5 Tricks to Beat Your Sweet Tooth Cravings

It's natural for us to have cravings. It's part of our body's way of telling us what it needs. For instance if you are low in iron you might crave red meat. If your body is low on potassium it might crave bananas. When a craving strikes the first thing you might want to try is drinking a large glass of water. Thirst often disguises itself as a craving.

On the other hand your body does not need sugar - not the processed kind anyway. We have became creatures of habit by eating sweets for any and everything. For instance ...

How many times have you seen a parent give their toddler a cookie after falling down and getting hurt?

How many times have you seen a parent give their children food especially sweets and chips to keep them quiet and content?

As young children we are taught that food is the answer to many of our emotional woes. As adults we need to learn to BREAK the HABIT if we are to improve our health and gain control over our weight.

You'll find that when you eat 3 balanced meals and 1 to 2 snacks per day your cravings and your sweet tooth will disappear. This isn't to say you have to give up sweets all together - The tricks listed below will let you enjoy sweets without letting your cravings and sweet tooth control you.

1. Procrastinate - When your craving hits tell yourself you will satisfy your sweet tooth after 5 to 30 minutes. When the time passes, try delaying it another 5 to 30 minutes. You'll find that most cravings will vanish after about 20 minutes. Make it a game to see how long you can go without eating sweets.

2. Eat Fruit - fruit is natures candy. Try a new fruit each week or month. There are several to choose from. Fruits will not only satisfy your sweet tooth, they provide essential vitamins and nutrients that fill you up and help control cravings.

3. Limit Sweets - Are you one of the many people that simply can't go with out sweets? If so you can save about 150 calories a day to enjoy a treat after dinner. 150 calories is about 1 ounce of chocolate, 1/2 cup of ice cream, a small slice of cake or a Hostess cupcake. You may want to check out the lower calorie versions of your favorite sweets - you might find that a Skinny Cow ice cream satisfies your sweet tooth cravings.

4. Bank Calories - Eat a meal or two that consists of a lean mean green salad and other very low calorie vegetables. Use light dressing. The calories you saved from your meals will allow you to enjoy a decadent high calorie dessert that you've been craving. Your sweet tooth will be satisfied and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you stayed in control.

5. Learn to Relax - If you are an emotional eater, learning to relax will help reduce stress which often times can lead to a binge. Use guided imagery - just close your eyes and imagine yourself at your favorite place. This might be at the beach, in the mountains, on a cruise, or on an exotic island. Another tip to relax is to listen to music. Studies show that when you relax you're decreasing the production of cortisol which can lead to carbohydrate cravings.

Practice these techniques and you will be in control of your sweet tooth - instead of it controlling you.