If you find that eating sugary snacks makes you want more, you're not alone.

- Eating lots of simple carbs without protein or fat can quickly satisfy hunger and give a short boost of energy, but soon you'll be hungry again and want more. But before you learn how to stop craving sugar, you need to understand why we crave it, and that is due to many reasons.

- Sugar is a carbohydrate that triggers the brain to release serotonin, but carbs come in other forms too, like whole grains, fruits, and veggies.

- The taste of sugar releases endorphins inside us that help us feel calm and relaxed.

- Of course sweets and sugar taste good, so we often use them as a reward for ourselves, and eating them makes us want to eat them again.

- With all this, why do we crave sugar so much? The problem isn't eating sugar now and then, but overeating it. There are many processed foods with added sugar including bread, yogurt, juices, and sauces.

- On average, a person eats about 22 teaspoons of added sugar daily. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar to about 6 teaspoons daily for women and 9 for men.

If you really crave sugar, here are some ways to control it :-

• Eat a little candy :-

Try to eat a small amount of the sweet you want (like a small cake or a small piece of candy), because enjoying a bit of what you like is better than feeling deprived. So keep your candy around 150 calories.

• Combine different foods :-

If quitting sweets seems impossible, you can still satisfy your sugar craving by mixing tasty and healthy foods. For example, if you love chocolate, you can dip a banana in chocolate sauce or mix some nuts with chocolate chips. This way, you'll satisfy your craving for sweets and get healthy nutrients too.

• Eat cold turkey :-

Some can cut out all simple sugars even though the first 48 to 72 hours are hard. Some find that eating cold turkey helps lower strong sugar cravings after a few days, while others still want sugar but over time control their appetite and feel satisfied with just a little sugar.

• Chew gum :-

If you want to avoid giving in to your sugar craving completely, try chewing gum or bubblegum. Research shows chewing gum can reduce strong urges to eat.

• Eat fruit :-

When you really crave sugar, go for fruit to get fiber and nutrients along with some natural sugars like nuts and dried fruits.

• Move and change your spot :-

When you get a sugar craving, try moving and changing your spot, take a walk around, do anything that changes your scenery so your mind forgets the craving.

• Cut down the amount :-

If you need sugar try picking a great sweet but choose a small piece like healthy dark chocolate, then savor it slowly. This way you can include small amounts in your diet but focus on filling up on less sugary and healthier choices.

• Eat regularly :-

Waiting too long between meals might make you pick sugary and fatty foods to stop your hunger. Instead, try eating every three to five hours to keep your blood sugar steady. This also helps avoid irrational eating when you're very hungry. Eat proteins and fiber-rich foods like whole grains.

To stop overeating, break your meals down and split them up. For example, have part of your breakfast, like a slice of toast with peanut butter, and save yogurt for a mid-morning snack. You can split lunch the same way.

To stop strong sugar cravings before they start, you can do the following:-

• Avoid sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners:-

They seem like a good substitute but don’t reduce sugar cravings and have no positive impact on the obesity epidemic.

• Reward yourself:-

When you control sugar cravings, reward yourself. Your reward can be big or small. Remember why you’re doing it and reward every successful step.

• Eat your food slowly:-

Food chaos usually comes from poor planning, so for one week focus on your strong sugar cravings, think about what you eat, plan, and eat slowly.

• Separate your emotional problems from food:

Many people turn to sweets when stressed, depressed, or angry, but you must realize sugar doesn’t fix emotional problems. So try to get help to find other ways to handle those feelings.

• Use more than one method:

You might need more than one approach to beat sugar cravings. For example, one week one way works, next week you need something new. So have a set of tricks to calm your sugar cravings and figure out what suits you.

- You need to stay calm about it because beating sugar cravings can take time. Always remember this saying: "Changing any system, whether the global economy or your food, is hard."

To get rid of your sugar craving, you should learn a balanced healthy diet and a set of exercises that fit your weight and lifestyle. That’s what we offer you at Fitness Garage with a specialist.