the cells to contract and pull in. You’re probably familiar with that feeling of being thirsty and dehydrated after you overindulge in salty foods.
On the other hand, sugar is an expanding food. Sugar (the yin) causes you to feel relaxed and less contracted. Sugar cravings start to crop up when you have a higher concentration of sodium in your body, causing you to sometimes subconsciously feel the need to counteract that. In your body’s effort to reach a more balanced state, you could begin to crave sweet foods.
Ready to monitor your sodium intake? Keep an eye out for processed, canned and packaged foods and avoid eating out too often. These foods are often chock full of salt and sodium-filled preservatives. You might be surprised to see your sugar cravings dissipate when you are conscious of how much salt you consume!
You’ve heard it time and time again: drinking lots of water every day is important for maintaining a healthy body. But did you know that staying hydrated can help you overcome your sugar cravings, too?
Sometimes dehydration is mistaken for sugar cravings. When your body experiences even a small drop in dehydration levels, it will start to feel low on energy. When energy levels are low, it’s no surprise that you feel the need to reach for something sugary — a source of glucose that fuels your cells.
A study in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal found that when body fluid homeostasis is altered (e.g. dehydration), sensory and perceptual changes occur in the brain, which can increase your appetite… even if you’re not actually hungry! So the next time you get a hankering for something sweet, down a glass of water first and see how you feel after.
Are you getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep each night? Do you experience those late night sugar cravings that just won’t quit? Getting enough sleep could actually be to key to conquering your sweet cravings.
Research published in the Obesity journal shows that your internal circadian rhythm is deeply linked to sugar cravings, especially at night. When your circadian rhythm is thrown off by poor sleep, you are likely to experience more intense sugar cravings.
Deep and restful sleep is a rare thing in this day and age, given our crazy schedules and fast-paced lifestyles. If you’ve given up on a good night’s sleep long ago, I encourage you to give it another shot. Check out my Go sleep product-which has been proven to transform the length and quality of your sleep!
A simple way to make your food more interesting without adding sugar is by spicing it up! Spices add a natural sweetness to your food, which will keep your sugar cravings in check. Some wonderful, naturally sweet spices include cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. Plus, these spices are considered by Ayurvedic medicine to improve poor digestion and increase your agni, or digestive fire. Cinnamon packs a double-punch, as it provides the sweetness your body is craving while helping to stabilize your blood sugar to prevent you from crashing.
You’ll find that you can easily cut back on adding extra sugar to your food when you use these sweet spices. If you’re making a dessert, try using less sugar than the recipe calls for and supplement with your favorite spice instead. You might actually end up enjoying the taste even better!
I hope you feel empowered to take some of these tools and overcome your cravings for good. Every small step you take to beat your cravings is a step toward a healthier, more beautiful life. We’re all works in progress, and we are all on the path together!
With additives in our food, pesticides on our crops, and pollution all around us, many might say we live in a toxic age. Sometimes all that toxic buildup can take its toll on the colon, which negatively affects digestion and overall health. When your colon is backed up with toxic material, your entire body becomes sluggish and unable to perform its day-to-day tasks. Luckily, your body does a good job detoxifying itself on a regular basis; however, some toxins require some help to facilitate removal.
Helping your body detoxify itself isn’t too difficult when you stop and think about it. Eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise are two of the most effective strategies. However, sometimes we need a bit more when it comes to toxins, many of which can easily store themselves in the colon.
So, if you think you need a colon cleanse, or you just want to look into the idea, don’t put it off.
Here are five great benefits of colon cleansing you should know
Occasional constipation can make for poor digestion and vice versa. When digestion is impaired, and constipation ensues, waste products can linger in your body. This whole process can lead to the inability to absorb many of the nutrients you’re taking in, leading to a lack of energy and hampered immune function. Detoxing your colon allows those undigested waste products to be pushed through your system and also puts some ease in your bowel regularity. Since lingering waste can breed bacteria, this purge clears the way for good nutrient absorption, thereby supporting good health.
Purging your colon of toxins allows energy from the intestines to focus elsewhere, meaning your energy levels could improve. Nutrition is crucial to mental health, and weak absorption of nutrients may lead to loss of concentration. In addition to having more energy, absorption of crucial vitamins responsible for mental clarity is improved—meaning concentration is supported.
Low-fibre food is often part of an unhealthy diet. Without adequate fibre, digestion and the body’s ability to feel “full” are affected. Low fibre foods also linger much longer in the gut. When you cleanse the colon, this matter is flushed from the system, and, in some, may lead to significant weight loss. But, if you’re looking to lose weight, one study suggests that increasing fibre intake can help you shed unwanted pounds.
All the toxins you take into your body will eventually make their way to the colon. By not cleansing your colon (and liver), toxins can linger in the body and cause untold damage. Ridding the body of waste supports the many functions of the colon, including digestion and proliferation of beneficial gut flora.
The body is adept at constantly detoxifying itself every day. But sometimes the combination of environmental factors and poor lifestyle habits make it hard to catch up and your body may show signs of toxic colon overload. An oxygen-based cleanser may be helpful for encouraging colon detoxification by releasing oxygen. Oxygen is important for facilitating the removal of toxins, as is staying hydrated.
Strawberry Coconut Lime Smoothie RecipeMarch 6, 2021 - 7:34 pmStrawberry Coconut Lime Smoothie Recipe Strawberry Lime Coconut Smoothie Ingredients 1.5 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, destemmed 1 lime, peeled A frozen banana 1 cup of coconut water Instructions Add all of your ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into your favorite smoothie glass and enjoy!
