I have a BAAAD sweet tooth. I LOVE to eat candy and sweet things, especially after I have a meal. I'm eating jolly ranchers as I write this. Fruits and such just aren't sweet enough for me, I've already tried that alternative. Are there any other suggestions I could try to either curb my cravings or just fulfill them in a much healthier way?

Why not try dried fruit? Some of those are really good.. dried pineapple is quite tasty. You can even dry your own.. my sister does all the time.

Also, maybe it is just the "habit" of what you are doing rather than the choice of eating sweets. Maybe you could keep track of when the urges occur and figure out exactly what may trigger the desire to eat sweets.

Maybe you can substitute an alternative activity if you have the time. For example, walk around the block everytime you have the urge (or something similar).

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Originally posted by SweetnSour41:
Are there any other suggestions I could try to either curb my cravings or just fulfill them in a much healthier way?

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SweetnSour41,

When I was in my early 20s, I also had a hard-to-please sweet tooth. By my late 20s, I found that my sweet tooth was triggered by an improper food plan. My body craved sugar for energy to supplement an unbalanced diet...too many carbs, not enough veggies or fruits. By balancing out my meals, and eating the proper foods, my sweet tooth bid me adieu. Now I only get sweet twinges at a certain time of month.

Are you following a healthy, balanced, food plan, ingesting all the food groups? Are you feeding your body the nutrients that you need?
Is it possible your sweet tooth is triggered by energy or metabolic needs?

[This message was edited by vedere on 02-01-03 at 07:29 PM.]

I eat sweets every day. My father did the same, and my granddaughter also. Sweets are carbohydrates. Carbohydrates make seratonin in the brain, which is important in keeping my spirits up - helps me avoid suicide. In other words, I self-medicate with carbs.

catty

The trouble with concentrated sweets is that they themselves generate the craving. They skew the levels of blood sugars (our bodies were not designed for concentrated sweets).

So high sugar intake creates high insulin output. That zaps the sugar. Then we feel the low sugar as fatigue or depression. So we treat it with another massive jolt of sugar. this triggers a massive release of insulin....

So the only way to break the habit is to 'cold turkey' sweets for about three days. Eat fruit instead (as well as other normal foods).

You will find your sweet tooth has magically disappeared!

But before you do this experiment, make a mental adjustment:

"I must change my eating habits permanently, and choose a healthier lifestyle. I must give up gorging on sweets, and I must do it for life."

If you don't make this realistic decision, you will be plagued with overweight, intermittent fatigue and depression, low self-esteem, and inevitable poor health all your life. And you'll be setting your children a terrible example: a blueprint for unhappiness.

Two quick strategies for side-tracking craving: (1) drink a full glass of water, and immediately start some task (it doesn't matter what: just something to do); (2) go for a short walk. If you work outside of the home, go to the nearest mailbox and drop off the office mail. (I don't care if you are the vice-president; do it anyway.) If you're at home, go out and walk around the property, or around the block. The exercise and change of scene will distract you from your craving.

After two days, the craving will be gone.

It will come back if you indulge in concentrated sweets again.

I eat sweets on statutory holidays. No kidding. This way I don't have to say to myself "Never again will you be able to eat your beloved ice cream." That would be a depressing thought. So I let myself indulge only on those days. But guess what. The next day I crave more sweets! But now it takes only one day to end the craving, not the usual three as when one is really addicted.

A good quick fix for depression is a brisk walk - even a short walk. This vitalizes your muscles, improves blood circulation to the brain and all organs, helps your posture, and makes you feel good! It's also good for insomnia.