Finally, 3 Hacks to Help You Tackle Your Nighttime Sugar Cravings

It’s no secret that I have a huge sweet tooth. I will take dessert over a main course any day (unless the main course is a Five Guys cheeseburger and fries). My sweet cravings spike at night too, after dinner — the absolute worse time for anyone to eat sugar.

The cravings get so bad sometimes, that I get jittery, itchy inside my brain — I can think of nothing but where to get my next fix. I search through the back of the cupboards like a crazed addict in the hopes of finding one of my hidden dark chocolates. (My hubby doesn’t like sweets so I really just hide them from myself.)

I’m assuming it’s the same for people who smoke or who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Sugar is my poison, and I have tried many tactics throughout my life. None have worked.

Unit recently.

Aside from the dark chocolate stash too small to do much damage even if my will is compromised, I generally don’t keep any sweets at home. But that hasn’t helped. If anything, it makes me want my sweet treat even more. So given that my word for the year is “Surrender,” I decided to give in to my cravings in the spirit of spiritual enlightenment and personal growth…and because I needed a good excuse to feed poison into my body.

So I got creative and devised a plan that satisfies my craving for sweets while satisfying my desire to stay fit and healthy…A.K.A, young. The two have to peacefully coexist in order for me not to turn into a bitter (albeit super-fit), sugar-hangry monster and bite my hubby’s head off. So you can consider this relationship therapy too.

Try them out and let me know if this works for you.

Here are my hacks ( I hate that word but can’t think of another)…

1. Peppermint Tea

This is my newest hack and my favorite, so we’ll start here. Even if you are not a tea drinker, trust me on this. Peppermint tea is delicious (delicious may be too strong of a word, but it’s really good). About 20 minutes after dinner, when my craving starts poking me, I make myself a cup and then I sip it slowly while reading or watching a movie. It works twofold. First, it’s sweet, so it satisfies that need. Second, it keeps you busy while you sip. A lot of times, the craving is just anxiety, like nervous eating — at least for me.

2. Vitamins

Buy your nighttime vitamins in gummy form. They have very little sugar but you feel like you’re eating candy.  If you really want to indulge in vitamin sweetness, get your calcium in dark chocolate form. I buy the brand Adora. They’re made with organic dark chocolate, have no GMO’s, no trans fats and are gluten-free. And they only have 2 grams of sugar. Seriously feels like you’re indulging, but you’re fortifying your bones instead.

3. The Butta’s

I’ve been getting away with just numbers one and two. But if that’s not enough for you or you’re in the process of sugar-weaning, have one teaspoon (just one) of nut butter. I love all of them and will alternate between almond, peanut or hazelnut. One teaspoon has less than 1 gram of sugar. BUT, it’s about 100 calories, so go easy. It is super satisfying though…if you eat it really slow.

So there you have it. I hope this helps you on your journey to health. Please let me know if you have any hacks for sugar cravings. This is a subject near and dear to my sugar-deprived heart.

xoxo