Do you like sweet foods and can't resist a cupcake or a sweet treat, no matter the time of day? If you recognize yourself in this table, it is important to learn to manage these eating compulsions, which have harmful consequences on your health. Here's how to do it, according to Alexandra Murcier, dietitian-nutritionist.
Some people love sugar, so much so that they make it a comfort food. So much so that they break down at the slightest opportunity and bite into a square of chocolate, a pastries or a small biscuit several times during the day. But food compulsions, which are classified as eating disorders, are harmful to health and promote excess weight, because the sugar consumed which is not burned by the body will be stored in the form of fat. So how can we limit this sugar intake? Here are the tips from Alexandra Murcier, dietician-nutritionist.
Physiological eating compulsions
“The first important thing to know is that you can have eating compulsions which will have two origins: physiological or psychological” first explains the expert.
“In the first case, these cravings occur in people who have had a very restrictive diet for a long time” adds Alexandra Murcier. “In addition, they have often “demonized” certain foods and in fact, they want them more.”
The other mistake is carb restriction. “When we have a calorie intake that is too low, particularly a carbohydrate intake that is too low, our body, which needs it, will trigger a feeling of hunger and we will more easily want very sweet products.“. The dietitian therefore advises checking whether our food intake, particularly carbohydrates, is sufficient.
Food to help manage an emotion
Food compulsions of psychological origin are linked to the management of emotions through food. “This maybe the stressboredom, anxiety, fatigue, solitudesadness… The first work to do is to target the emotion that provokes these desires. recommends our specialist.
“Afterwards, you have to find other ways to manage your emotions. To do this, you have to work through substitution. If, for example, you have sugar cravings when you are stressed, you can find other ways to manage stress than to eat. Our brain is made to replace one habit with another. We must therefore find a beneficial replacement.
Sugar calls for sugar
“The sweeter we eat, the more we crave sugar all the time.” warns Alexandra Murcier. “Eating sweet foods causes variations in blood sugar levels, which make you crave sugar again afterwards, because of hypoglycemia reactions”.
To limit this, the dietitian has advice. “By making the effort to eat less sugar and in particular foods with a low glycemic index, after a few weeks, or even after a few days, you will have less craving for sugar.“.
In the same vein, the dietitian recommends a particular food supplement. “To balance blood sugar, chrome can help, it is a natural mineral that helps reduce sugar cravings”.
NO to diets, YES to WW!
Accept these compulsions and talk about them
Finally, the specialist recommends playing down these gaps. “We must accept and play down these compulsions and the fact that we sometimes need food to comfort ourselves. This is a first step to better manage them, we must not always avoid them but accept them better, which allows us to reduce the frequency of these crises.”.
Finally, she recommends not hesitating to contact a health professional for help, “a dietician or psychologist, preferably specialized in the management of eating disorders”.
Slide: How much sugar is hidden in your food?
