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A great question came up the other day from one of my clients. She asked, “what should I do when I am cravings sweets?” If you have a hankering for something sweet you are not alone! Here is how I recommend you approach that craving of yours.

Why You Are Craving Sweets

S.T.O.P.

S: Stop or slow down

T: Take a deep breath

O: Observe your feelings and environment

P: Proceed mindfully

It is important to take a moment to pause and assess what is going on. It is not uncommon for cravings to pop up for a variety of reasons.

Why You Maybe Craving Sweets

1. You’re tired or haven’t slept well lately.
2. You actually need food or water.
3. You’re stressed and need to step away from whatever you are doing for a moment (go for a walk, take some deep breaths, find a quiet moment, talk to a loved one).
4. You’re feeling a bit emotional. Try doing something to cheer you up and get you back into a good headspace.
5. You have a “sweet treat time” habit and that 3pm pick-me up is calling like Pavlov’s dog.
6. You actually want something sweet and thats okay (and, quite frankly, it is human to enjoy sweet foods)!

Developing your self awareness is important.

You should not feel guilty for eating a piece of chocolate or candy. But this action should be approached mindfully so you can really enjoy what you are eating as opposed to going through the motions and not finding satisfaction in it.

Being mindful about the process will help you throughly enjoy the each bite. Plus, you may find that you don’t need as much to get the same effect as you would mindlessly polishing off a bag of sweets while distracted in front of the computer.

Choosing Better Sweet Treats

• Dark chocolate. The darker the better!
  • Look for fair trade companies so you can go the extra mile and support the farmers as well!).
  • Taza Chocolate
  • Equal Exchange
  • Endangered Species
  • Alter Eco
• Dried unsweetened unsulfured fruit
  • mango
  • pineapple
  • date rolls
  • apricots
• Cocoa dusted nuts lightly sweetened
• Make a healthy dessert recipe like my cookie dough bites!

And remember, your taste buds are very very adaptable. If you are a white or milk chocolate kind of person, explore the dark chocolate world! You may find that you enjoy the robust and rich flavors it brings as opposed to the simple flavors of milk and sugar. 😄

Want one-on-one assistance to help you further tackle your sweet tooth and progress forward with your goals? Let’s talk!